But, nay, her beloved home was going up in flames. Even if she could never live here again, she didn't wish to see it destroyed.
At least Cyrus was far away from the house. She prayed he had been able to defeat the two Comyns who had gone after him and that he would get back to Rebbinglen safely.
She peered out from behind a small apple tree. Seeing that the three Comyn guards were gone, she dashed toward the postern gate.
With shaking hands, she yanked out her keys, found the right one and unlocked the gate.
"Elspeth!" In the distance, a man yelled her name in a hoarse voice.
Cyrus! He had returned?
She darted around the front corner of the house, a part not yet burning. Through the smoke, she saw three men—Norval, Rebbie, and Dirk—holding Cyrus back as he struggled to charge into the blazing house. The reinforcements had finally arrived.
Coughing, she raced forward. "Cyrus!" she yelled to be heard over the roaring flames and the men calling out to one another.
Obviously not hearing her, Cyrus shouted her name at the front door, his voice torn and anguished.
Before she could reach him, someone leapt from the shadows of the stables, grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder.
"This way." 'Twas Henry's voice. "Talbot and one of the guards are awaiting us with the horses."
Elspeth screamed. "Cyrus!"
"I heard her!" Cyrus yelled. "Where is she?"
Releasing another piercing scream, Elspeth slammed her elbow against her captor's back as he passed through the open postern gate.
"Cyrus!" she called out, fearful he would not hear her where they were now, on the outside of the wall.
"Keep them from following us, Comyn!" Henry commanded.
The beefy guard carrying her sprinted along the road, jarring her painfully against his shoulder.
The sounds of running footsteps followed, then men's shouts and swords clanging in the distance behind them. Glancing back briefly, she was shocked at the large melee of plaid-covered soldiers. Which one was Cyrus?
"Hurry, Campbell! Mount up," Henry ordered. "We ride to Greymont."
She remembered now that Campbell was one of Henry's bodyguards. As he dragged her off his shoulder, she saw an opening and slammed her fist into his nose. "Ow! Bitch!" he yelped and dropped her.
She landed on her knee, a shock of pain ricocheting through her. Gritting her teeth, she used all her strength to scramble away from him.
"Grab her, you idiot!" Henry commanded. "She must sign the Greymont deed."
The hulking guard looming over her, she rolled to her back and kicked him in the face. Yelling, he flipped her onto her stomach and pinned her down. She elbowed him in the throat, then kicked her heel into his groin.
Yanking her up, he roared and slapped her hard. Sharp pain whipped through her head and neck as she fell in a whirl of dizziness. On the ground again, she attempted to crawl away from him. But the ache in her knee was too much to bear. Nausea welled up within her.
"Put her on the horse now, Campbell!" Henry ordered. "Turner, grab that stallion's bridle. He's near as valuable as my house that's burning."
Elspeth ground her teeth against the blinding pain in her knee, unable to prevent the ruffian from lifting her into the air again and throwing her across the saddle. The breath was near knocked from her and her vision slid toward darkness. She gasped for air, barely maintaining awareness.
As the knaves rode away with her, she twisted enough to glance back and see her home turned into an inferno of orange flame and black smoke. And Cyrus and his clansmen fighting the Comyns.
Her throat clogged with tears. She only knew she could lose her home, but she couldn't lose Cyrus.
Dear God, please protect him.
∞∞∞
