“How did you get into the castle?” Rannoch asked.
Ian let his head roll back and forth. “I dinna ken. I was blindfolded and bound.”
“How did Katie capture you?”
Ian’s eyes met his. “She played the part of whore for hire at the inn. Before I could take her, her companion hit me over the head. When I woke, I was locked in this cell.”
“Who was with Katie when she captured you?”
Ian closed his eyes. Rannoch already knew about Keith. If he lied, it would spoil the ruse. “Keith Blackburn helped her. The bastard took pleasure in punishing me for the sin of touching her, but she invited it.”
“Who attended the gathering of clans?”
“Heads of all the houses, I went in my father’s stead.”
“Are they all loyal to Robert?”
Ian shook his head negatively. “There is a smaller group whose loyalty is not questioned. Jared sought to bring more of them into the fold, but there is much treachery afoot.”
“And you are in the smaller group.”
“Aye.”
“Tell me their names.”
“I canna betray them to an English spy.”
Rannoch moved to strike him. Sorcha interceded. “My methods are more effective,” she reminded him. Again, she whispered in Ian’s ear. “I am going to touch you. Pretend you are in great pain. Give him these names….” With that, she placed her hands on his chest in quick pulsating motions. Ian cried out as if she reached inside him and tore out his innards. “Speak,” she cried.
Feigning anguish, he gave out the names of the men she had named. Rannoch smiled. “Excellent. And now you will tell me what Robert is planning.”
When Ian was mute, Sorcha repeated her hand motions. He acted tortured by her light touch, shrieking and moaning until she commanded that he tell Rannoch everything.
Twisting his face, Ian delivered his lie. “He seeks to lure Edward into Scotland with an attack on Carraig Castle. The Earl of Ravenwood has some English leanings of late and Robert believes Edward will come to the Earl’s defense if fighting breaks out there. They plan to ambush him just after he crosses the border.” Ian let his head slump as if he passed out from Sorcha’s magic.
“You have your answers, Milord.”
“Aye, so, Sorcha. You have done well.”
Katie leaned back against the cold, stone wall of the cell. Could this be true? Had Ian Innes used his experience with women to lull her into his arms? She had given him all and gladly, eagerly inviting him inside her. Just the thought of what they had done spurred a burst of feeling between her legs. It caused her body to quiver with deep desire. Ian asked for permission he knew she would give and made it her idea to give him her innocence. Was he as treacherous as Rannoch?
The thought cut her deep. She trusted Ian. Could her trust be misplaced? More hung in the balance than her lost innocence. Despite her wanton desire for a man who may very well have taken her as punishment for her deception, she had to find a way to tell her king of Rannoch’s treacherous intent.
Rannoch was a traitor to Scotland. He sought to hand over Robert the Bruce to the English king and accept Duntaigh Castle as his reward. What did she do now?
Chapter 16
As Keith led them into the narrow cave, Angus ducked his head to keep from striking it on the ceiling. “I thought you said ‘twas large enough for horses,” he growled.
“Aye, Milord, it grows more spacious a bit further down. Until then, you must ride hunched over or lead your horse.”
“Dismount,” Angus ordered. The men obeyed and fell in behind him as he followed Keith through the passageway. “You brought Ian here in a wagon?”
“Aye, ‘twas small and Katie and I walked beside it.”
“Why did you need to transport him in a wagon?”
“I struck him in the head and we tied him.”
Keith’s expression told Angus more than he wanted to know. They hurt Ian, the question was how badly. “Will I be needin’ a wagon to take him home?”
“Nay, Milord.”
“How far?”
“’Tis quite a trek. I told you we must go slowly.”
“If he is harmed….”
“When last I saw him, he fared well, Milord.”
“And you should pray that is still the case.”
Keith nodded. “That I do, Milord.”
From her hiding place, Katie watched her enemies as they stood in Ian’s cell.
