Promised to a Highland Laird

by Sky Purington

  Kenna slid down beside her and squeezed her hand. “Thank ye for protecting me, Christina. ‘Twas verra brave.”

  “Probably more foolish than anything.” She released a nervous chuckle that sounded forced even to her own ears. “I don’t think I could’ve stopped that thing so I’m not so sure you should be thanking me.”

  “Whether ye could or not, ‘twas that ye intended to,” Kenna said softly. “And that is more admirable than ye know...especially considering ‘twas me ye defended.”

  She frowned though Kenna couldn’t see it in the darkness. “Well, what do you mean by that?”

  “’Tis clear ye love Graham,” she replied. “And ‘tis also clear yer a wee bit jealous of me.”

  “Hush your mouth,” she chastised far too quickly and definitely too lightly. “I’m no such thing.”

  “What?” She heard a small smile in Kenna’s voice. “In love with Graham or jealous of me?”

  “Both.”

  “He feels the same ye know,” Kenna commented. “’Tis all over his face every time he looks at ye.”

  Bull. Yet an annoying little thrill whipped through her.

  “Why are you telling me this?” Christina murmured. “When you two are to be married.”

  “Because we arenae,” she whispered. “And I should have already told him as much.”

  “What do you mean?” Christina swallowed, not sure what to make of this turn of events. “Why not?” She shook her head. “Don’t you have to in order to keep your clan safe?”

  “Aye,” she said softly. “But I will find another way. ’Twill not be like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “I willnae take true happiness away from a friend who is finally so close to getting what he has long deserved.”

  “And you think that’s me,” Christina said.

  “I know it is.” She could almost feel Kenna’s eyes turn her way as her voice became whisper soft. “Yer a verra lucky lass, Christina.”

  Based on the emotion in Kenna's voice, it didn’t take Christina long to figure things out.

  “Aw, shoot,” she whispered, seeing it all too clearly now. “How long have you loved him?”

  “Long enough,” Kenna murmured.

  “Before or after Fraser?”

  When she didn’t answer right away, Christina sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. Kenna had loved Graham all along. “Did Fraser know? Graham?”

  “I think Graham only really started to figure it out this eve,” she murmured, her voice distant as if caught in memories. “Fraser knew at the end.” Her emotional swallow was loud enough to hear. “He learned of it right before he went off to battle that last time...before he left us all.”

  “God, that sucks,” Christina whispered. “For all of you but mostly poor Fraser.” She frowned, defending a man she never knew. “Did you ever love him?”

  “Aye,” Kenna said. “Just not as much as he deserved.”

  Christina thought about that, mulling over what Kenna was willing to do. “Now, when he’s determined to marry you, you’re willing to just let Graham ride off into the sunset with another woman?”

  “Ride off into the sunset?” Kenna asked.

  “Up and run off with another woman,” Christina rephrased.

  “Run off?”

  “Love another woman.”

  “Aye,” Kenna replied, her voice soft again. Firm. “Because I love him, I want what’s best for him...even if that isnae me.”

  “That’s noble of you,” Christina replied, more dryly than intended. “But a little unbelievable if you don’t mind my honesty.”

  “Once ye get to know Graham better ye’ll ken my actions,” Kenna murmured. “He’s got such a kind heart and willing way.”

  Christina tensed. Had they already slept together? “Willing way?”

  “Aye,” Kenna responded. “There isnae anything he wouldnae do to help those in need.”

  “Any specifics?” she asked, still fishing for a possible roll in the hay not being discussed.

  Silence settled for a moment as Kenna evidently hashed out what to say. Thankfully, it was not what she figured was coming.

  “There were many admirable moments that stand out,” she murmured. “But I suppose the one I remember best was the time he stood up to my uncle. Da and Fraser were off to battle, but Graham had been ordered to stay behind to watch over MacLomain Castle and its surrounding lands which he readily did.” Christina sensed Kenna shaking her head. “He was only fifteen winters but he didnae back down when my uncle came at me.”

