Riona beckoned to someone behind her and Skye watched as a huge monster of a man stepped forward. How she didn’t see him she had no clue, but her eyes widened at his approach.
“Take her to my chambers while I figure out what to do.”
Mammoth hands grabbed Skye as Riona got right in her face. “You will not ruin my plans.”
Before Skye could respond, another hand covered her mouth, almost blocking her nose and air supply.
Unable to fight or make enough sound to attract attention, the beast of a man hauled her away.
In minutes, she was roughly thrown onto a chair in what she assumed was Riona’s bedroom, which was actually a larger room with a number of small beds throughout.
A cloth was crammed in her mouth as soon as her abductor removed his hand.
She glared at the giant while he secured her hands to the back of the chair just before someone behind her forced a hood over her head.
Something wasn’t right, but it wasn’t clicking.
Skye struggled against the painfully tight bonds, which only made it worse so she concentrated on trying to use her other senses but her heart was pounding too loud in her ears from fear.
She knew she wasn’t alone but she couldn’t hear anyone else.
How the hell do I get into these messes? She berated herself. This is worse than a B rated movie! No way does this shit happen to anyone else.
Finley froze in the chair he was lounging on as Riona’s guard hauled Skye into their chambers and relieved that she had not seen him before he was able to slip something over her head.
Putting a finger to his mouth to let his sister know he wanted her quiet, he dragged Riona out of the room as her man tied the girl’s legs, smiling grimly at a maid that scurried by.
Closing the door behind him, he glared at Riona. “What the hell is goin on?”
“That girl was standing outside Aiden’s chambers.” She spat.
When Finley shook her harshly, Riona looked around and gritted her teeth before continuing in a lower voice after she cleared her throat.
“What was I supposed to do?”
Wiping a hand over his face, Finley shook his head. Looking around, he kept shaking his head, trying to think.
“I canna get into his bed with the bloody bint around! We can kill her. No one kens she be here an obviously Aiden hasna found her—”
He held up a hand to silence her and she stood there fuming while her brother thought the latest events over.
After a moment, he turned back to her, whispering furiously.
“We go back to the plan we had before she left. Have James do what we discussed an report back to me when done.”
* * *
Skye couldn’t believe this!
Once again, she found herself before the counsel, only this time she was in chains, the hood just now removed. There was not a friendly face assembled and Aiden was nowhere in the room.
A man with plaited grey hair and matching beard stepped forward.
“Tis her!” He accused in a raspy voice.
Turning to get a better look, she saw a man badly beaten, his face swollen grotesquely with fresh bruises, pointing at her.
She immediately felt the desire to heal him and stop the pain he must be in before it sunk in that he was accusing her of something.
“What have ye to say fer yerself?”
She turned to gaze at the elder who spoke Gaelic with such a heavy brogue she had to concentrate hard on his words.
“To what?”
“This man has accused ye o’ conspirin against the Laird o’ this keep.”
“What?”
“Ye heard me.” The man glowered.
She shook her head in confusion.
“I have conspired with no one.” She insisted, silently taking back her desire to heal the jerk.
“Ross was taken prisoner an beaten almost to death. As he lay barely conscious, he heard of the plan fer ye to infiltrate the castle, assess, an report so that an attack could be planned.”
With each word, Skye’s eyes widened.
Riona’s brother approached. What was his name? Finley?
“Ye thought to use yer bonnie looks to get what information ye could, then ye tried to sneak out when we werena lookin.”
“Not true!”
He bore down on her but she refused to yield, his body brushed against hers.
“But me sister found ye at Aiden’s chambers. Ye ken he would search for ye, an when he left, ye used his room to hide in.”
“I was—”
“Yer a whore.”
He slapped her so hard she staggered and fell, hitting her hip.
Head spinning at the force, she barely heard the elder telling Finley to stop.
She struggled to her feet, shaking her head, anger surfacing.
“You’re wrong. I would never do that.”
“What?” He sneered. “Spy fer yer kin, or whore?”
Her mouth opened to speak then clamped shut as she turned from him to face the elder.
Standing tall, she squared her shoulders. “I am not a spy, nor am I a whore.”
Finley made a scoffing noise.
She took a deep breath as she looked in the eyes of a man who had already condemned her. “I am innocent of these accusations.”
Finley grabbed her arm and forced her to face the beaten man.
“Ye call this man a liar? He suffered at the hands of men who cared little fer his life. Ross be a man of this village, why would he lie?”
Shaking her head, she answered. “I do not know, but I stand by my innocence.”
“Then ye stand alone.” Finley hissed in her face.
“Enough. Get the man to a healer an send the wench to the doogun.”
Skye’s mouth dropped open in shock but nothing came out as another man grabbed her roughly by the arm and led her away.
Thrown back into the room that still gave her nightmares, Skye jumped in fear when the bars slammed shut.
Not again!
She frantically searched the room while she had light from the torch, knowing the emptiness would change as soon as the two men who had brought her here left with her only source of illumination.
Skye wanted to scream her innocence but to what use? They would only throw her inability to answer questions from her interrogation in her face.
