Page 95 of Hold Fast

Fergus narrowed his eyes, his brows knitting tightly together before he turned on his heel and stormed into the cottage, slamming the door behind him. As quickly as it had risen, her hope disappeared like a soap bubble against a stone.

“Someone didnae look too pleased to see you, Una,” Giffard said, his glee evident.

Una said nothing. Her back and pelvis ached from riding, her ribs ached from the babe, her stomach rolled and turned, and her head hurt more than ever before. The skirt of the keep’s wall loomed large to the right as they rode to the gate.

What fate awaited her? She could not say, but she did know one thing for certain. They would not break her a second time.

CHAPTER41

They rode through the night, Ewan leaning hard into Calman with David close behind him. He didn’t need to spur the horse on. As if sensing the danger, Calman rode as if his very life depended on it. When they reached the border of Cameron land, the sun was rising. A low fog blanketed the forest.

The animals needed rest, and Ewan needed to collect himself, to make a plan beyond charging into territory. But before he could make a plan, he needed to get a handle on himself. He would never find her if he was wild and reckless from his panic.

As Ewan relieved himself against a tree, he heard fast footsteps racing down the path. Someone was running clumsily toward them. Ewan dropped his plaid, unsheathed his sword from his belt, and slid behind a tree, gesturing to David, who dropped back behind a thicket.

A man ran into the clearing and immediately bent at the middle, his hands on his thighs, side heaving as he gasped for breath. Lank, gray hair hung down, obscuring his face, and the man coughed as he panted, spitting a wad of mucus into the leaves.

“Fuck,” he cursed. “You cannae stop now. You’ll never make it if you do.”

Ewan recognized the hoarse croak even through the heavy breathing and stepped out from behind the tree.

“Oh, thank God!” Fergus said with a sob, spittle gathering at his mouth. “Did angels carry you here? I was comin’ to find you.”

“Where’s Una?” Ewan said, his voice hard.

“They have her. They took her to the keep,” he panted.

Ewan had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed still made his blood run cold. Ewan cursed.

“You must go to her!” Fergus shouted. “You must ride to the keep and demand they give her back!”

Ewan felt a calm slide over him. He’d felt similarly when Connor had been wounded, where all of the loud, jangling panic that normally filled his brain went silent. His heart beat steadily. His breathing was even. And though he was absolutelymadeof feelings, he was able to think clearly for the first time in a very long time, the panic and worry morphing into something that felt a lot like composure.

As he thought, he heard David tell Fergus, “He cannae ride in one man alone. Or even two. They’ll put an arrow through our hearts before we even get to the gates.”

“So you’re just going to abandon her?”

“Perhaps we can try diplomacy,” David said. “You have the handfasting contract and a witness. The law would be on your side. We can bring Father Brian.”

Ewan shook his head. “Today is the last day of the contract. Tomorrow, she is free. And we couldnae be back again before then with Father Brian.”

David looked at his feet.

“We need more men,” Ewan said. “We need as many men as we can spare.”

It would take at least two days before he could return with any sort of fighting force. But what choice did they have?

“Let us hope she does nae begin her labors before we can return,” David said and Ewan nodded.

“Begin her—” the words seemed to die in Fergus’s mouth. “She is with child? What about the bairn? What if he tries to—"

Ewan forced his exhale out slowly through pursed lips as he took Calman’s reins in his hands.

“At this late stage, he couldnae hurt the babe without risking Una,” David said thoughtfully, shaking his head. “As long as she carries, they’re both as safe as possible for anyone to be in that fox’s den.”

Ewan leveled a weary stare at David. “And we will pray that the bairn, unlike her mother, stays put.”

“Oh, God help us, then,” Fergus moaned.