The Crusader's Heart by Kate Forrest

Author:Kate Forrest [Forrest, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, historical, Scot
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2018-07-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Isobel awoke to darkness. She realized immediately she was on top of a horse, riding through the night with two strangers: one at her back and one on a horse ahead of her. The back of her head throbbed. She tried to reach up to touch it, to see if she was bleeding, but her hands were bound and tied to the saddle. She could not move them.

Think, Isobel. She didn’t remember much before blacking out, but she heard the men’s voices. They sounded English. Alex had anticipated the bishop would send more men. Perhaps they were here to take the Rood. Do they have it? She was not wearing her cloak, but that didn’t mean they weren’t in possession of it.

She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing pulse, but the air around her smelled of rot. She took another breath and found the smell’s source: the rider seated behind her. Bile rose in her throat, but she fought against it, trying to suck in the fresh air that blew in her face as they rode. She sat in front of her abductor, his arm wrapped around her waist.

She tried to lean forward so she didn’t have her backside pressed up against his body, but every time she inched forward, he pulled her back against his chest with a laugh. Isobel gave up protesting, deciding to conserve her energy for a more opportune moment. When they let their guard down, she’d be ready.

They rode for what seemed like hours in the dark, and then finally dawn filtered into the sky, giving birth to a new day. With the rising sun, Isobel could finally tell they were going northwest, along the coastline.

She wasn’t sure what the English fiends had in mind for her, but she needed to prepare for the worst. She was outnumbered and weaponless. Her best chance at survival was keeping her captors busy until Alex could find her. She knew he would come for her, if only to fulfill his obligation to David. The thought of the late king brought a tear to her eye, but she fought to keep more from coming. She would not cry in front of these men. She would show no weakness.

She struggled against the bindings around her wrists, trying to uncover her hands, but her captors had wrapped a plaid tightly over her. No doubt the plaid was used to conceal her bindings so the Maclean guards would not know she was being taken against her will.

“You won’t be getting out of those bindings, Lady Isobel,” the man behind her said. “I tied the knots myself, and I assure you they are tight.”

“Where are you taking me?” she asked. The direction did not make any sense. To get back to England, they needed to go southeast.

“The Rood is going back to England, but your journey will likely be of a shorter duration.”

Isobel took his meaning plainly. They would kill her.

“We can do with you as we like, but if you beg, I may let you join us.

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