“I’ll be here just outside the threshold.” Hepointed, but the look of nervousness in her face was obvious. “Isthere something that you are not telling me?”
She shook her head. “I’m just tired.”
Colin kissed her again and went to his place outsidethe door.
Tess walked blindly, feeling before her as shepushed ahead. Through spider webs and mists, she moved, her fingerstouching the rough stone walls and the places where something coldand wet and unidentifiable oozed down the rock. More and more, shebegan to find doors on every side of her. But none of them wouldbudge, no matter how hard she pushed at them. They felt like thickslabs of wood fixed by some ogre king in a cave wall of solidrock.
The air in the corridor was growing increasinglymusty and dense. Globs of wet grit dripped off the ceiling onto herhair and face. As she pushed on, a sense of panic was graduallygoverning her movements. Her fingers scratched at the walls. Shewas growing desperate for any opening, but there was nothing. Herbreathing was becoming labored. The corridors seemed to be growingnarrower the farther she moved in. But she couldn’t stay still. Shecouldn’t go back. The place had the feel of a grave, but thereseemed to be no escape.
Blackness enveloped her, and she suddenly had noidea if she was standing or lying down. There was no up. No down.She was floating.
And then Tess saw the sliver of light coming throughwhat looked to be a wooden door straight ahead. Oriented onceagain, she rushed toward it, but the walls continued to close in.Stones and mud were now showering her as she ran, pelting her. Sheignored the bruising of her face—the pain in her hands as she triedto push past the walls and reach the door.
And then she was before it.
The light of a brilliant sun poured through thecrack in the door. Warmth emanated from the very surface of thewood. Tess saw the latch and reached for it. It, too, was warm.Lifting the latch, she began to push the door open.
Do not go inside!
The shout of warning echoed off the walls…or was itfrom somewhere inside her own head? It was a voice she knew. Butthe light seemed to be drawing her on. She was cold. She wasfrightened. She needed to escape this nether world, this grave. Shestared at her own fingers clutching desperately to the latch.
“But I need the light…to find my way!” Her voice wassmall and hollow in the dark.
You can find your way without it. You can, Tess.
Her fingers dropped to her sides. She took a stepback. Her gaze was drawn to the latch. It had started to glow inthe darkness. She took another step backward. The door startedswinging open on its own. When it was open wide, she could see thedistant light shining at the end of the long tunnel. The wallsbeyond the door were smooth. Tess took another step back as she sawthe light moving closer. Faster and faster it came, growing inintensity with each passing moment.
It was growing warmer. She was burning. The lightcontinued to come, but she couldn’t back away fast enough. Her backbanged hard against a wall, and she gasped as the light transformedinto a ball of fire, hurtling toward her.
Tess sat up and stared into the blanket of darknessaround her. She couldn’t catch her breath. Shivers racked her body,and yet she was covered in sweat.
At first, she didn’t know where she was and then, asthe dream receded, she remembered the cottage, the camp. Colin hadpromised to be right outside. She scrambled to her feet. She didn’tstop to pick up her cloak. She just knew she had to get out of thisplace. She had to run. Tess stumbled over the blankets, but managedto right herself before she reached the door.
She slipped out into the night, but Colin was not byher door. A new wave of panic seized her, and she felt the taste ofbile rising in her throat. She had to get out of this place. Shehad to run.
Run. The same familiar voice pounded in herhead.Run.
She saw the gleaming waters of the loch and racedtoward it. Down through the meadow she went, following a ditch andkeeping her eye on the loch. As she passed a grove of trees, a pairof strong hands seized Tess from behind. She fought against him,but just as she was about to scream, she recognized the hushedwhisper. Colin. She turned in his arms.
“What is it, Tess?” He touched her face, her arms.“You’re shaking. What happened?”
She shook her head and a sob rose in her throat. “Icouldn’t find you,” she whispered. “I couldn’t find my way.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked hertoward the loch. “I thought I heard something…or someone...by thehorses. I went to look and then saw you run this way.” At the stonyedge of the loch, he knelt down and trailed his hand in thewater.
“You are burning.” He ran his wet hand over herface. Tess welcomed the bracing feel of the water, but even moreso, she cherished his touch.
A crackling hiss drew their attention back towardthe cottage, and they stared uncomprehendingly for a long moment.The cottage was on fire.
Colin drew his sword and pushed Tess behind him as ahandful of riders broke out of the woods near the cottage and racedpast the burning building. As they rode, some shot flaming arrowsthrough the window and into the doorway, while others droppedbundles of sticks in front of the door. Soon, those too had beentorched, and the building became a blazing inferno.
Those in the camp were up and running after theretreating riders, while others were rushing toward the cottage.But before they could do anything, the roof of the cottage caved inand moments later the walls began to collapse inward. Flames andsparks of yellow and gold climbed high into the night sky.
The scene before her was unreal. Tess sat in a heapon the stones at the side of the loch. How close she had come tobeing caught inside of the burning building, perhaps even shot by aburning arrow. She saw it in her mind…like a fireball, the arrowhurtling toward her.
Tess looked around for Colin. Two Macphersonwarriors, standing with their weapons drawn, were standing nearher. But Colin was up by the burning cottage, shouting orders tothe Burnetts and the Macphersons. There seemed to be no sign of theoutlaws. They had disappeared into the night with the same speedthat they had materialized.
A few minutes later, Tess saw Colin coming acrossthe field to her, and she pushed herself to her feet. Instead ofsaying anything, he simply pulled her tightly into his arms andheld her for the longest time.