Instead, she made her way to the flimsy cot against the far wall, wanting her body off the floor and hoping it would help to keep the rats away.
This was not good.
Not good at all.
It did not take long before her ears picked up the sounds of scurrying pests.
Her skinned crawled as goose bumps covered her body. She felt the rags under her pull and knew they were using it climb up.
Shrieking, Skye scrambled to shake them off and pull the cloth up and away, then she wrapped the filthy things around her hands and arms so she could sweep them off when they found another way to her.
She sat there petrified, barely dosing for short periods.
Dreams of things crawling on her woke her up with a jerk.
It took her mind, clogged with fear, time to sort out the fact that there were things crawling on her and they must be coming from the bedding.
Desperately trying to get the tattered rags off, she brushed frantically at herself. Whimpering as she scrambled off the cot and tearing the fabric from her as she backed away, her mind a mass of numbed horror.
When the bars touched her back, she cried out and jumped, losing the battle to keep back the tears.
Tense and unable to squeeze her eyes shut to stop the tears for fear that they would jump on her if she wasn’t watching, Skye clenched and unclenched her fists trying to think as she quickly brushed the tears from her eyes.
“I can’t do this again. I can’t.” Staring into nothing, she kept whispering, scratching at the fleabites. “I can’t, I can’t.”
Her head shot up when she heard the scurrying of the rats.
“Oh, God, please, please, please.”
Hours passed without anyone coming for her. She was shivering from terror and cold, huddled in the corner she’d inched her way to, incapable of being able to comprehend if the things crawling on her were real or not, she would frantically brush at her flesh, sobbing quietly.
“Skye?”
Starting at the whispered word, her head swung around, eyes wide, and her breath caught in her throat.
“Skye? Be ye there?”
The light had her heart beating again and she hurried over to the bars. “Anna!”
“Och, Skye! Look at ye.”
Blushing furiously at the sight she must present, she looked away.
“I will get ye out of there.”
A sob caught in her throat and she swallowed, shaking her head at the girl. “You can’t. They believe I’m a spy.”
“But yer no!”
Skye smiled, brushing away a tear with a jerky movement of her hand. “Thank you for believing in me.”
“I do, an when Aiden an Collin come back they will too!” Anna whispered furiously.
“The baby. How’s the baby?”
Anna touched her stomach and smiled. “The bairn be fine. I doona ken what ye did, but I feel like there be reel hope now.”
“Anna, you need to stay in bed.”
“But ye healed me.”
Skye’s heart leapt to her throat as thoughts of burning at the stake and Anna truly thinking all was well now.
“Listen to me, Anna. I did not heal you. You need to stay in bed.”
“But there be no more pain nor spottin! Ye did it, Skye! An tis another reason why I will get ye out of here.”
“Anna—”
“What be ye doin here, Lady Anna?”
They both turned to see Finley approaching from the end of the passage.
“Tis an outrage, imprisonin Skye this way!”
Finley patted Anna’s arm solemnly. “Tis difficult, I ken, but the counsel has heard information that has led them to make this decision, an we must abide by it.”
He tried to lead her away but she resisted.
“I wilna leave her here alone. Aiden wouldna abide this!”
“Lass, doona stress yerself an the babe this way.”
Fearful for the baby, Skye encouraged Anna to leave. “Please, Anna, it’s alright.”
“Tis no!”
“Anna, you need to calm down for me, for the baby, and get back to bed.” Skye whispered, unable to stop the tremors.
Anna wrestled her arm away from Finley.
“Please. You really do need to take it easy. It is not alright to be up and about.”
Anna looked at Skye and frowned.
“Alright. I will go.” She glared at Finley, her words spoken venomously. “But when Aiden an me husband return they will be livid.”
Finley walked beside Anna, ensuring she didn’t return.
Sinking to the floor, Skye was grateful they left Anna’s torch in the wall sconce so, for a little while at least, there was enough light to keep the rats at bay—hopefully.
Resting her head on her bent knees, she could not stop the shaking that continued to rack her body.
Who knew how much time had passed without rest?
The magic she used to return to the keep combined with her body’s healing from the bedbugs, the lack of sleep, and stress was wearing her down.
She could not contact Sarah through the flame because leaving here without being able to save Anna’s baby was out of the question.
If she had been thinking clearly, and if Finley had not shown up, she could have taken care of that and talked with Sarah about getting her the hell out of here.
Looking back at the time she and Aiden had spent in the shed took her hopes away.
She should have stayed put, bottom line.
Skye laughed as every one of her actions made her look as if she was the very thing she was being accused of—again.
How she had run away to be found by Aiden, then having sex with him only to disappear when his back was turned, and finally showing back at the keep.
It didn’t take any stretch of the imagination to put two and two together and equal spy and whore no matter what century a person found themselves.
What if she had been honest?
Anna seemed to be very happy with the idea that Skye had healed her, even though she hadn’t had the chance to figure out a permanent solution to her pregnancy. But Anna was young, probably still fanciful. Aiden believed she had been trying to help, but he had no idea to what extent she really could help.
