Page 132 of Bond of a Bewitched Highlander

Some of the men hid in the front part of the cave, while others concealed themselves behind the massive black crags protruding from the sandy beach.

When the invaders were rowing the four galleys closer, Brodie covertly peered out at them. Hell, were they outnumbered?

Most of the men were rowing, but a few held pikes, ready to stab anyone who threatened to overturn their galleys. They would be tired if they'd rowed all the way from Loch Long. Or perhaps they'd rested along the way. He would not underestimate them.

The raiders remained quiet, thinking they were slipping in on the selkies, but they couldn't prevent the splash as they jumped off into the shallow surf and dragged the galleys ashore. A dozen or more of the warriors sprinted toward the cave, swords in hand. Those hidden inside leapt out of the darkness, swords swinging. Brodie, Gavin, Torr, and their men left the cover of the crags and rushed in behind them.

***

WILONA MACRAE HID WITHIN the selkies' cave, having flown in as a bird earlier. She'd shifted to human form and rested so she would be ready for the raid she'd planned with Talnaroch. Because she wanted the twenty-five percent he'd promised her, she'd had to reveal her magical powers to him to prove she could accomplish what she claimed. If he betrayed her, she would take everything he had and end him.

For now, she had no choice but to trust him.

The more autumn advanced into winter, the more she needed the funds for a warm home. If they captured all the females and sold them, they would make a king's ransom. That was the plan.

Brodie had brought a sizable force of men with him, including Torr and Gavin, but that didn't matter. She knew how to outsmart all of them. She smiled, knowing she would prevail.

When the selkie chief had told the females to shift and go into the sea, that was Wilona's cue. In human form, she made herself invisible. She picked up one of the females' discarded arisaids and a belt. Before the females had time to tug on their sealskins and shift, Wilona quietly murmured the spell she'd used on Alpin, her late assistant, in the past when she wanted to turn him into an animal. "Horse and hattock. You shall go into a mouse, with sorrow and sych and meickle care...."

The female selkies turned into mice. One by one, she picked them up by the tail and dropped them into the pouch she had formed with the cloth. She lost count of how many were in the sack. She had to chase a few down as they tried to scurry away.

The battle commenced outside, metal clanging and men shouting. She must hurry.

Once she had them all, she wrapped a belt around the top, tightening it, then buckled it securely. She murmured the spell again, this time transforming herself into a sea eagle while maintaining her invisibility. Near the cave's exit, she snagged her long talons into the pouch containing all the selkie mice and flew from the cave, over the heads of the fighting warriors. As she passed over Talnaroch on the galley, she let out a loud screech, her signal that she had the females.

Her massive wings propelled her toward the craggy coast of the mainland, where she alighted to rest and wait for Talnaroch. She didn't know how long she could maintain this large form plus hold all the selkie females in mouse form. She had to get them onto one of the galleys in case the shifting happened.

A quarter hour later, she alighted on Talnaroch's front galley with her sack. He grinned at her, but his men looked terrified. She shifted from the sea eagle form to the much smaller storm petrel to conserve her power and energy. She absolutely must hold the females in their mouse forms until they reached Glenhaish, and the men locked them inside.

***

THOUGH THE COLD HAD increased and leaden clouds moved in, hiding the tips of the rugged mountains, Elsea and her clan made excellent time through the glens. They arrived at Kincreag just after gloaming. Exhausted, they'd eaten supper and retired for the night.

Tilly, her maid, had gushed and thanked God for her safe return, tears in her eyes as she'd embraced Elsea. Tilly was like a second mother, and Elsea loved her dearly. But she'd sent the maid to bed in her own chamber. She could rest better there and wouldn't know what Elsea planned.

Will had told her they would all be guarding her, making sure she was safe.

Safe from the earl? Or were they making sure she didn't escape again?

Will had assigned Kieran the first watch, posting him outside her chamber door. At least Will had not locked the door and imprisoned her.

Kieran loved to sleep long, hard, and deep. Ever since he was a child, he could sleep ten or twelve hours per night, if allowed. Besides that, he'd had a couple of drams of whisky after supper. Having ridden all day, he was probably exhausted. She should be, too, but her restlessness prevented it.

Under the covers, she'd formed her pillows into a human shape on the bed. Tilly would not discover her trick until the morn. Hopefully, Elsea would be back before then, and no one would realize she'd been anywhere.

She had to do this one last thing for Brodie. 'Twas the only way she knew how to demonstrate her love for him, whether he returned that love or not.

She owned extra knives, replacing those she'd lost. She had strapped the four sheathed sgian dubh blades to her forearms and calves and the narrow sgian achlais under her armpit. The dirk Brodie had returned to her was sheathed on the right side of her belt and her lightweight sword on the left. Surprisingly, Talnaroch had returned the sword with her horse. He'd probably assumed it belonged to one of her brothers. In the pouch, which also hung from her belt, she had a few supplies.

Already dressed for warmth in two layers of wool arisaid and an old green hooded cloak, Elsea listened at her door.

After a while, faint snoring reached her ears.

She always kept her door hinges well-oiled so no one would know what she was about. After opening the door silently, she peered out. Her brother sat on the floor, a glowing lantern a few feet away. His head hung forward in slumber. She closed her door and crept past him.

Elsea knew the corridors and stairs so well, she could traverse them in the dark. She stole down the servants' stairs and through the still warm kitchen. The outside door gave a slight squeak, but thankfully no one was close enough to hear. After closing it back, she headed outside, surprised to see snowflakes swirling in the wind.

For years, she'd possessed a key for the postern gate, but Will knew nothing of it.