Highland Angels (Fated Hearts Book 3) (23 page)

He knew his sister was trapped in a cave farther west. But if he went that direction, they might not be able to make it back this way safely. If they pushed on to the mouth of the inlet, they might cross Fearchar’s path again. Outnumbered, with no weapon and destroyed hands made that choice beyond foolhardy.

He couldn’t risk Mairi’s life to save Anna. Anna wouldn’t want that. He put a hand on Mairi’s shoulder, gently directing her eastward.

“But, Tasgall, they took Anna that way.” She pointed to the west.

“I know that, Mairi, but we are on foot and the tide is rising. The only way I can be sure to get ye to safety is to go back the way we came.”

“And leave Anna?”

“I’m certain I can save ye by going back. If we go west, I risk losing both of ye. We won’t have time to make it back before high tide.”

“Then we’ll go on, past the cliffs to the mouth of the inlet.”

“Where we risk running into Fearchar again, and I won’t be able to protect ye.”

“But Anna saved Davy.”

“And that’s why I know she would want me to save ye. We have to go now.”

“Nay, Tasgall, please…” She began to cry.

There was no point arguing with her. He scooped her into his arms. She buried her face in his léine and wept. Tasgall had to fight back tears himself at the choice he had just made.

They hadn’t gone far when, to his great relief, he saw riders approaching, Andrew in front. He nudged Mairi. “I never thought these words would cross my lips, but thank God, MacLeod warriors are approaching on horseback.”

As soon as Andrew reached them, he took his wee sister from Tasgall’s arms. “Andrew, ye have to save my sister.”

“What happened? Where is she?” Andrew demanded.

“It was Fearchar Morrison.”

“We know that, lad,” said Laird Chisholm, “but does he still have Anna?”

Tasgall shook his head. “I don’t know for certain but she is probably in one of the caves west of here. He decided to leave us to drown. I managed to escape and freed Mairi.” He held up his bloodied hands as testament. “I couldn’t risk Mairi’s life searching for Anna.”

Andrew handed Mairi off to Cormag. “Thank ye, Tasgall. I’ll find Anna.”

“Darach is in a cave east of here, if ye give me some men, I think I can find it.”

“We found him already,” said Fearghas.

“Then with Mairi safe now, I’ll come with ye to find my sister.”

Andrew shook his head. “Nay, Tasgall. Ye’re injured and ye’d be a liability.”

Tasgall looked again at his hands. Andrew was right. He could only hinder them. “Please, find her. There is no telling what the cruel bastard did. He had Mairi tied down on the floor of the cave, but bound me upright so I would have to watch her drown as the water filled the cave.”

Andrew blanched.

Fearghas swore. “I hope I can send his soul to hell today.”

Andrew mounted his horse again, calling orders for a few men to accompany Mairi and Tasgall eastward.

~ * ~

Andrew’s panic grew, the farther west they rode. After finding Tasgall and Mairi, there were still three caves left to check. As they came to a cave he sent men to search it and kept moving onward. If anyone found her, they would send a messenger to Andrew. Only four men and a squire remained with him as they approached the last cave. The opening was at least eight feet up the face of the cliff. With a boost up from Donald, Andrew was able to climb into the cave.

His heart fell. This cave wasn’t deep and the opening was wide, letting in a lot of light. It was empty. He turned around and called down to the men with him, “She isn’t here.”

His despair must have been plainly evident. The Chisholm guard with them said, “Then one of the other groups must have found her and the messenger hasn’t reached us yet. Perhaps we should go back.”

“Or Fearchar still has her, in which case, we just go on,” said Rory.

Andrew nodded. “Go on. I think that’s our only choice.” After he climbed down, he turned to Donald. “Did I miss something?

Donald frowned. “Ye’ve had all the known caves checked. But it seems to me…at least I have a vague memory of venturing into another cave once as a lad. But it had a very narrow entrance.”

“Where is it?” Andrew demanded.

