“In hiding.” Evie burst out the back door and into the gardens. “They’ll be safe.”
Her sister stopped and spun toward her, as if remembering some crucial bit of information.
“Your piece of the stone. Do you have it?”
She stuck her hand into the pocket of her dress to make sure it was still there. “Yes.”
“Good.”
They exited the gardens and hurried across the lawn toward the back of the castle where the gate loomed in the stone curtain wall. It stood open, as if someone had already left through it. Beyond the gate was the rocky landscape, the light of the pale moon glimmering along the water, making it shimmer.
Once they were on the rocky shoreline, they picked their way down the edge of the loch, the water lapping against the rocks. Chloe peered ahead, her heart a rapid beat in her chest as she followed her sure-footed sister. Ahead was nothing but trees standing as dark sentries against the gloom of the night.
The surface of the glistening loch broke, and the figure of a man emerged, walking up the shoreline as if he were merely taking an early morning dip. At first, Chloe was confused by this, and her foggy mind did not understand. Until she saw another man. And another.
“Evie!”
Her sister halted her steps and turned around to quiet her when she saw the men approaching. Evie sucked in a sharp breath, her gaze flickering to her full of panic and fear.
“Run,” she said, low and urgent through her teeth.
Without waiting for a reply, Evie ran toward the copse of trees, holding her gown up off the ground and hopping over large rocks as she went. Chloe ran after her as worry gnawed at her. There were so many things wrong here. Her pregnant sister fleeing the castle, men darting out of the dark waters of the loch, and now two men on horses bursting out of the trees riding at breakneck speed toward them brandishing their swords.
Her heart climbed to her throat as she watched, horrorstruck, hoping they didn’t trample right over her sister.
But they didn’t. Evie seemed unconcerned with their approach and never slowed her run. The men rode past her. Chloe realized with some relief it was Dougal, though she had not been properly introduced, and the younger brother, Jamie.
When he was past Evie, Jamie leapt off the horse and took on the men who had come from the loch. Dougal rode through them, cutting down man after man. It seemed they continued to materialize from the water. Swords clashed between them. The smell of blood filled the air. Evie turned to her, waving her tohurry but then her eyes went wide and round and a strangled sob escaped her.
Strong arms wrapped around her upper torso, keeping her from moving. Hot, rancid breath grazed her ear and she realized she was in the arms of the enemy.
“Get the other one!” the man holding her shouted.
“Run, Evie!”
He tightened his grip on her. “Another outburst and ye will regret that.”
The point of something sharp pricked her kidneys. Evie tried to run while Dougal and Jamie fought. Dougal was knocked off his horse, scrambling for his sword. Jamie was there in an instant, but then the opponent slashed him on the upper arm. Blood spread on his tunic. Despite that, he continued to fight. He cut down the man he fought but another took his place. Dougal managed to recover his sword and continued the fight.
Meanwhile, Evie was captured by one of the others who managed to slip by Jamie. He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder as if she were nothing more than a sack of potatoes.
The man holding her shoved her at one of his henchmen, who snatched her by the arm and dragged her in the same direction as the man carrying Evie.
A man stood at the edge of the trees. A man with familiar steel-blue eyes. A man she thought she once loved.
Bruce.
CHAPTER 25
Malcolm hated the thought of Chloe leaving his protection, but he and Callum had decided it was best for them to get as far away from the fighting as possible. They both knew Rory MacDonald was after them and the keystone. If they weren’t in residence, then he couldn’t capture them if anything went terribly wrong.
He and Malcolm quickly organized the rest of the castle for battle. They emptied the armory and lined up the few archers they had along the ramparts, readying for the worst.
Torchlight glinted off spears, swords, and many other sharp things as the army approached. At the head of it, Rory MacDonald clutched his great axe. Next to him, his son. Both of them rode on their destriers, dressed and ready for battle.
Thankfully, the weapon was not glowing this time.
MacDonald’s army outnumbered them. If he decided to lay siege to the castle, they would have a difficult time defending it. If he decided to starve them out, that could take months. His brother had prepared for this moment all season. He’d made sure the larder was stocked, and they had plenty of livestock.
