Wallace dropped Natalie into the stern of the rowboat before climbing in next to the captain, taking the oar he offered. Together they began to row out to the waiting ship as their pursuers reached the shore and ran out into the water, trying to swim after them.
“They’re coming,” Natalie said in a panicky voice. “They’ll kill us.”
“They’ll drown,” the captain said. “There are currents in this bay that would overpower the strongest swimmer.”
Wallace watched as the men began to struggle. Some went under almost at once, pushing and fighting each other as they battled the current. The others returned to the shore, a few drawing bows and firing arrows out at them.
“What if they get to their boats?” Natalie asked. “How can we take on that many ships?”
“This is the Merry Jane,” the captain said, nodding toward his ship. “Fastest ship in the highlands. They will never catch us.”
More arrows flew out toward them, landing harmlessly in the water and vanishing from sight.
“What’s the matter with you?” Wallace asked as Natalie ducked down as low as she could.
“I’m scared,” she replied. “I’ve never had arrows fired at me before.”
“Dinnae worry. They cannot reach us this far out. You will not get hurt under my protection.”
He grunted as an arrow pierced his side a moment later.
“I thought you said we would not get hurt,” she said as they finally left the range of the bows behind them.
“I promised you, not me,” he replied.
“Dinnae worry,” the captain said with a grin. “If you die, I will take good care of her for you.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Wallace said. “I’ll bear it in mind.”
9
The barefoot man had been summoned.
She wanted to talk to him.
Around him the nocturnal animals shied away. Rabbits darted into the undergrowth as he passed, bats sensed his presence and shifted their flight path.
The wind was the only thing willing to draw near, cutting through him though he did not feel the cold. The only thing he felt was anger.
He was supposed to be supervising his army. His men were spread across the highlands. They entered the bleakest of valleys, the most dangerous taverns, the towns and the country.
They listened to all the rumors and then fed the information directly back to him. They werewaiting for his signal. When it came they would finally get to slake their bloodthirst, go on the rampage and slaughter all those who opposed him.
First, he needed the key. No doubt that was why she had summoned him. To remind him of what he already knew. He touched the dagger under his cowl, wondering whether he should just kill her and have done with it.
He laughed at the idea. If he could have done that, he’d have done it years ago. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried to murder her. She’d survived wounds that would kill the strongest men, barely stopping to draw breath before continuing to berate him.
He walked through the heather, passing into the dark wood behind the castle, the one place where no one ever went.
The rumors were that the place was filled with dark magic, that none who entered ever came out alive. He did not pause before pushing through the undergrowth, burying himself in the darkness of the wood he knew like the back of his hand.
The cave was in the middle of the wood, hidden from all but the most skilled eye behind huge growths of stinking plants that seemed to move against the wind, not with it.
He shoved his way past them and into the cave,having to duck to fit through the narrow passage that opened out into a large unnatural chamber in the middle of the network of tunnels.
At the far end of the chamber were the rough-hewn steps that descended into the darkness. He went down them quickly, wanting to get this over with.
A minute later he stepped out into another chamber. The stairs continued down but there was no point going down there yet, not until he had the key.