Sorcha looked at Ian, then back at Rannoch and Draco. “I gave him a bit too much. He may not wake for some time. I think you have what you need. Whatever torture you wish to inflict shall have to wait until he is awake enough to suffer.”
Rannoch wrapped his arm around her and stroked his finger over breasts. “You never disappoint my Red Witch.”
“I am in your service, Milord.”
“If Ian Innes can fall under your spell, perchance you could help me with Jamie. The boy fought fiercely when we kept him from leaving the castle. He envisioned he had some important mission and I kept him from it. I have confined him in his room until I can find some way to gain his trust. I dinna ken where he was off to or who sent him, but I suspect ‘twas Katie. I would like to be sure.”
Katie bit her lip at the mention of Jamie. He had not gotten away. Rannoch stopped him.
“Brianna is on your side, Milord. Could she help with Jamie?”
“At this point, Brianna does not question my authority. I dinna wish to make her suspicious. She will be my bride and a willing one at that.”
Sorcha smiled. “Jamie is quite taken with me despite Katie’s warnings. I see him looking at me when he thinks no one watches, but I dinna ken what Katie may have told him. If it were not for his sister, he might have summoned me already to teach him the ways of the bedchamber.”
Rannoch’s eyes narrowed. “You could control him easily if you offered him such service.”
“Aye, so.” Pulling away from Rannoch, she turned to face him. “I will let him be my champion. Strike me hard. Leave a mark. I will run to Jamie for help and let him rise to the occasion.”
“In more ways than one,” Rannoch said.
“He will be enchanted and bend to my every desire. The boy will become a man under my control.” She smiled. “Does this please you, Milord?”
Rannoch turned to Draco. “Strike her, but not the face. I wouldna have that perfection scarred.” With that, he left the dungeon.
Draco grabbed Sorcha by the wrist. “Come with me. I will do the deed in my chamber while you entertain me.” Draco dragged her along with him as he locked Ian’s cell. Turning to the guard, he nodded toward the cell. “No one goes in or out.”
The guard grunted his response. “Address Milord Draco with respect,” Sorcha reprimanded.
Draco laughed. “He canna do it, Sorcha. I cut his tongue out some months ago. No danger of him telling anything he heard today.”
Katie felt like she might lose what little she had eaten. All of them were monsters. Now the only man who might be able to help her may also have betrayed her by taking her innocence as punishment for his imprisonment. Still, she would put her original plan in action and hope for the best.
As soon as Sorcha and Draco left the cell, the lone guard drew himself a tankard of ale and sank to a bench in front of Ian’s cell. His back faced her as took a deep drink from his cup and relaxed back against one of the pillars that supported the spacious anteroom. In no time, his eyes closed and he began to snore.
Withdrawing the vial of Sorcha’s potion Tessa had given her Katie crept from the cell and approached the guard from behind. A sudden movement in Ian’s cell caught her attention. Ian was awake and alert watching her through the bars as she moved forward. He caught her eye and shook his head negatively. Ignoring him, she reached the bench and opened the vial dumping its entire contents into the guard’s ale. Turning quickly, she made her way back to her hiding place.
Ian rattled his chain, slowly at first,
then with more vigor. The guard stirred then got up and moved to the cell shaking his fist at Ian and banging the bars with a club. Ian stopped the noise and leaned heavily against the wall. The guard let out a pitiful whine of satisfaction and moved back to the bench. Picking up the ale, he finished the tankard and took up his previous position.
How long would Sorcha’s potion take to act? As time dragged on, Katie began to doubt the power of the elixir. Then the guard began to moan and rub his chest. He moved to stand and fell hard onto the stone floor out cold. Had she killed him?
Rushing from her hiding place, she grabbed the keys from the hook and bent to check if the guard still breathed. “Katie, hurry up,” Ian called. Casting a glance at him, she rushed to the door and unlocked it.
“Are you able to walk?” she asked.
“Unchain me and we will see.”
“Perchance there are things I would ask before I do that.”
