He rose over her. “Perhaps so, but now I have ye under mah control. The tricks will do ye no good now.”
“Ye’re afraid,” she stated, looking up at him. “Ye’re afraid of me.”
He let out a short bark of laughter. “Nay. I am not afraid of ye, but ye should be of me.” His eyes widened. “Ye escaped Mcaiwn’s dungeon, didnae ye?”
Ainslee did not want to tell him that she had wed Arran just yet. It would give her brother more cause to continue on his journey, and she needed him to halt for as long as possible.
“Aye,” she stated. “I befriended a guard and got out.”
Liam didn’t seem to believe her, but he didn’t broach the discussion again. “Well, it matters not,” he said after a moment. “Ye will be finding yerself in one soon.” He eyed her, a smile flitting across his face. “Though ye are still bonnie, Sister. Perhaps I will give ye tae one of mah warriors.”
Ainslee shuddered at the thought. Her brother was cruel, and his warriors would be as well. “I would rather die.”
“That can be arranged. Rest. We will be pillaging a village come morning, and I want ye tae watch.”
He moved away from her, and Ainslee let her shoulders slump, hoping that Arran would be ready. Her capture had not slowed her brother.
She had failed.
17
“She’s not here.”
Arran pulled his horse to a stop, looking about the path himself. There was no need to go any farther. Ainslee would have never made it past this point in the time she had ahead of them.
When he had awoke this morning, he had not expected to find himself in a lonely bed. He had hoped they would have a few stolen moments still, but she hadn’t been there.
Thinking that she had already made her way into the great hall to see him off, he had dressed for the long ride ahead, strapping his sword on last before walking down the stairs and meeting his ma’s teary gaze, spending a few moments comforting her and promising that he would be bringing not only himself but also Malcolm home in one piece. When he had asked after his wife, no one knew where she was, nor had she been seen.
Arran’s first prickle of fear had been when they could not locate her in the keep. When it was discovered that his horse was missing, Arran knew what she had done.
She had gone after her brother by herself. Last night had not been about them coming together as a man and wife should, but about her saying goodbye.
Ainslee had been telling him what her plans were with her body, and he had been oblivious to the fact that she would even do something so foolhardy in the first place.
After that realization had hit him, Arran had wished to charge after his wife, to bring her back to the keep where she would be safe.
It had been Malcolm and Uncle Fergus both that had kept him from leaving without his warriors, and nearly an hour had passed before they had been ready to depart. His ma had grabbed his arm and begged him to bring Ainslee back, and he had vowed to do so.
But without knowing how much time she had ahead of them, their journey had not been an easy one.
It seemed that his wife had all but disappeared.
Arran couldn’t breathe properly. Ainslee was out there, somewhere, potentially in danger, and he could not save her.
Cameron sidled next to him. “There are a great deal of hoof marks ahead but no blood.”
“She has tae be out here. What about signs of McDougal?” At least if her brother had her, then she could still be alive.
“Other than the hoof marks, nay,” Cameron said softly. “We should have encountered them along this way.”
“He got off the path,” Arran replied, attempting to get into his enemy’s mind at what would make him abandon his assault.
He had to have Ainslee.
“Arran.”
Arran looked to find Malcolm staring at him. It had been his brother that had seen his rage at Ainslee’s disappearance, the way he had punched a hole through the stable stall when he had realized she had taken his horse. Malcolm had wisely not said any words of comfort, only helping him in rallying their warriors and gathering the medical supplies in case Ainslee was injured.
