Page 64 of Edge of Yesterday

He sheathed Triumph, freed the crossbar and placed it on the floor. Slowly, he inched the door open until a small bed came into view. He pushed the door wider. Something hard slammed the side of his shoulder, knocking the sconce from his grip. He swung around to meet his attacker and suffered a smack across the cheek. A flurry of dark green swamed before his eyes and he charged his attacker. A scream penetrated the ringing in his ears as he struck the floor, his attacker on top of him.

“Cailean, sweet God, it is you.”

The weight on top of him bounced and he rolled onto his attacker before the voice registered as Julianna’s. Cailean slid off her and pushed to his feet. He stumbled back a step before catching himself, then spotted the sconce lying on its side near the wall. He took two steps and scooped it up, then stamped his foot at the ashes and sparks on the floor. He stood fingering his cheek as Julianna rose.

“Bloody hell, woman. How many times will you try to kill me?”

“I-I am sorry. I thought ye were Hugh.”

Cailean paused in rubbing his cheek. “Did he harm you?”

She shook her head. “Nae.”

Her voice was strong, but Cailean saw a tremble in her hands. He had the sudden urge to crush her hard against him and tell her no one would ever again harm her. “We’ll have to hurry, lass. Are you able?”

“Bah!” She gave him a narrow-eyed look. “I am no weakling. I wager I can outrun you.”

“Good, because it isn’t me you may have to outrun, but Hugh’s men. Come on, let’s get out of here before they return.” Cailean pulled his sword from its scabbard and started through the door.

“How will we escape?” She hurried after him, reached out to touch his arm. “Have ye a plan?”

“We will nip through a postern door on the side of the keep.” He started down the stairs, Julianna close behind. “How many people know you’re here?”

“As far as I can guess, only the guards who manned the gate when I entered. I feel certain Hugh’s sister does not know, for I dinnae believe Bess would agree with such a wicked scheme. They brought me in through a postern door, perhaps the same one you intend to escape through, so no one else in the castle saw me.”

An echo of voices stopped him short. “Here.” He thrust the sconce toward her. She took it, and he whispered, “Go back up the stairs. I don’t want them to see the light.”

She obeyed. Cailean quickly took the next three steps and pressed his back against the wall. Bootfalls echoed up the stairs. He tightened his grip on the sword hilt. Light bounced in a soft rhythm off the opposite wall as the men ascended, still in conversation. He gritted his teeth and realized they were talking about a horse, a damned horse, while on their way to visit a woman they had kidnapped.

They neared him and he shifted the sword left so he could swing hard right. If the first man wasn’t wearing armor, Triumph would slice through his chest. Cailean’s heart pounded. Only hours ago he would’ve never considered killing a man. But if he didn’t strike first they would kill him and perhaps even Julianna. Another startling thought struck. What if the escape attempt Julianna died in was this one, the one instigated by him?

Bloody hell.

The first man started around the bend and Cailean swung Triumph with all his might. The man screamed as blood spurted from him. A splatter of warm liquid struck Cailean’s jaw. The man crashed into his companion and the two tumbled down the steps out of sight.

“Julianna, come quickly,” Cailean called.

An instant later, she appeared, sconce in hand. When she reached the stair above him, he turned and hurried down the stairs with her close behind. They neared the bottom of the steps where the two men lay motionless. Cailean reached the hallway first. The man he’d attacked lay on his stomach, his wound hidden from sight. Cailean couldn’t help but thank the powers that be for that small mercy. In the space of a few moments his world had gone from peaceful to violent. If he couldn’t find a way out of fourteenth century Scotland, this was an example of his future life.

He grasped Julianna’s hand and pulled her past the bodies. What were Lady Kristen’s directions for getting to the postern door? He had to head to the opposite end of the hallway. Were they supposed to go down to the second level or all the way to the first floor and then turn right? Or were they supposed to turn right on the second floor and go down to the next floor? Cailean cursed under his breath. Surely, they needed to reach the main floor.

At the stairs and descended to the next floor. He started to take the stairs down to the next level when Julianna said, “Nae, we must go down this hallway and turn left, then use the stairs there to reach the postern door.”

Cailean hesitated. “Are you sure it’s the same one?”

“I do not know Strone well, but the postern door they brought me through was out-of-the-way.”

He hesitated, then said, “All right.”

They started forward, then she stopped. “Put away your sword.”

“If we run into guards—”

“We are more likely to encounter servants or other occupants of the keep who will wonder at a warrior walking the corridors with his sword drawn.”

He didn’t like it, but she was right. Cailean sheathed Triumph and they proceeded toward the stairs.

“How will we get past the gate guards?” she asked as they started down the stairs.