“Trouble has found you nonetheless,” one of the men opposite said. “Take hold of them.”
Wallace tried to fend them off but there were too many. After he’d sent the first two flying withhis fists, the others piled in as a group, grabbing hold of him, and pinning his arms behind his back.
More men grabbed hold of Natalie. She frantically looked around her for help that wasn’t coming. The captain was nowhere to be seen. Had he betrayed them?
One of the men came forward from the others, sneering at them from under a Roman nose. “Send a pigeon to the laird,” he said. “We have two uninvited guests on our island.”
A cheer went up and Natalie could only fight to free herself as she was dragged off the beach, Wallace close behind.
A hood was thrown over her head and then she could see nothing but darkness.
“Dinnae worry,” she heard Wallace whisper to her. “I will get us out of this.”
“I’d like to see that,” one of the men shouted. “With your limbs bound, your eyes covered, and a sharp knife to your throat. Just how are you planning to get yourself free?”
Wallace didn’t answer.
Natalie felt herself stumbling regularly. Unable to see, she had no warning of rocks or dips in the land and soon she was being carried instead ofwalked. The fight faded from her as she tired and still they went on.
She had no idea for how long but after an interminable time breathing in the musty bag that covered her face, she found she could move it by pushing her head back. It eased upward, sliding free after a final twist of her neck.
She caught a glimpse of the path they were following before the bag was back on. The fog was lifting, not that it mattered anymore.
They walked further until finally she was set on her feet and the bag was pulled from her head. She had time to see a wooden hut door as it was opened before she was shoved inside.
“Get comfortable,” a voice called in as Wallace was tossed through after her. “You’ll be there for some time.”
The door slammed shut and a heavy plank secured the other side. Wallace put his shoulder to it but it didn’t budge. He tried again, grunting with the effort. Dust fell from the ceiling but the door did not move.
He stepped back to try again but Natalie grabbed his arm. “Don’t bother. You’ll only hurt yourself.”
“We must get free.”
“I agree but breaking your shoulder is probably not the way to do it.”
He turned and looked at her, scratching his forehead. “You do not appreciate the danger we are in. The Frazers don’t let anyone on Thistle Island. If we’re lucky they’ll torture us before execution.”
“And if we’re unlucky?”
“They’ll just set fire to this hut with us inside.”
“Fantastic.” Natalie slumped down onto the floor, putting her head in her hands. “All I wanted was to find out a bit about the Middle Ages. I never asked for this.”
“This is my time,” Wallace replied, kneeling next to her and placing a hand on her knee. “Danger lurks around every corner. No one can be trusted. Especially not a highlander.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t trust you?” she asked without looking up.
“I am not a Frazer or a MacCallister. I am a MacGregor. We are an honest clan.”
“Yeah, but you’d say that even if you were a liar.”
“I am no liar.”
She sighed. “It doesn’t matter. Listen, do me a favor and just don’t talk to me for awhile.”
She glanced up, seeing him moving away, hishands running around the edge of the door, trying to bend the wood. She left him to it, sinking into her thoughts.
How had it come to this? She had been writing a book about the MacGregors and idly dreaming about meeting them and this was how fate had chosen to fulfil her dream for her?