“What? You must hurry. I dinna ken how long he will be out.”
“So you dinna wish to answer my questions.”
Ian let out a grunt of frustration, but this was her last chance to find out while she still held the upper hand. “Did you take me for sport as a punishment for imprisoning you? Am I nothing but a conquest?”
“Katie, I told them that so they wouldna torture you to make me talk. If they suspected I had feelings for you, Rannoch would have used it to free my tongue.” It felt like his eyes caressed her as he spoke. “Please, Katie. We must get away before the guard wakes.”
She nodded and began unshackling Ian. He dropped to the floor as soon as she freed him then stumbled to his feet. “Are you alright?”
“I am bruised and battered, but it is not as bad as I could have been. Luckily Rannoch wanted to save the maiming for later.”
“Can you walk?”
“Aye.”
Although he answered in the affirmative, Katie noticed he struggled for each deep breath as she led him out of the cell and into the anteroom. “You canna breathe.”
“Some ribs are bruised or broken. I have had the like before and survived. Let me drag this bugger into the cell in case he wakes.”
She grabbed the guard and helped Ian secure him in the cell. When they finished, he looked at her expectantly. “Please tell me you have a way out of here.”
She nodded. “This way,” she said indicating the second hallway which came into the antechamber.
“Keep moving. We need to escape the castle and go for help.” Putting his hand on her back, he pushed her into the passageway.
Katie stopped short and stared at him. “We go to save Jamie from Sorcha. I canna leave my father and my family to Rannoch.”
“We canna defeat them alone. My clan will help, but first we must get to them.”
“She goes to seduce my little brother.”
Ian let out a short laugh. “Something that wilna cause Jamie to suffer. Every young man has to have his first.”
Katie spun and slapped him. He fell against the side of the passage. “How many conquests have you made?”
Ian straightened and grabbed her wrists. “That is a conversation for another day. You risk our escape with your jealousy.” He jerked her close and captured her lips with his until she gave in to the kiss and answered his every move. When he broke it off, she sagged against him.
“I hate this power you have over me,” she murmured.
His arms moved tight around her. “You enchant me in a way no other has before,” he whispered. “I dinna take your deflowering lightly. I want you for my wife.”
Katie moved back from him. “Then let us save my family first.”
“We canna do it alone. I promise you, I will return with an army to defeat Rannoch. For now, we must do this my way.”
Katie balked, but he dragged her with him down the passage. “Stop,” Katie said. “We will need a torch to light the way.”
Ian nodded and went back and took one from the antechamber of his prison. They continued down the passage in silence. It came to a dead end in a large cell. “How can we escape from here?” he asked.
Drawing a deep breath, she told him. “There is a secret door to a cave that leads to the other side of the mountain. ‘Tis my father’s secret escape route for times of siege.” With that, she showed him the lever and opened the door. They stepped inside and Katie closed the door behind them. The cave had several passageways.
“Which tunnel?”
With a sigh of resignation, Katie pointed the way to the trail that led out of Duntaigh Castle. He did not release his grip on her wrist. Even battered, he pulled her along easily. Her resistance was no match for his strength. After they had gone some distance, she noticed his labored breathing.
“Ian, I could use a brief rest.”
He gave her a smile and propped on a rock outcropping trying to catch his breath. She moved close to him and ran her hand over a scar that ran across his shoulder. “I wondered at this when we made love, but I didna ask.”
Ian took her hand in his and kissed her fingers. “A brush with death from an earlier time,” he said. “When Jared took Asilinn and made her his wife, masked marauders wreaked havoc for a time. There was a skirmish at Cock Bridge and Jared cauterized my wound to keep me from bleeding to death.”
“There was much talk of the ongoing war between the MacLean and Innes clans.”
“Jared finally ended it by marrying my sister.”
“Against her will?”