“I’m not certain, back a ways, I think. The entrance was little more than a crack.”

“So onward, or back?” asked Chisholm.

“As much as I would like to squeeze the breath out of Fearchar Morrison with my bare hands, if there is the slightest chance that Anna is in the other cave, I cannot risk it. I’ll leave Fearchar and his men to my father. We go back.”

~ * ~

Anna had only given into tears for a moment. There was no point. She took a deep breath, trying to regain control. She tried to think of something pleasant. Her mind drifted to the wonderful dream she’d had of a visit with Grizel. Had she only just awakened from that yesterday morning? She closed her eyes and tried to recapture the warmth and happiness that had lingered after the dream. Her old nursemaid had told her Andrew was meant for her. What were her words?
His heart beats with yers. Never forget that. Ye will share lots of blackberry kisses. ‘Tis a good year for blackberries.”

She sighed. It might be a good year for blackberries, but it seemed unlikely that she would share any blackberry kisses with him. It looked as if there wasn’t anything but a watery grave in her future. However, the memories did calm her. She opened her eyes and glanced around, trying to figure out a way to escape. She could see the whole cave from her vantage point. Manus hadn’t tethered her to anything. She wondered if she could slide down and work her way to the opening still bound?

She quickly ruled that out. With her hands tied behind her, she wouldn’t be able to control her descent or brace herself if she fell. She could be seriously hurt and unable to save herself at all.

She thought perhaps she could find a sharp stone or something that she could use to cut the rope. She just couldn’t see a likely prospect, but as she searched, she noticed a line that went all the way around the cave wall about five feet from the floor. The rock below was darker than the rock above. She stared at it for a moment before realization dawned. It was the water line. She almost laughed. Manus had followed Fearchar’s instructions so well, he had secured her
above
the water line.

She wouldn’t drown. She was damp and chilled but she had been colder—she smiled to herself—much colder. She could live through this.

Ye can live through this if someone finds ye, which seems unlikely
. No one knew who had taken them. If they did manage to figure it out, they would have assumed Fearchar had escaped to a port. But even in the unlikely event that someone knew the direction he had actually come, who would think to look in the sea caves for them?

By the time anyone knew that she, Mairi, Tasgall and Darach had been trapped in sea caves, they would likely have drowned and she would die of thirst or cold.

Nay. She must stop thinking this way. She believed if anyone could get out of this, Tasgall could and he would keep Mairi safe. She prayed fervently for them both. She thanked God for her brother’s strength, honor and his keen mind.
Ye have given him all he needs, Dear God, please be with them
.

She was filled with peace and confidence that Mairi and Tasgall would not drown. Tasgall would free them. He had to. And if they got out, maybe they could save Darach. After all, they knew where he was.

‘Tis a good year for blackberries

It would have been fun to take Davy blackberry picking. It would have been nice to pick blackberries with Andrew too. She smiled at the idea of blackberry kisses. The thought of never kissing Andrew again tore her heart. She loved Andrew’s kisses. They were gentle but demanding; they quieted her mind while stirring her desire, and were both all-giving and all-consuming.

His heart beats with yers. Never forget that. Ye will share lots of blackberry kisses. ‘Tis a good year for blackberries.

Grizel had been so sure, just as she had been in the first dream.

Ye can do all things in Him who strengthens ye.

But she had been right.

Then Anna realized what the blackberry dream had meant. Grizel was telling her not to give up. “Andrew will find me and, come August, we will share blackberry kisses,” she said confidently to the empty cave.

She just had to have faith and wait.

And wait

And wait.

The light spilling through the crack in the wall faded into the gloom of evening. Water started flowing through the crack as well. It looked as if she would have to stay here until the tide turned again. Her arms ached from being tied behind her back and her wrists were chafed and raw. But she had faith. If not tonight, Andrew would find her tomorrow. There were blackberry kisses in her future.

