Page 68 of Highland Steel

“Logan,” said Rhoswen under her breath, wishing he hadn’t said that aloud in front of the woman since she seemed to be in love with the man for some odd reason. “Nay, Rona, he doesn’t mean it. Now, why don’t you go down to the courtyard and wait for me there? Go on.”

The woman cocked her head, surveying both of them, and then silently opened the door to leave.

“Let’s go, Rhoswen. There is no time to lose. Ye first.” Logan jumped atop the window ledge and held out his hand. He still held her sword in the other hand. “I’ll help ye, so dinna be scared. Ye just need to jump far away from the tower so ye dinna hit it on the way down. The water is right below. It’s really no’ dangerous at all.”

“Logan, I’m not leaving the baby. This idea is daft and only going to get us all killed.”

“They’re in here,” shouted Rona. Suddenly, the sound of running feet and shouting men filled the air as the guards made their way up the winding staircase.

“It’s the guards!” cried Rhoswen. “They’re going to kill us.”

“Go on. I’ll kill them first,” said Logan, reaching down for her.

“There are at least a dozen guards all with swords comin’,” said Rona, looking down the staircase. “Ye canna kill them before they kill ye.”

“Rona, how could you do this?” screamed Rhoswen, not able to believe the woman had betrayed them.

“I canna let Logan kill the man I love,” she answered. “I’m sorry, Rhoswen, but I had to do it to protect Ranulph.”

“Well, I can’t let your lover kill mine either!” Rhoswen couldn’t let Logan fight all these men by himself. He was one man against a dozen. He was sure to die. She quickly glanced over to the baby on the bed and then back to Logan.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she said.

“Come on, lass. Now!” he shouted, standing on the ledge, holding out his hand to help her. The guards burst into the room with weapons drawn.

“I love you, Logan,” she told him, reaching up but not taking his hand. Instead, she pushed him with all her might.

“Rhoswen, what the hell –” Logan teetered on the ledge, his arms flailing wildly as he tried to regain his balance. Reaching up to him, Rhoswen grabbed her sword and once again pushed him hard until he disappeared from sight.

“Naaaay,” Logan cried as his body plummeted toward the ground. Rhoswen closed her eyes, not able to look. Her body trembled. She hoped she’d pushed him far enough away from the building or she might have just sent him to his death. Still, she had to try, because if he’d stayed and fought, he’d be dead either way. She heard a loud splash, and glanced out the window to see Logan swimming the moat.

She breathed a sigh of relief and lifted her sword as the guards came to claim her.

Chapter 22

Logan hit the water hard, feeling like his sides split open. When he made a splash, the putrid waters of the moat closed over his head. His eyes opened under the water to see the skeleton of a dead man whose leg was chained to a rock. He came up sputtering and gagging, wondering how many other bodies or things he couldn’t identity were down there.

“Dammit, Rhoswen,” he spat, pulling himself up onto the shore. Pushing the wet hair out of his eyes, he looked up to the tower window to see several guards staring down at him and shouting.

He heard the growl of an animal, and turned his head to see his gray wolf.

“There ye are, Jack. I ken ye’re tryin’ to warn me, but I already see the guards in the tower window.”

He reached out to pet his wolf and an arrow shot down between them from up above.

“God’s teeth,” he growled, looking up to see archers shooting at him. “Run, Jack. We need to take cover.”

Logan managed to dodge the arrows, making his way to the back of the castle where Bug had told him was a secret door. He looked for the old tree trunk Bug mentioned, finally seeing it and crawling toward it.

He stopped, sitting on the ground with his back against the stump, trying to catch his breath. Jack hunkered down under a bush. Then the wolf made a small sound, but it wasn’t a growl to warn him of an intruder. It sounded somewhat playful.

“Logan? Is that ye?” Caleb crawled over the ground on his hands and knees with his pine marten leading the way. The wolf shot out from under the brush chasing the weasel-like animal.

“Dammit, Logan, call off yer wolf before he eats Slink.”

Logan gave a small whistle and Jack ran back to him. “Lay down and leave Slink alone,” Logan ordered, still trying to catch his breath.

“What are ye doin’ out here and why are ye wet and smell like a garderobe?” asked Caleb.