“Aye, best thing that ever happened to her.” He smiled and ran his fingers over her face. “Just as I hope our union will prove to be the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“You ask much. I have been the stalwart one while my father bemoaned the loss of his beloved wife and my siblings were too young to take on the burden. Now you want me to defer to your judgment in matters that directly affect my family. It is not easy for me to set aside my desire to stay and help them. Perchance I could wait here while you go for help. There might be something I could do while we wait for your rescue.”
“Out of the question, it’s too dangerous. I canna leave you in such jeopardy.” Rubbing her hands across his chest, she moved closer. “Katie….”
“Ian….” Katie caressed his neck then reached up to find his lips. He took charge of the kiss and did not leave off until she trembled with desire for more.
“Dinna try to lure me into agreeing to such a ridiculous plan,” he said sharply.
“I canna leave them here with no protection.”
“You can, and you will. I told you we will come back and free them.”
She jerked away from his grasp and started back up the passage. “I canna do it.”
He reached her three short strides and pushed her against the wall. “I love you and I wilna leave you here or stay without the troops to win the fight.”
Breathless, she felt every hard muscle in his body pressed against her. “You love me?”
“Aye, sweet Katie, I wouldna have offered marriage if I didna love you.” His lips brushed hers in an all too short kiss. “Few women have the spirit to stir my passion. I love everything about you my bold, Highland captor.”
His lips found hers with more purpose. Ian’s hand moved beneath her skirt, stroking her, and testing her readiness. She welcomed his fingers inside her then they were gone. He loosened her dress, jerked it off her shoulders, and freed her breasts as he hiked up her skirt. His hands ran over her bottom as he lifted her. Katie’s head dropped back against the wall when he began a slow sampling of her breasts. He ran his hot lips over her. His tongue teased each tender tip until she gasped.
Ian came into her hard. No pain accompanied the burning pleasure of their joining. He drove her into the wall as she clung to him and took him as deep as she could. Katie reveled in the feeling of his steel rod piercing her tight sheath. His powerful thrusts invaded her repeatedly. Her body erupted into quick ecstatic spasms when he shuddered and spewed his seed deep within her.
“
Dear lady,” he whispered, “I canna live without you. You must come with me to find help.” Ian let her slide gently back to earth and straightened her clothing and his.
Catching her breath, Katie shot Ian an angry glare. “You have used my weakness for you to try and change my mind.”
“God’s blood, woman, we canna defeat them alone.” Despite his injuries, he caught hold of her and pushed her in front of him down the passage. Katie whirled and tried to get past him. He blocked her way. It seemed his infirmities did not hamper him in any way. She could feel the stickiness of his seed on her thighs as he forced her forward.
Chapter 17
The clatter of hooves rang out in the passage ahead of them. Ian grabbed Katie and pulled her behind a rock. They ducked low as Angus Innes and a contingent of men came around the corner leading their horses. Ian stood and dragged Katie out with him. His father ran to embrace him.
“You live,” he said holding Ian close. “I feared the little wench got you killed.” Angus released him and looked him up and down. “Bad bruises,” he commented indicating Ian’s chest.”
“Some ribs are bruised, but I dinna think they are broken. I seem able to perform despite my injuries.” With this statement, he gave Katie a wink. He grinned when her face colored.
His father’s eyes took on a little sparkle. “What’s this? Are ye wearin’ Blackburn colors now?”
“A useful ruse,” Ian explained. He smiled. “Father, this is Katie Blackburn.”
Angus’ eyes moved over her with something near contempt. “You escaped and brought her with you?”
“She freed me and helped me get this far,” Ian corrected.
“Captor to savior in a matter of days?”
“Aye, so.”
Keith ran to Katie and gave her a hug. “Finally did the right thing, little lass.”
“Ian showed me the error of my ways. Rannoch used his healer’s magic to poison my father. I searched for you everywhere and learned Rannoch sent you to Angus.” Her face scrunched into a frown. “What did they do to you?” she asked, rubbing the charred stubble of his burned beard.
Highland Legends 04 - Captive Highlander Page 11