Page 45 of The Cursed Highland Bride

Tor shook his head. “We cannae go back tae Morgan for help. He would kill us on sight. We must make it north tae Orkney. It is our only chance tae save Dunn’s life.”

In spite of Katarina’s protests, the men hauled Dunn up onto his horse and tied him to its back. Tor mounted and grabbed Dunn’s reins. “Come,” he ordered, leaning down to take Katarina’s hand so that he might pull her up onto the horse with him.

Katarina shook her head in refusal and took a step back. “I cannot leave my sisters to die. I must find them.”

Tor frowned, growling in frustration. “I cannae leave ye here alone. Laird Morgan will kill ye as well. Lies or nae, ye are still a member o’ this family. What o’ yer husband? Care ye nae for him?”

Katarina shot him a warning glare. “You know that I do, but Dunn has you and the rest of your family. My sisters only have me. I cannot leave until I am assured of their safety. Go, find Dunn help. I will follow when I can.” It broke her heart to send Dunn away bleeding and unconscious as he was, but she had no choice. No matter how much she wanted to go with him, her sisters needed her more and were just as worthy of life.

Sighing in resignation, Tor straightened up on the horse and readied to depart. “I see that I cannae convince ye, and I dinnae have the time tae force ye. I will leave the three men that I sent after August Raymond with ye tae aid ye in yer search. Once Dunn is safe, I will return for ye.”

A tear escaped from Katarina’s lashes, swiftly followed by another. “He will not wish to see me again, Tor. I saw it in his eyes. He will never be able to forgive me.” She reached out a hand to caress her husband’s cheek where he lay unconscious upon his horse’s neck.

Tor shook his head at her words. “Ye have much tae answer for, Katarina Buckland, but o’ one thing I am certain. My brother will want tae see ye again.” With that, Tor and what remained of his men raced north to save their laird.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Katarina watched as Tor led her bleeding husband away. The men who had ridden after August had lost him in the trees and returned in time to hear Tor’s instructions to remain with her. Taking the soldiers, she rode with them around the loch to the side where her parents had been killed. Animals had picked the bodies clean, the smell of death still hung in the air; a sight that would haunt her forevermore. Katarina dismounted and walked over to the place where her mother had died and knelt beside her bones. “I have failed you,” she whispered. “I could not keep my sisters safe.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“My lady,” Ewan stepped forward. She had seen him at the council meetings with Dunn and knew that he held an important place within the clan. She had been surprised that he had volunteered to come on the trip south into Morgan lands. She had been even more surprised that he had willingly stayed behind to help her.

“I cannot leave them like this,” she whispered in anguish.

“Let us bury them for ye, my lady.” Ewan’s tone was gentle.

Katarina looked up into his eyes and saw nothing but compassion. She had expected Dunn’s men to reject her for her lies, but instead, here they stood ready to bury her family for her even though they knew that Alistair Morgan’s men could be upon them at any time. “You are brave and kind,” she thanked him.

“It is what is right.” Nodding to the men, Ewan set about digging graves for Katarina’s family.

The men used their dirks to pry up the ground, while Katarina used the knife that Esmerelda had given her to dig a grave for her mother. After digging a sufficient number of graves, the men carefully gathered the bodies and placed them in the shallow holes. There wouldn't be time to stack stones and mark them, but it was better than nothing. Katarina said a prayer in her mother's tongue, and the men pushed dirt back into the burial grounds to cover the bodies.

Katarina stood over her family as they were laid to rest, unsure how to proceed. She needed to find her sisters, but the only person who knew where they were was Alistair Morgan, the man who wanted them dead.

“We could attempt tae capture the Morgan laird and make him tell us where they are,” he offered.

“He is guarded at all times. It is unlikely that we would be able to get away with Morgan long enough to question him. Even if we did, the crown would make Dunn and the clan pay for our actions, just as it did for the actions of his father and grandfather. I do not wish to bring more harm to my husband or his people.”

Ewan looked down upon her kindly with compassion. “Ye are o’ our people as well, my lady. Never forget that.”

“I am not certain that your laird feels the same.”

“I have seen the way he looks at ye, the way he defends ye. He loves ye.”

Katarina offered him a sad smile of gratitude for his words. “Only time will reveal the truth.”

“If we cannae take Morgan without bringing the crown down upon our heads, then what can we do?” one of the three men asked. “We are small in number that remain. We need more men. We should return tae Orkney and make a plan.”

“If we return to Orkney, my sisters could be dead by the time that we come back. I cannot risk them further than I already have.”

“Ye risk them now, my lady. If ye are captured or killed, who will save them then?”

Katarina looked to Ewan for support. The expression on his face told her that he agreed with the other men. “Bran is right, my lady. As o’ this moment, Morgan does nae ken that ye have told us who ye are. He does nae yet ken what has happened with yer sister’s former betrothed. He does nae even ken that our laird has returned tae Orkney. As ye have said, we cannae return tae the Morgan stronghold or be killed, but Morgan’s ignorance may allow us the time tae plan, gather men and supplies, then return.”

“What if August goes to Laird Morgan and tells him all? He could make a trade for information in exchange for Idalia.” Katarina prayed that she was wrong, but she would not put it past him.

“This man, August Raymond, is yet another reason why we should return north. He and his people could be waiting in ambush,” Bran pointed out. “We are skilled warriors, but if Laird Morgan attacks, we willnae win, there are but three o’ us.”

Katarina noticed that he had left her out of the number but did not correct him. He was right in that she did not possess the same level of skill that they had, but she would fight to the death if that was what it took to save her sisters and bring about the end of Alistair Morgan. “I cannot leave them,” she breathed, her heart in agony over all that had transpired and all that she feared was yet to come.