“East.”
Dermott approached on his horse, tossed Keegan’s boots to the ground in front of him, then handed him his sporran and sheathed dirk. “I found these behind the tavern.”
Last time Keegan had seen them, they’d been in the chamber. “Seona must have dropped them there.” Fear for her life making his hands unsteady, Keegan pulled on his boots then swung into the saddle. “Let’s go.”
“Lady Talia said they went this way.” Fraser took the lead, kicking his mount into a gallop; Keegan and Dermott followed. Hunched low in their saddles, they rode past boulders and into the forest.
Keegan would kill Haldane. To imagine someone harming Seona was like a dagger to the gut. The roughed-up tracks through the leaves and pine needles were easy to see, but when they came onto a muddy road, thick with tracks which forked in two directions, they drew up.
Hoof beats pounded behind them. Keegan glanced back.Rebbie?Surely, he was not up to this.
When he halted beside them, Keegan asked, “What in blazes are you doing here? You’re injured.” Indeed the earl still looked pale, blood matting his hair.
“’Tis naught. When I saw you lads riding like the devil, I knew something had to be wrong.”
“Aye, Haldane abducted Seona.”
“Saints!” He glanced along the two roads. “North or east?”
Keegan examined the tracks on the muddy ground. “Fresh tracks go both ways. Two of us take one road, and two the other.”
Rebbie nodded and rode off toward the east, Dermott following.
Keegan and Fraser traveled north, their mounts charging at full speed. A pistol shot fired somewhere in front of them.
“Who the hell is shooting?” Keegan said between clenched teeth. He prayed Seona was not in the line of fire.
Two horses waited beside the road up ahead, one shifting about anxiously. Behind a stand of bushes, swords clanged.
Keegan pulled back on the reins, leapt to the ground, and drew his sword. He was aware of Fraser following on foot, but he kept his attention focused forward.
Sticking his head through the bushes, he found McMurdo fighting a younger man with a bushy brown beard. Another manlay on the ground, blood pooling around him. What the devil was going on? Where was Seona?
A scream sounded in the distance, ahead but to the left. A female. It had to be her. He raced forward, the prickly gorse bushes snagging his clothes and scratching his skin.
Up ahead, a red-headed man had someone wearing black thrown over his shoulder.Haldane.Rushing closer, Keegan saw ’twas indeed Seona he carried. She kicked, elbowed him in the back, and fought to free herself. Even though her hands were tied, she yanked his hair.
“Ow! Damn you, lass!” Haldane bent forward, attempting to dump her to the ground, but Seona held onto his long hair.
Haldane glanced his way just before Keegan reached him. He shoved Seona away and lifted his sword.
She did not appear to be injured, thank the saints.
“Let me have her, Haldane.” Keegan forced himself to use a reasonable tone.
“Nay!” He sliced the blade through the air. “Back away.”
Seona’s ankles were bound as well, but she tried to roll away from Haldane.
“Don’t force my hand, cousin.” Although Keegan could not say he and Haldane had ever truly been close, they had trained together since they were lads and eaten many a meal together at Dunnakeil.
“You are not my cousin since you are loyal to that imposter you call a chief,” Haldane snarled.
Haldane knew good and well Dirk was no imposter, but Keegan wasn’t going to argue the point.
“Why did you kidnap Seona?” Keegan knew why, but he wanted to distract Haldane.
“That is none of your concern.”