What if he did?
She stopped herself. What ifs weren’t going to help her now. She didn’t even know if the truth would.
Exhausted, she fell into a fitful sleep.
Dreams of rats and huge bed bugs climbing her legs turned into reality and she woke, choking on a scream as she tore at her clothing, brushing off the rodents as she scrambled to her feet.
The torch had sputtered out, leaving her in complete darkness once again.
Kicking her feet to keep them from attacking again, Skye pressed her hand against her mouth to stop herself from bawling like a baby, or crying out and having any one hear her and laugh at her weakness.
Damn them all to hell.
Then she snorted.
She was already there.
Something nibbled on her shoe and she whimpered as she kicked, losing her slipper.
Skye had no idea how long she had been in the cell, if it was day or night, or if anyone cared that she was dying in here.
Her stomach had stopped growling from hunger ages ago and her feet were going numb with the effort to stand.
When her head started spinning, Skye she knew it wouldn’t be long before nothing mattered.
Her hands were too heavy to lift, not that they could do anything with how hard they were shaking. Even her knees gave up their support and she barely made a sound as she slid down the wall, her last thought was how terrible it was that she wasn’t going to be with her sister when she lost her baby and her husband.
* * *
Shaken roughly awake, Skye squinted, unable to lift a hand to shield her eyes from the light.
“Keir?” She croaked.
“The Laird sent me fer ye.”
He hauled her up and she stumbled, bumping into the wall behind her. She would have slipped down if he hadn’t picked her up and carried her.
It wasn’t until she felt her powers overriding the ‘wall’ she had in place to keep from drawing on another’s strength that she started fighting his hold.
“Let me down. You have to let me down.”
She could feel herself getting stronger and when Keir stumbled the second time, she was able to disengage herself from him and they both stood still, Keir shaking his head, wondering at his sudden weakness and her shaking at what her powers had begun to do.
“I can walk. J-just tell me where you want me to go.”
Keir straightened and stared at her, his blank eyes telling her he knew of the accusations and believed them.
“Tis Anna. She ran out to greet us on our arrival. Her excitement caused me horse to rear—”
“The baby!” Skye whirled around, cursing herself when she stumbled to her knees as her equilibrium went off kilter.
Picking herself up before Keir could reach her, Skye raced down the hall and up the stairs as fast as her unsteady feet would allow, grateful for the bit of strength she had gotten from Keir who was following close behind, grudgingly wishing it had been more.
As they neared Anna’s bedroom, she could hear the girl crying out her name.
She was about to rush to her side when her arm was grabbed forcefully and she was wrenched around, falling against a hard chest before looking into Aiden’s cold eyes.
“For some reason, Anna thinks ye can save her an the bairn.” Ignoring the way his gut twisted at her appearance Aiden glared down at her. “If she dies so do ye.”
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Skye tried to swallow past the lump in her throat and nodded, afraid he wouldn’t let go soon enough as more strength flowed slowly into her.
Eyes narrowed, he searched her face making sure she understood before releasing her.
She went to Anna and tried to calm her down. “I’m here, Anna, I’m here.”
The girl reached for her, blood on her forehead and skirt. “Please, Skye. The bairn—”
“I know, baby. It’s going to be all right. I promise.”
Thankful for what little strength she had gotten from Kier and Aiden, Skye knew it helped in keeping her from depleting Anna, but she still needed for the girl to let go.
Looking at Collin’s dead stare and bloody clothes did nothing to alleviate the way her heart pounded.
“You must get on the bed. Cradle her head in your lap.” She instructed as she tried to disengage the death hold Anna had on her arm, glaring at the midwife who was howling uncontrollably, barely smiling when Elizabeth shoved the woman into the hands of someone else.
“Get everyone out of here.”
She turned her full attention to Anna, no longer caring about anything else.
She was going to save her family and Anna’s baby.
“Listen to me, Anna. I need my hands free.”
When the girl didn’t respond, Skye leaned closer and reached over with her free hand to touch her cheek, sending calming thoughts, trying desperately to not take Anna’s strength as the girl held tight.
“I need my hands free, Anna.” She said calmly in Gaelic. “So I can do what I did last time, remember?”
“She needs her hands to help the babe, leanabh. Let go.” Collin gently removed her hands from Skye’s arms.
When released, Skye took a step further down only to have her arm clutched frantically.
“Doona leave me!” Anna cried.
“I’m not going to leave you, Anna, I am going to save the baby, remember? I made a promise.” She assured her as Collin stepped between, talking smoothly to his wife his eyes bearing down on Skye silently.
She glared back defiantly. “And I plan on keeping that promise.”
“I will keep me promise as well.” Aiden’s threat came from behind her, just before he stepped up to her side.
Pausing to take a calming breath before returning Aiden’s hard stare, she spoke calmly.
“Unless you need to make good on your threat, heed this warning: Do not touch me. If you believe nothing else from me, believe that it will do you more harm than good to touch me.”
The Highlander’s Witch Page 13