Page 46 of Reviving Her Highland Spirit

Aunt Lyla nodded to two soldiers standing at the door, and they came forward warily. With a sinking heart, Maggie realized that if she would not walk calmly to her room, she would be dragged there by her wrists.

“Fine, I’ll go,” Maggie snapped. “But ye are all making a big mistake.”

Aunt Lyla stepped forward, cupping her hand around Maggie’s cheek. “We’re doing this for ye, Maggie,” she said softly. “We’re trying tae keep ye safe, can ye not understand?”

“He’s not a bad man,” Maggie whispered, and Aunt Lyla’s face creased with pity.

“I’m sure he’s not, but he’s following a bad man. Sometimes those two things are indistinguishable, and the punishment is the same. It doesn’t matter whether ye disagree with something terrible - if ye don’t stand up against it, ye feelings are useless. Faith without works is dead, after all. Useless, pointless. It doesn’t matter whether Callum disagrees with Rufus’ plans - does he intend tae stop them?”

No, Maggie thought, but she didn’t say it. Instead, she allowed herself to be meekly led out of the council room. The door was locked and bolted behind her.

* * *

The cacophony of clattering hooves on the cobbles woke Maggie out of the little lump of misery she’d formed on her bed. She wiped away her tears and unwound her arms and legs from the cushion she’d wrapped herself around, and stumbled to her window. She was just in time to see around a dozen men on horseback go racing by, led by Ian. Few enough men to ride quickly and without rest, but a large enough force to put up quite a fight. She knew where they were going. To the woods of Angevyn, to find that little croft with Rufus in it.

Perhaps if Maggie could have believed that Callum had just ridden away and gone to hide somewhere, she could have simply let things unfold. But she knew that Callum would go to warn Rufus. No matter what he thought now about Rufus’ plans, he would have to warn him. His loyalty wouldn’t let the man he looked up to as a father get killed this way.

And I can’t let Callum get killed this way, Maggie realized. She had to go after them, and of course, there was only one way to do that.

She tiptoed out of her room - mercifully not locked, since Maggie had gone so quietly - and down the hallway. Her riding things still stuck to her damp skin, and her hair hung lank and wet against her neck. Maggie barely noticed. She didn’t care.

She made it outside without being seen and ran across to the stables. Maggie went past all of the stalls until she found Stardust. She let out a breath of relief that she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding - Callum hadn’t taken Stardust. He must have put her back in her stall, but of course, he wouldn’t have had time to unsaddle her and undo her bridle. So, Stardust stood there, mildly watching Maggie, ready to leave.

Maggie drew in a deep breath, opening the stall and leading Stardust out. Stardust clopped calmly out of the stables and stood there, her large head twisted around to watch Maggie.

Maggie put her foot in the stirrup and steadied herself, squeezing her eyes closed.

I can do it. Callum thought that I could do it. Callum trusted me. I’ve been riding every day since he first took me out on Stardust, and now I can do it alone. I can do it alone.

Not giving herself a moment to think, Maggie pulled and pushed, hauling herself up onto the saddle. She sank down onto the leather as if it had been waiting for her for all this time. For a moment, the world wobbled, and Maggie found herself leaning back, seeking out Callum’s warm, firm chest behind her.

She remembered at once, but the memory of Callum only seemed to strengthen her resolve. Maggie took the thin strips of the reins between her hands, willing her heart to calm down. She nudged Stardust forward in a slow, rolling walk.

Maggie’s mind might cringe away at the thought of riding, but her body remembered everything. She shifted her weight automatically, urging Stardust into a trot.

They didn’t go towards the forest, that calm, relaxing walk. No, Maggie was steering Stardust towards the wide, well-traveled road that would take her to Angevyn.

Holding her breath, Maggie urged Stardust into a rolling canter. Almost immediately the horse’s joy transferred itself to Maggie. She leaned forward, clutching the reins and squeezing with her thighs. Stardust broke into a gallop, and they all but flew over the smooth, wide road as if they were born to fly, rather than to live tied to the ground, the girl and her horse.

19

Stardust and Maggie gained speed, Stardust’s long legs and strong hooves eating up the miles between the keep and Angevyn. They were nearly there.

Nearly there, nearly there, nearly there, Maggie chanted in her head, over and over again, to the rhythm of Stardust’s beating hooves.

She’d imagined she’d inch her way back up to galloping, especially since this was the first time she’d ridden alone since her accident. Yet here she was, and Maggie’s fear had fallen away with the miles, and she couldn’t quite believe she’d made it this far. The rush of the cool wind took away her breath and scenery shot away and behind them, and Maggie had to laugh aloud with the joy of it all, the wind whipping away her laughter. She didn’t care. She and Stardust were together again, and all was right with the world.

Now she just needed to save Callum.

Ian was not going to leave them alive, Maggie had read that in his face. He was going to finish the job once and for all.

Maggie couldn’t let them kill Callum. She couldn’t. She had no idea how this would work out, how she would convince Ian, or how it would all happen, but one thing was clear - Maggie wasn’t just going to languish in the keep and wait for news.

She spotted a cloud of dust ahead of her, and with a start of surprise, Maggie realized that she’d nearly caught up with Ian and the other riders. She slowed down, not wanting to be spotted. Ian would have her frogmarched right back to the keep with no hesitation.

She drew back, slowing down. Sweat ran down Stardust’s flanks, and Maggie was hot and cold at the same time, out of breath, legs aching. It had been a long time she’d ridden this fast or this hard, and it had caught up with her all at once.

They passed the sign for Angevyn, battered and dirty like the rest of the town. The huge Angevyn forest spread out on her left, extending from the huge hills on the horizon all the way back, as far as the eye could see.