Chapter 9
Flora fought to control the panic rising in her chest. But it was dark and cold, and danger seemed to permeate the night like a heavy wet plaid. The knowledge that it was likely all in her mind drew little comfort. She knew well what she risked.
A sharp wind blew across the rocky crags, peppering her face with droplets of sea spray and filling her nose with the sharp salty tang of the ocean, though the blustery wind wasnt strong enough to keep the mist at bay. As gray and soupy as gruel, it was a double-edged sword. The mist would help cloak her escape from the watchful eye of the guards, but it would also make navigating the treacherous sound even more perilous.
I can do this, she told herself. The Isle of Mull was close enough to see the heather and bluebells carpeting the hillsides; the boatreally more of a skiffwas small enough for her to manage on her own.
She had no choice. She had to leave this place. After what had happened today in the lairds solar, she could not stay another day. Disappointment still burned in her throat. He was just like everyone else, wanting to use her for his own ends. Her chest tightened, leaving her amazed by how much it still hurt.
She was a fool. No man would ever be able to see beyond the prize.
She took another step down the path and felt the rocks give way beneath her foot. Her arms reached out wildly in the night air for something to hold on to. For a long, hair-raising moment, she thought she might slide off the cliff. Somehow she managed to regain her balance, but she couldnt prevent the small landslide of rocks from tumbling down the hill.
A dog barked. And then another.
She stood stone still, ears cocked, heart pounding in her chest as she waited to see whether the noise would draw the attention of the guards. Not for the first time, she cursed the flimsy satin slippers that would have been perfect for a wedding but had little traction on the slick pathway. With few women at the castle, more appropriate shoes had not been available. For the second time, those once beautiful shoes could ruin everything.
A minute passed, and finally, hearing no voices, she exhaled.
Although it was well past midnight, a castle never slept. Guards were always stationed around the barmkin wall, ready for an attack. It was her luck that they hadnt anticipated an escape. Hiding in the shadows of the keep, shed lain in wait for her opportunity. It had taken some time, but finally, with the changing of the guard, she was able to slip across the courtyard and through the gate before the porter had made his rounds, locking it for the night.
Now with even greater care after her near disastrous tumble, she worked her way slowly down the steep path to the small inlet where shed noticed the skiff. Every detail of that day was forever branded on her consciousness. It was the day hed kissed her with such passion and awakened her desire from its innocent slumber. The day shed allowed herself to hope.
She shook off the memory. That was before shed learned the truth.
Her feet sank deep into sand as she stepped onto the beach. The mist had dissipated enough to make out the shadow of a large object a short way down the beach. Exactly where she remembered it. She sighed with relief.
Her pulse quickened as she drew nearer. Tentatively. Every nerve ending set on edge. Wishing there were another way. But the sea was her only hope of success. The laird stabled a small number of horses within the barmkin in a small enclosure built against the north side of the wall, but shed never be able to steal a horse without being seen. On foot, she would never be able to outrun them. Not across the rugged open terrain of Morvern. A place of endless vistas of barren moorland and dangerous peat bogs, without the cover of trees in which to hide.
It had to be the boat.
She swallowed the well of panic rising in her throat as, unbidden, the memories assailed her. It was a long time ago, but the memory of her near drowning was as strong as if it had happened only yesterday.
Shed been seven, staying at Inveraray for the summer with her aunt and uncle, the former Earl of Argyll. The occasion had been a wedding feast for her cousin Archie, the present earl, and the first time all of her brothersand even a few of her sistershad all been in the same place at the same time. Shed wanted desperately to impress them, so when she saw them going to the loch for a swim one morning, shed traipsed along after them. When Rory had asked her whether she knew how to swim, knowing they wouldnt let her go if she said no, shed nodded confidently.
Everything had been fine. Shed taken off her stockings and slippers and plunged her toes in the cool water. The rest of the group was in the middle of the loch, splashing and diving and laughing. Curious to hear what they were saying, shed taken a few more steps toward them. And then a few more. And thenpromptly dropped into a black void.
Shed never forget the feeling of the dark, suffocating water closing over her, filling her nose, her mouth, her lungs. There was a moment where the world stilledwhere what was happening didnt seem real. Where every second extended for a minute. She paddled her arms and for a moment bobbed near the surface, before the weight of her body dragged her down like a rock.
She remembered thinking how dark and murky it was and how she couldnt even see her hands in front of her face. She remembered thinking how angry her mother would be that Flora had lied. But most of all, Flora remembered not being able to breathe.
She was lucky. Her struggle, the single splash that shed managed above the surface, had been witnessed by her brother Alex. Her brothers, all four of themfor William had still been alive thenreached her just in time. The water had been over ten feet deep, and Rory said later that shed been lying on the bottom, curled up like a mermaidor the Maighdean na Tuinne, as he called them.
