Page 97 of The Highlander’s Savage Vow

“I’m almost sure they willnae kill me,” Iona said softly, her voice breaking as the reality of the situation settled in. “Murray will want tae dae it himself. But they willnae hesitate tae kill ye, Niamh. Ye need tae find Ruaridh. Tell him I’ve been taken. He’ll protect ye, and he’ll rescue me before they get me tae MacNab lands.”

Niamh opened her mouth to argue, but the look in Iona’s eyes stopped her. The desperation and raw emotion were too much.

“Ye have tae go,” Iona urged, her voice trembling now. She hugged Niamh once, tightly, then stepped back. “Please. Just go.”

Niamh stood frozen, her face torn with indecision. Then, after what felt like an eternity, she nodded once, her face hardening into a mask of resolve.

“I’ll find him. I swear it,” she whispered, before turning and running into the shadows of the passage.

Iona stood there for a moment, her heart beating erratically as she heard the sound of Niamh’s footsteps retreating. She wanted to scream after her, to tell her not to leave, but she couldn’t. It was too dangerous. And Niamh would never make it if she stayed.

The silence that followed was broken only by the distant sounds of battle echoing through the castle walls. Iona pressed herself against the cold stone, straining her ears for any sign of approaching danger.

Then she heard the tread of boots on stone, growing closer with each passing second. Multiple sets of footsteps, moving with the coordinated precision of trained soldiers. She held her breath as two MacNab guards came into view. Their faces were hard, their eyes filled with the ruthless intent of men used to getting what they wanted.

"There!" a harsh voice called out. "The lass. Just as Murray said!"

Before Iona could react, before she could even think to run, rough hands seized her arms. A MacNab guard materialized from the shadows, his grip iron-strong as he dragged her from her hiding place. Another warrior stepped forward, his scarred face twisted into a cruel smile.

“Iona MacDuff,” one of the soldiers sneered, his voice cold as ice. “Ye’re comin’ with us.”

“Where is the other lady?” The other guard asked, his voice sharp and demanding.

Iona’s breath hitched. She froze, her body tense as she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn’t look back as she answered, her voice steady and full of cold resolve.

“I’m alone,” Iona said flatly, her voice echoing in the narrow stone passage.

The older soldier squinted at her suspiciously. "Alone? We ken ye were with the McDuff lady. Now where is she?" He gestured to his companion. "Check down the passage."

As the second guard moved toward the tunnel where Niamh had fled, Iona acted on pure instinct. She grabbed a loose stone from the passage wall and hurled it at the nearest soldier's head. The blow connected with a sharp crack, sending him staggering against the narrow walls.

"The bitch fights!" the older one snarled, lunging fer her in the confined space.

Iona darted deeper into the tunnel, using the narrow passages to her advantage. "Is this how MacNab warriors prove their courage? By hunting women in dark tunnels?"

"Stand still, ye little wildcat," the injured soldier growled, blood trickling from his temple as he pursued her through the winding passage.

She feinted toward one branch of the tunnel, then bolted back the other way, but the older guard's longer reach caught her arm in the cramped space.

"If Murray didnae want ye alive, I’d cut ye tae pieces right now," he panted.

Iona drove her knee intae his shin, earning a grunt of pain, but his grip only tightened in the narrow confines of the tunnel. He raised his hand, but before he could strike, the older soldier stopped him.

The other soldier made a move to chase after Niamh, but the older one stopped him with a firm hand. “We’ve got what we came fer. Nae need tae risk our necks. These tunnels make me nervous.”

Iona’s heart sank. He was right.

As they stepped out of the stone shelter, Iona’s heart dropped. Her guards lay in a bloody heap by the doorway, their bodies still and lifeless. The sight of them made her stomach turn, and for a moment, the world seemed to spin around her.

They are all dead.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she had to force herself to look away. She couldn’t let them see her fear. She wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.

She pushed down the wave of terror that threatened to overcome her. She straightened her back, pulling her shoulders back.

“I’m nae dead yet,” she whispered under her breath, as if the words themselves could drive away the terror.

But her steps faltered for a moment as she moved past her fallen guards. She could feel the weight of their deaths on her shoulders, and her heart ached for them. But there was no time to grieve now.