Page 187 of Claimed Highland Brides

Barclay came upon the abandoned cottage, hiding behind some thistle bushes so he could reconnoiter. The place seemed as deserted as it looked, a crested tit hopping around in the grass, undoubtedly in search of worms. Otherwise, nothing else moved.

He waited, barely breathing for a few more minutes before straightening up and approaching the cottage with caution. There was still a door standing, and Barclay slowly pushed it open.

A piercing scream from inside the house made him jump back, looking frantically from side to side before rushing in. Aileen was there, tied to the wall and screaming for help. She seemed not to have seen him, for she continued to shout.

“Help me! Let me go!”

He dove to her side with a shout of his own. “Aileen!”

She stopped mid-scream, opening her eyes to stare blankly at him. “Barclay?”

“Aye, it’s me.”

She sagged with relief as he looked up at her bindings. Suddenly a shadow blocked the light from the doorway, and he turned to see a huge man standing there. He flung something towards them before stepping back quickly and banging the door shut. Barclay got to his feet, sword in hand, looking for the danger. There was a hissing sound beneath his feet, and something was definitely moving around down there.

Suddenly Aileen gasped in fear. “It’s a snake. Barclay, help! Help!” She wriggled madly, trying to get away from it. Barclay wheeled around, squinting in the dark. He daren’t take the time to see if he could open the door for more light. Not when the thing could bite Aileen at any moment.

“Stay still,” he hissed, eyes peeled for any movement. Aileen was gasping with fear, infecting him with it. “Can ye feel it? Is it near ye?” he whispered.

Aileen whimpered in reply before making a movement with her head that he could not see. He could hear the whisper of her hair brushing against the wall, and so he knew she was moving her head.

“I need ye to speak t’me.”

“N-No,” she whispered. “I cannae feel it the noo.”

“Good.” He reached out, still clutching his sword, and felt around until his hand closed on her wrists. They were tied to some sort of hook on the wall. He tried pulling the rope, but the knot was fastened tight. He cursed under his breath, listening for any rustling or hissing as he struggled with her bonds.

“B-Barclay, ye have to get the door open first. Ye cannae see, and the snake could strike at any time.”

He felt a surge of pride at her brave words, even though her voice was shaking so much. He knew she was right; the darkened room was one kind of prison, but being in it with a dangerous animal they could not see was making everything seem many times worse. One wrong step, and he could be bitten. They had no way of knowing what kind of snake it was or if it killed outright unless they got some light.

It's likely an adder. Scotland doesn’t have many other types of venomous snakes.

He tried to remember everything he knew about adder bites and whether they were survivable. The problem was that he had been away for a long time, and even when he had been growing up, he’d had no need to know anything about snakes.

“Alright,” he whispered, “I’m walking towards the door. Keep very still, ye hear?”

“Aye,” she replied with barely any breath, even though he could hear how harshly she was breathing. Her fear had an odor to it, and he wondered if the snake could sense it.

Taking one step, and then another, each foot placed down carefully, sword at the ready, he got to the door. He reached for the knob and tried to open it, but it was wedged shut from the outside.

“A dhia!” he cursed in frustration before turning back to her.

“What is it?”

“Do ye ken if’n there’s a window?”

She let out a sob. “No. I dinnae.”

Slowly, he began to edge along the wall, searching for an opening. If they could just get some light, they would know what they were dealing with.

Sniveling coward! Barclay cursed at his uncle. He had come prepared for a duel, and instead, he’d been trapped in this underhanded way. With a trembling hand, he felt along the wall until his fingers hit a surface that felt both warmer and less unyielding than the dry stone of the walls. He felt along them, knowing they were slats of wood, and feeling the cold wind seeping in from the gaps between the slats. He pushed at the wood, ready to break it, but it was old and rotted and fell away with no trouble.

The rays of sunshine flooding the room made his body sag with relief, and he looked at once towards Aileen. She sat on the floor, hands tied above her head, bosom heaving, eyes wide, her hands visibly shaking.

Beside her, on the floor, curled up in a curving S, was a brown and grey snake.

“B-B-B...” She tried to say his name but was trembling too much. He put a finger to his lips, exhorting her to be silent. He did not want to set the snake off before he could move close enough to kill it. He took a step towards it, moving away from the window, and the light spread a little more, to land fully on the snake.