She wished she could see if Leith still lived but could see naught beyond the blanket. She said a quick prayer for him, then tried to scream but the sounds emerged muffled behind the gag. She smashed her knees into his chest, but in response, he merely clamped her legs tightly to him and kept going down the spiral steps. Anna's head upside down, dizziness assailed her.
He carried her through the warm kitchen then out the door. His feet tramped across the wet cobblestones as the high winds roared overhead.
"Halt!" a man yelled off to her left.
"Leave him be!" another man ordered.
Sword clangs rang out a few yards distant, as did the grunts and curses of the two swordsmen.
"I thank you, Gegrim. You'll be rewarded." Blackburn ran with her, jostling her about.
Gegrim?Anna remembered that guard. So he was the traitor? If only she could tell Neacal. Where was he? Beyond the walls, fighting?
Turning this way and that, Anna could not escape Blackburn. The blanket slipped a bit and she glimpsed the edge of the postern gate as they passed through it. The wind drove the rain sideways, dampening the blanket and her clothing. Though she could not see much beyond the plaid, she heard shouts, sword clangs and sounds of battle in the distance. She prayed again that Neacal had been unharmed while fighting and that he would stay safe.
***
Constance braved the gale force winds and the rain on the ramparts to see what was happening below. She watched as Blackburn carried someone—Anna, she assumed—rolled up in a blanket across the courtyard and out through the postern gate. She switched her attention to the battle happening a hundred yards distant on the mainland. Neacal fought and killed soldier after soldier of the enemy clans. She narrowed her eyes and ground her teeth, hoping his rival's next strike would kill him. But it didn't. Damn him and his hawk-like focus.
She could not wait until he learned that his beloved Anna had been taken away, that she was lost to him forever. Constance wanted to see the devastation in his eyes, the same devastation she felt every minute since Neacal had killed Farquar.
She ran down several flights of steps to the great hall, and then out into the bailey, being careful not to slip on the wet cobblestones or slick mud. She passed Gegrim and another guard, lying dead in their own blood, near the open postern gate. Had they killed each other, or was an enemy lurking about? Not pausing to find out, she dashed outside and along the wall, ignoring the wind and rain. She wanted to be the one to tell Neacal that Anna was gone, that he would never see her again. She wanted to be the one to break him, to shatter him, mind and soul, while at the same time distracting him. Then his opponent would deliver the death blow. Finally, she would have her revenge for Farquar's death.
***
Blackburn ran down a hill, jarring Anna painfully against his firm, bulky shoulder. The gag in her mouth prevented her from screaming to draw attention and gain help.
He sprinted over flatter ground, first grass and then wet sand. The roaring sound of the loch and the tide reached her ears. The wind and rain buffeted against her. Where was he taking her?
His feet thumped against wood as he climbed into a small boat and lowered her into the bottom of it. The boat shook as he leapt off and shoved it from the shore.
Was he mad? Going out on the loch during a gale storm? The wind could easily capsize the tiny vessel. A new flood of terror consumed her.
She heard the oars splashing through the water as waves tossed the wherry about. Moidart was a saltwater loch, subject to the tides. And though the waves were not like those at sea, the wind and tide churned the water enough to rock the small boat. He was a madman. If the boat should capsize, she would be dead. Not that she knew how to swim even if she was untied. She tried to calm herself and focus on breathing. She must come up with a plan if she was to survive this.
She twisted about, hoping he wouldn't notice as she dislodged the blanket. Finally, she could see him and the turbulent gray and black sky overhead. Good heavens, 'twould be a fearsome storm and this was only the front edge of it. A cold wind and icy raindrops stung her face.
She couldn't see the shore or the castle from her position in the bottom of the boat. Where was Neacal? He obviously thought she was still safe inside the castle. She would have to depend on her own wits to survive this time. It would not be the first time.
The craft pitched up and down violently upon the waves, making her nauseous. Moments later, it bumped roughly against sand or rocks. Blackburn leapt off, splashed into the water and lugged the boat onto the shore. Where were they? He lifted her and when the blanket slipped away, she saw that they were on a small island not too far from the castle. She had observed the bush-covered island many times from the ramparts.
Blackburn carried her over his shoulder while the storm lashed at them. Was there a cottage or building on this island that she didn't know about? At least it was safer than a boat.
Moments later, Blackburn carried her into a windowless structure and lay her down on old, moldering straw. It appeared to be a byre. Although the stone building contained no door, it sheltered them from the wind and rain.
"Since we're far from the others, I'm going to remove your gag. No one will hear you if you scream."
She nodded.
He cut the gag loose.
"What on earth are you doing bringing me out here?" Anna asked.
"Once the storm passes, I'll take you further along the loch. We'll disembark on the bank of the mainland and walk up toward Loch Shiel. There, I'll hire a galley to take us further inland."
"You're a madman. You'll never get away with it."
"Get away with it?" he growled. "You're my wife and I have every right to take you home. Anyone who stands in my way will be cut down!" He threw off his sodden cloak and pulled at his belt buckle.
