A Highlander's Captive by Aileen Adams

Author:Aileen Adams [Adams, Aileen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2018-08-10T16:00:00+00:00

15

“Rufus! Davina!”

Davina’s eyes fluttered open, giving her a glimpse of the sky through the branches above her head before darkness settled in again. She had never known such exhaustion. She would never have imagined it existed until then, the sense that she was sinking into the very ground beneath her, that it held her still and would not allow her to lift her head or arm.

It was so easy to give in. To allow herself the luxury of letting go.

“Davina! Rufus!” Louder, this time. It seemed to be coming from above them. The men were looking for them. How far downriver had they gone? The water rushed so fast, it could have been many miles.

Her hand slid over the mud, searching for Rufus. She touched something. His arm? It did not move, even when she squeezed. “Rufus. Rufus, wake up. They’re looking for us.” She could barely whisper. Could not even turn her head to the side and open her eyes to look upon him.

He was likely in just the same shape she was. They would never be rescued if neither of them cried out for help—Davina remembered both of them being covered in mud by the time Rufus dragged them onto the riverbank, which meant they would blend into the surroundings.

A voice cried out in her head. Her own voice, stern and unforgiving. Move, damn ye! Move now! Scream if ye have to! But she could not scream. She could not even seem to draw enough air into her lungs to make more than a broken whisper come from her throat.

She’d screamed so much already.

“Davina! Answer me, lass!” Who was that? She did not recognize the voice. Of course. Clyde, his deep rumble piercing the air.

She forced her eyes open, blinking hard, digging the nails of one hand into her palm until tears sprang to her eyes. She would do this. She had no choice but to do it. Rufus needed her to.

“Help…!” she gasped. “Here!”

No response.

Summoning every bit of her strength and determination, she rolled onto her stomach. The ground was slippery, muddy, granting no purchase as she tried to claw her way up the steep bank. The earth simply gave way under her hands, her legs, as she scrambled. “Help!” she gasped between dry, broken sobs of pure anguish and frustration. “Down here! Help!”

The river was too loud, filling her head with its rushing, roaring sound, and the voices which called their names grew quieter as the men moved further downriver, away from where she fought to live.

Concentrate. She stopped struggling, allowing herself a moment to rest, taking deep breaths which filled her lungs to their limit. She could not continue tiring herself, making weak efforts. If she was to survive, to make them hear her, she had to try as hard as she could all at once.

One more deep breath—then, “Help us!” she shrieked, as loud and as strong as she could. “Please! Here!”

“Davina! I hear ye! Where are ye, lass?”

She closed her eyes, weeping, prayers of thanks overlapping in her head.

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