Page 135 of Bond of a Bewitched Highlander

Thank God she had been able to free the selkies. Now she had to rush home.

Moments later, horses' hooves pounded the frozen earth behind her.

"Saints," she hissed. Her heart rate matched the speed and rhythm of the hoofbeats. "Get on!" The command told Freya to gallop faster.

The fiends gained ground. She glanced back at their dark forms moving against the snowy backdrop. How many? Four.

Leaning forward, standing hunched in the stirrups, she withdrew her sword and urged Freya more swiftly.

One rider advanced to her right. When he was close enough, she struck out at him with the sword, slicing his arm.

He roared and dropped back.

Another rider approached on her left side, but not within reach. Blast it!

He snagged her cloak and yanked her backward. She screamed, letting go of the bridle so Freya wouldn't be injured.

Elsea struck out with the sword but only met thin air.

"Help!" she yelled, then screamed over and over, praying someone would hear her. But who? No one was out here.

The man slammed her across his lap, then snatched the sword from her hand.

"Bastard!" She drew a sgian dubh from her forearm sheath and stabbed it deep into his calf.

He roared, then flung her to the ground. She crashed onto her back, the forceful impact knocking the breath out of her. The pain and the cold crushed her. Breathe! She tried to move, to push herself up, but couldn't. Trying to force air into her lungs took all her effort.

Someone dropped to the ground beside her and dragged her up. She still held the sgian dubh, but he wrenched it from her hand, then called her a string of foul names and slapped her.

Her cheek stung. She clenched her teeth, refusing to pass out. She had to remain awake and fight her way free.

Two men roughly searched her for more weapons, grabbing her in vulgar ways.

"'Tis her! Laird Talnaroch's betrothed!" one man said.

"What the devil is she doing out here?"

"Help me throw her over the saddle. We'll lock her up until he returns."

Most of her strength gone, Elsea twisted, kicked and squirmed, but her movements were sluggish and weak.

She tried to scream for help but could not draw in enough air. The world faded to mist and darkness.

Chapter 27

A loud sea eagle's screech overhead drew Brodie's attention, but glancing skyward, he couldn't find it.

A man he hadn't noticed before, who had remained on one of the galleys, shouted, "Retreat!"

Was that Talnaroch? He'd only seen him once before, but aye, 'twas him.

Wanting to slay the bastard, he sprinted forward. "Coward!"

"Wait!" Gavin stopped Brodie as the enemies raced toward the galleys. They carried weapons but no females. Their own clansmen gave chase, but their foes shoved the galleys out and leapt aboard.

One galley remained. Had they killed that many? Several enemies lay sprawled on the bloody sand. They would load their bodies onto the galley and shove it out, being well rid of them.

The selkies and clansmen gave yells of victory for driving off the raiders before they could capture any females. A few had sustained sword cuts and other wounds. None were dead, thank the saints. The male selkie healer urged the wounded into the cave.