  “How’d he come at you, darlin’,” Christina said gently, almost afraid to ask.

  “It doesnae matter,” she murmured. “What did matter is Graham was there and fought the bastard. He protected me the best he could until he was a bloody mess.”

  “Graham or your uncle?”

  “Graham, I’m afraid,” she said. “Though I know of his magic, many dinnae in these changin’ times including most of my clan. So Graham, not nearly the size he is today, fought him hand to fist. Ye’d have to see the size of my uncle to truly appreciate Graham’s courage.”

  “So he defended your honor,” Christina said. “That’s great. It is. And I can see that.” She cocked her head. “But wouldn’t Fraser have too if he’d been there?”

  “Aye, Fraser would have,” she said. “But ‘twould have been a much different story because he is a much different man than Graham. And ‘twas not just the one time but many times Graham fought on my behalf. Too often by far.”

  Dear Lord, what kind of life had this woman endured?

  “How would Fraser have been so different than Graham?” Christina asked, truly curious. “Defending honor seems pretty cut and dry to me.”

  “But it isnae,” she replied softly. “Some men can do it and walk away mostly unscathed but ‘twould not have been the case with Fraser. He had a rage inside him that when provoked, didnae allow him to stop when fury took him.”

  Christina contemplated that. “He would’ve downright killed your uncle, huh?”

  “Aye,” she said, “and that would have created more trouble for my clan than they already had. Because the MacLomains would have sided with Fraser and strife with such a mighty allied clan would lead to worse things indeed.” Her voice wobbled slightly. “Things that would have led to pointless battling and more bloodshed. More loss and heartache.”

  Moment by moment, she was getting a much clearer picture of Graham. The forward-thinking kind-hearted honorable man he truly was. Something she never doubted but liked to better understand.

  Fraser, however, she was starting to wonder about.

  “So I take it Fraser had a bad temper,” she said, dreading her next question. “Did he ever hit you, Kenna?”

  “Fraser? Och, nay, never,” Kenna replied, her voice a little lighter. “He would never hit a lass. He was just more intense than most. He took things to heart and often believed battling was a better means to an end than diplomacy. We were wee bairns together, all of us, and his temperament just led him in a certain direction. Battling was always his favorite pastime and plotting the Sassenach’s ruin wasnae far behind that.”

  “What about love?” Christina asked softly, getting a much clearer picture for sure. “Not at the top of his list, eh?”

  “He was a true warrior,” Kenna whispered, emotion evident in her voice. “And I fear that was all he would ever be. All he truly cared about.”

  Everything made perfect sense now. Kenna might have loved Fraser if he didn’t have what sounded like a hardened heart. And damn, if a man the likes of Graham defended her honor that much, how could she not fall head over heels for him?

  “Yet Fraser loved you, so he had a softer side,” Christina said. “Right?”

  “Aye,” Kenna murmured, her voice suddenly a bit whimsical. “When he chose to be charming, ‘twas verra difficult to refuse him. Impossible really.”

  “And so you didn’t.”

  “And so
I didnae,” she whispered.

  If Christina didn’t know better, she would say Kenna was in love with both Fraser and Graham but decided to leave it alone. She understood things a lot better now and was grateful for the chat. Actually, she was grateful for the time alone with Kenna, no matter how dank their surroundings.

  “I’m not lookin’ for a man, Kenna,” she said for no other reason than she liked Kenna and wanted to come clean. “So you don’t have to worry about Graham and me.”

  Kenna chuckled, squeezed her hand and rested her head on Christina’s shoulder without saying a word. Just fine with that, ready for some quiet time to contemplate, she rested her head against Kenna’s and closed her eyes.

  Big mistake because she must have dozed off.

  The next thing she knew, pre-dawn light filled the chamber, and she was being dragged across the floor by her hair. Ever the scrapper, she kicked and screamed, fighting like hell and ready to embrace her magic, but it was too late.