~ * ~

As they road eastward, Andrew fought the dread that threatened to engulf him. The tide had risen until the narrow strip of land on which they rode was covered with water. It was still very shallow, but if they didn’t find the fissure in the rock that Donald remembered… Andrew didn’t know what he would do.

“I think that’s it,” shouted Donald.

Andrew’s joy was only momentary as he dismounted to inspect the opening. “It can’t be. No one could fit through there.”

“I can, Laird,” said Fearghas’s squire.

Tadhg was tall for a lad of ten, but slender. Aye, if anyone could, he could.

“Go ahead, lad,” said Fearghas. “We’ve no time to waste.”

Tadhg slid off his horse and splashed through the water to the fissure. He had to crouch down and wiggle sideways, but in a moment he disappeared into the cave.

Andrew heard Tadhg call, “Lady Anna, are ye in here?”

“Aye, lad. Up here. I’m well, but my hands and feet are bound.”

“I have a knife, my lady. I’ll climb up and cut ye loose.”

Relief flooded Andrew. “She’s there,” he called to the other men.

It took a minute or so for Tadhg to cut her loose, but the instant she was through the opening, Andrew gathered her in his arms. “Are ye truly all right?”

“Aye, Andrew, but there’s no time, Mairi and Tasgall—”

“Are safe. Tasgall was able to free them before we found them. Darach is safe too.”

“Oh, thank God.”

“My precious angel, I feared I’d lost ye.”

“Not until I’ve had a lifetime of blackberry kisses.”

Andrew wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t care.

Tadhg too squeezed back through the opening, and Fearghas said, “Declarations of love will have to wait. We have to ride hard now, or we won’t make it back.”

Andrew put Anna on his horse, mounted behind her and they rode eastward, trying to beat the rising tide. They were riding in water that was nearly two feet deep before the bank widened and they reached dry ground, where the men who had searched the other caves awaited them.

“Anna, we can find a place and rest for a while, if ye need to.”

“Unless, ye and yer men need to rest, can we just go home?”

He smiled. “Aye, lass, we can go home.”

Eoin MacKay rode hard alongside the warrior who he had always considered an enemy. But today they had a common goal: stop Fearchar Morrison, the man who threatened both of their families. Laird Ranulf too was single minded. They stopped for nothing.

By evening, they were riding south on the coast, approaching the mouth of the inlet. A small ship lay at anchor just offshore, a longboat poised to be lowered over the side.

As they rounded the head, they saw Fearchar waiting with seven of his men. Eoin’s heart fell when he saw no signs of Anna, Tasgall or Mairi.

Dougal too noticed their absence. He appeared calm and controlled, but the raw fury rolling off of the older man was palpable.

In that moment, Eoin was absolutely sure Fearchar was about to die.

They stopped a hundred paces or so from the Morrison party. Dougal called, “Laird Morrison, ye stole something precious to me. What have ye done with my daughter?”

“Ye stole something from me too. Anna was my bride.”

“And yet, ye no longer seem to have her. Where are they?” Dougal asked, his calm tone belying his suppressed rage.

“Well, I offered yer lass to my foolish brother. He didn’t want her. He calls her a sister. He’s no brother of mine. I left her tied up in a sea cave with her betrothed.” He glanced over his shoulder at the sea. “The tide’s in far enough, I suspect she has drowned by now, although Tasgall might last a bit longer.”

A sea cave?
Andrew and Chisholm had been trying to reach Fearchar before being cut off by the tide. They wouldn’t be searching caves. Eoin wanted nothing more than to run Fearchar through at that moment. But somehow the stoicism of the man next to him kept him from reacting. They needed to learn what they could before putting an end to this.

Dougal asked, “And, Anna? She’s with them?”

“The whore who chose yer son over me? Nay, she’s in a cave all by herself. She didn’t want me, so she can die alone.”

Eoin could barely believe his ears when Dougal said, “Ye’re out-manned and out-matched. Ye can’t escape, Fearchar. Save a few Morrison lives and lay down yer arms.”

