The Chieftain by Maeve Greyson

Author:Maeve Greyson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Highland
Publisher: 0
Published: 2019-03-20T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

“I canna believe we left him there. Alone in the darkness.” Catriona jerked her wrist out of Graham’s grasp, ran to the small fire next to the stone ledge, and hurried to douse it with handfuls of dirt and sand scraped up from the cave floor. Brushing her hands against her skirts, she rose from the task, worry and fear knotting her insides and making her heart pound. She whirled about and faced him. “How could ye leave your own brother? How could ye leave him behind?”

“'Twas what he wished and Alexander is no' afraid of the dark, m’lady.” Graham lit a fresh torch off of Sawny’s and scanned the cavernous room. “Are we well past that second trap ye spoke of, lad?”

“Aye,” Sawny replied. “We should be safe in this section of the cave but we best move to the back so our torchlight will be a sight dimmer and less apt to draw notice. 'Tis my hopes they willna smell the smoke of the doused fire.”

While her common sense knew Sawny was right, her heart screamed out a hearty, “Nay!” Catriona pulled away, heading back toward the passage they’d just passed through to reach the heart of the cave where they’d set up a camp. She would wait at the edge, in the darkness, until she saw Alexander safe. Then she’d guide him through the maze of passages to reach the more secure section of the cave.

A strong hand closed around her upper arm and pulled her back with a firm, gentle persistence. She jerked about and faced Magnus. “Let go of me, sir.”

“Nay, m’lady.” Magnus gave her a respectful nod then faced her toward the others and walked her back to join them by a determined steering of her arm. “If I allow anything ill to befall ye, Alexander will have me arse.” He nodded again with a faint smile. “Beg pardon, m'lady.”

A howling scream, strong at first then fading away, echoed back to them from the passages. A chill washed across Catriona’s flesh, standing every hair on end.

Still holding tight to her arm, Magnus gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Ne'er ye fret. That wasna Alexander.”

“How can ye know? How can ye be certain?”

“He doesna scream,” Graham interjected. “He curses, growls, rants and roars but I've ne'er heard him scream. Mam swore he was a bear in a past life.”

“Aye,” Magnus agreed. “Most definitely a bear.” He placed Catriona at the center of their group, the two men and two boys flanking her, as he positioned her against the wall.

Catriona wasn't stupid. She knew well enough that the only reason he’d placed her there was to prevent her from escaping them and going to Alexander.

“What do we do from here?” Sawny asked, excitement making his freckled face glow like a beacon in the torchlight. “When do we attack and reclaim our keep from that bastard?” He gave a sheepish jerk of one shoulder in Catriona's direction. “Beg your pardon, m’lady.”

“Aye,” young Tom chimed in. “We n-need to clear the k-keep of the chieftain’s vermin as well.

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