  A heavy fist came down hard, and everything went black.

  Chapter Ten

  “’TIS THAT TOWER then?” Graham growled, eying one of many. “Are ye bloody well sure, Cousin?”

  “Aye.” Bryce nodded from his perch beside Graham. “Based on Christina’s description, that should be the one.”

  Graham continued to scowl, as he had been doing since the moment Christina and Kenna had been taken. More so, since he learned that Bryce and Christina were speaking within the mind.

  “I’ll bloody well kill every last Sassenach in there,” Conall vowed, on Graham’s other side as they crouched behind bushes. “They will pay for what they did to Lindsay.”

  “Aye,” Graham and Bryce agreed. The poor lass’s hand had been ruined but was seen to with hopes Aðísla might eventually appear and assist with the healing process. It seemed Sven couldn’t help either as his ability to heal only applied to fellow dragons. Lindsay, meanwhile, cared little about the state of her hand and more about the fate of Christina.

  “It is just a hand, darling,” she had said bravely to Conall earlier as he fussed over it, cursing the whole time. “I have another.” Then she gave him a pointed look. “Now go save my friend. Now, please.” Her pained eyes raked over all of them. “Go on. Now. Right away!”

  So here they were, nearly half a day later because they could not head this way any sooner. Not until Robert had a full understanding of what had happened and how he might utilize Grant and the rest of them in getting her back.

  Ironically, he had begun devising another battle strategy altogether since Christina’s abduction. One that put them closer to the castle than before. A plan that, interestingly enough, if they played things right, might just help history unfold correctly. The battle might just take place exactly where it was supposed to.

  They just needed to keep Robert convinced that Christina was still locked away in Stirling Castle. At least for now. So as far as he knew they were out scouting the land looking for a way they might save her. Which was true. Robert just didn’t need to know that it would take them hours not days.

  Once they figured out how.

  “So we’re to do this without an ounce of magic, aye?” Conall muttered. “I dinnae like it. There are far too many Scots guarding the outside of the castle.” He shook his head. “And we’ve got to get in and out without them ever knowing we’re here.”

  “Then we bypass them,” Bryce said, his eyes locked on the window high above. “The Sassenach got out then back in without being detected, so there’s got to be a way.”

  Likely, because they had a warlock assisting them. He tried not to dwell on that too much, though. They had far bigger things to worry about. Namely an enormous castle.

  “The castle is on a bloody cliff with nothing but sheer wall surrounding it,” Graham pointed out. But like his cousins, he was already trying to figure out how they might make it up. Better yet, how they might get the lasses back down.

  “Nothing’s ever as sheer as it looks,” Bryce murmured. “Not for a dragon.”

  “A dragon that cannae use his magic,” Conall reminded as they moved forward, staying low beneath the tree cover until they were beside the cliff beneath the castle. It was a mighty long way up.

  “Psst.” They all spun, weapons drawn, at the whispered sound behind them before a small, cloaked figure appeared alongside Sven.

  “Lindsay!” Conall closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. “What is it, lass? Are you well?” He shook his head and frowned at Sven before his eyes met hers. “You shouldnae be out here.”

  “Any more than you guys should.” She brushed her lips across his and reassured, “I’m just fine so no worries, all right? My wound has been seen to by the camp healer who is rather good considering the era.” She gestured at Sven and smiled. “And I’m fairly certain I have the biggest badass bodyguard around.”

  Conall frowned at Sven. “A bodyguard who never should have let you come here.”

  “Your woman has a mind of her own and lets no man stop her,” Sven stated. “You should be proud.”

  “Besides,” Lindsay said. “I think it was for the best that we got out of there. Sven especially. He makes everyone nervous.”

  Graham could well understand that. Sven was as big as Bryce but more intense.

  Conall frowned along with the rest of them at the small blossom of blood on the bandage wrapped around her hand. She had to be in a great deal of pain. “You're gravely wounded, lass and should be resting.”