Both his sister and his brother were either dead or facing imminent death as a result of this man’s actions, and MacLeod was giving him an option? He didn’t care what choice Fearchar made, he would see him dead today, along with every man with him who’d stood by as he left bound captives to drown.

In disbelief, Eoin cast a sidelong glance at Dougal, relieved to see the old laird was tensed for battle. Clearly Dougal didn’t expect Morrison to accept the offer. His gesture was noble, perhaps out of respect for Fearchar’s young brother.

“I will never surrender.” Fearchar spat. “MacKay, I’m surprised to see ye’ve become one of MacLeod’s lapdogs. Ye should be standing with me.”

“
Standing with ye
? Why would I stand with ye?”

“Yer sister was my betrothed. Andrew MacLeod doesn’t deserve to marry her simply because he stole her from ye. Ye should be thanking me for getting her back.”

“Getting her back? Leaving her bound in a sea cave to drown while ye try to escape is not getting her back, ye coward,” roared Dougal.

Eoin seethed. “Ye’re a fool, Morrison. Ye were not betrothed to Anna, and I would have handed her over to MacLeod on a silver platter before I would have ever married her to ye.”

Those words sent Fearchar into a rage.

“I’ll send ye to hell for that,” he screamed, charging forward.

The battle was on, but those would be Fearchar’s last words.

Before either Eoin or Dougal reached him, Laird Sinclair had charged forward approaching from Fearchar’s left and nearly cleaving him in two with one deadly swipe of his blade.

Fearchar’s men charged forward to avenge their laird, but Laird MacLeod had the right of it; not only were there half as many Morrisons, Fearchar’s men were woefully unskilled. All seven were dead within minutes and Eoin had barely lifted his blade.

He turned his eyes to the sea. If the captain of the vessel sought to reinforce Fearchar’s numbers, their feet would never touch dry ground. Clearly the captain too had realized this. He had hoisted the longboat and set sail.

With no foe left standing, and the heat of battle waning, Eoin’s attention shifted to his family. He rode past the battle scene and started down the north shore of the inlet. Perhaps there was still time to reach Anna or Tasgall and Mairi. But his hope died as he reached the point where the cliff met the water. It was already impassable. He roared in anger and frustration.

He turned at the sound of hoof beats behind him. Dougal and several of his men approached. “Laird MacLeod, is there any other way to reach them? Can any of the caves be accessed from cliff?”

Dougal’s expression was grim. “Nay, lad. Some are little more than deep indentations in the rock. a few reach farther into the cliff, but the passages become impassable fairly quickly. If there are other access points, they haven’t been discovered.”

“They’re lost to us?” Sorrow nearly overwhelmed him.

“I won’t accept that yet. Andrew may have reached them in time.”

“But he wasn’t searching sea caves for them. He was trying to reach Fearchar.”

“Aye, but he didn’t. We came the longer way around. By all rights, Andrew and Fearghas should have arrived here before us, but they’re not here. Let’s not despair.”

Eoin clung to that glimmer of hope. It was all he had.

When they returned to the site of the battle, the men who had remained behind had already begun to bury the dead.

Boyd Sutherland watched as Fearchar’s mangled body was thrown into a hastily dug grave. Eoin couldn’t quite read the emotion on the young man’s face.

Laird MacLeod put a hand on his shoulder. “I know Darach is yer friend, lad, but we had no choice.”

Boyd looked his laird directly in the eye. “I don’t mourn Fearchar Morrison. Darach is my friend, but he is nothing like his brother. Fearchar chose this evil path and it ended in the only way it could. ”

Laird MacLeod nodded, his admiration for the young man evident. “Aye, it did.” To all of the men he said, “I need four of ye to finish burying the dead, return their hired horses to Durness and then see that a messenger is sent to Lewis for me. As we don’t yet know what Andrew and Laird Chisholm encountered, the rest of us will leave immediately for Curacridhe.”