  “Oh, goodness, gravely?” She rolled her eyes, side-stepped him and stared up at the castle, shaking her head. “Just as I suspected. Impossible.”

  “Och, nay.” Bryce peered up, determined. “I can make it.”

  “Then what?” She cocked a look at him. “You kindly escort the women down?”

  Bryce sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can at least get up there then figure out something once I do.”

  “Not a good plan,” she stated, eying the castle. “I have a much better one.”

  Conall scowled and shook his head. “Nay, lass.”

  “We all know my gift of enchantment seems to go under warlock radar, so it makes perfect sense,” she declared. “We’ll figure out a way in, and I’ll enchant whoever I can along the way.” She shrugged. “Those that I can’t, you cut down. The English that is. Not the Scots.”

  “’Tis too dangerous for ye, lass,” Graham said. He might be desperate to get to Christina and of course, save Kenna, but he loved Lindsay as well.

  “I dinnae like it,” Conall added.

  “I didn’t expect you to.” Her eyes met his. “Any more than I like when you run off and put your life on the line.” She arched a brow. “But we do what we must for friends and family. That’s why we love each other so much, right?”

  “One of the many reasons,” he said, clearly charmed by her faster than ever lately as the two only grew closer. Though he released a hearty displeased sigh, she won the battle. “As you wish then, my lass.”

  Sven wore a tentative look as he eyed the castle. “Now we just need to figure out how to get in and out without the Scots being the wiser.” His eyes met Lindsay’s. “How many people can you enchant at once?”

  “Quite a few as long as we can get them all in front of me,” she replied. “Do that, and I’ll keep them distracted while you guys sneak in and save the girls.”

  “Aye.” Graham nodded. “But I dinnae think ye need to distract that many, lass.” He shook his head. “Just a few should do.”

  He gestured for them to follow him to a section of the northwest side of the castle heavily blanketed by trees. As he suspected there were more men than usual posted in the area but not so many that Lindsay couldn’t handle them.

  “They’re guarding that.” He pointed at a specific part of the castle as they crouched behind some dense shrubs. “’Tis our best way in without causing too much of a stir.”

  Bryce eyed the low wall in front of a higher w
all in front of a tower and shook his head. “I dinnae ken.”

  “There’s a drop between the two walls that is hard to see, but the Scots know it’s there,” Graham explained. “’Tis the most accessible area of the castle but can also be the most dangerous.”

  Sven nodded, eying the widows above. “People think they have found a vulnerable spot and entrance to the backside of the castle, but it is a trap. Once you cross the first wall, you’re trapped as arrows or blades rain down.”

  “That’s right.” Graham nodded. “But nobody is there right now.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” Bryce asked.

  “I dinnae know,” he murmured because he didn’t. “I just feel it somehow.”

  “You feel it?” Lindsay glanced at Graham “Is that part of your magic?” She frowned. “I thought you controlled the element of water.”

  “I do,” he said absently, not quite sure where the feeling was coming from, just that this was their best route.

  Conall frowned at Graham. “And how do you know about this part of the castle anyway, Cousin?”

  “I dinnae sit still well.” He shrugged. “And did some exploring when we traveled to the Battle of Stirling Bridge.”

  Everyone except Sven looked at him in amazement.

  “This was behind enemy lines at the time,” Bryce said.

  “Aye.” Graham winked. “’Twas half the fun of it, I suppose.”

  Conall shook his head and patted Graham’s shoulder, clearly pleased despite how foolhardy some might have considered his actions at the time.

  “So you work your magic, Lindsay, and we’ll sneak in.” Conall’s eyes met Sven’s. “I trusted you to keep her at the encampment, yet here she is. Can I trust you to protect her now?”

  “Conall!” Lindsay shook her head and looked at Sven. “Sorry, darling. He’s just in a mood because of my hand.”