Shed never forget her mothers tears or her brothers collective anger. Shed never seen them so unified. To a one, theyd been furious that shed lied to them. Even Alex had yelled at her. Her excuse that they wouldnt have allowed her to come if they knew the truth had been met by deaf ears.
The next time the group went to the loch, she stayed at the castle.
A pattern, it seemed, that was repeated ever after.
Her gaze fell to the skiff, resting peacefully on its side a few feet up from the waters edge.
She steeled herself against the sudden flash of panic. I can do this.
Her fear of the water wasnt usually an issue, since shed been raised mostly in the Lowlands. Not the way it would be in the Isles, where Highlanders ruled the vast seaways on their birlinns like their Norse ancestors before them. Their prowess on the water was part of their way of life. Yet another reason she didnt belong here.
Indeed, the journey a few weeks ago was the first time shed been in a boat in years. Shed been fine. Shed hoped that maybe her fear had lessened, but now she knew better. It was Lachlan whod abated her fear. His presence had made the difference. Even then, shed intuitively trusted his strength.
But not any longer.
Now she trusted only herself.
God, how she missed her mother.
Her fingers were stiff and awkward with the cold as she worked the knot of the rope, but eventually she managed to untie the mooring. After checking to make sure the oars were inside, she pushed the boat as quietly as possible to the water. The scrape of the hull against the sand and stones sounded unnaturally loud, but in a few minutes the water caught it with its natural buoy.
This was it. After sliding on the pattens shed brought for this purpose, she took her first tentative step into the water. A black wave of nausea gave her a moment of dizziness, but she fought it back. She forced her feet forward until the water lapped around her knees. Taking a deep breath for courage, she climbed in. The skiff rolled sharply to the side, and she bit back a scream. Lying prone across the bottom, she gripped the sides until her knuckles turned white as the small craft rocked back and forth with her weight. Eventually, it steadied. Only then did she carefully adjust her position to sitting. Not giving herself time to think, she took one of the oars in her hand and began to paddleher confidence increasing with each stroke.
It was slow, difficult work. Though the sea appeared calm, the current was surprisingly strong. After a few minutes, she paused and turned around to check her progress, dismayed to see that shed traveled only fifty feet or so beyond the beach.
It was going to be a long night. But she could do it.
God, she was cold. She tried to adjust her cloak, but her wet fingers were like ice. Her feet were completely soaked, not just from dragging in the skiff, but also from the few inches of standing water in the bottom of the hull. She should have been more careful when she paddled not to splash water in the boat.
Not giving herself time to think, she plunged the oar in again and pulled hard, wanting to put as much distance between her and the beach as possible. Fighting the current that seemed intent on pulling her back.
Something called to her.
A voice hovering on the edge of the wind. A longing deep in her soul. An invisible force that compelled her to turn around. She gazed up to the keep looming in the darkness, barely able to make it out through the shadowy haze. An overwhelming sense of sadness hit her. She thought of how much shed miss Mary, Gilly, Murdoch, Alasdair, and even the crotchety old Morag. She regretted not being able to say good-bye to the girls but swore that as soon as she was able, she would send for them. No matter what he said.
Lachlan Maclean. She hoped she never saw him again. Even now the memory of him tormented her. Hed confused her, evoking a maelstrom of emotions that she didnt begin to understand. Except that it hurt.
A single tear slid out of the corner of her eye. Furious, she brushed it away with the back of her hand.
Shed waited too long. She should have tried to escape as soon as hed allowed her freedom to move about the castle. Before shed grown attached. Perhaps then she could have prevented the burning ache located precariously close to her heart.
With one last look behind her, she faced forward, a determined set to her shoulders, and resumed paddling.
The thought that he might have been wrong about Floras reaction haunted Lachlan throughout the day. After what had happened, he wasnt surprised when she begged off from the evening meal. Hed thought about searching her out but decided to leave her in peace. For now.
Unable to sleep, he sat sprawled out in a chair beside the fire, gazing at the bright orange flames until his eyes hurt.
Hell.
He slammed the goblet hed been holding onto the table beside him with a curse. The strange disquiet prickling inside him could not be washed away with cuirm. He stood up, paced around his chamber for a few minutes, and decided hed had enough. Before he could think better of it, he left his room and climbed the two levels to the top of the tower. Standing outside her door, he braced himself, knockedand heard only silence in response.
Thinking she might well be sleeping, he knocked again, this time louder. A vague uneasy feeling began to take hold of him. His fingers closed around the handle, and slowly he pulled the door open.
The first thing he noticed was the chill. And then the emptiness. The fire had gone out long ago, and the familiar floral scent that seemed to permeate the air had faded. Though the shutters were closed, the lantern from the niche in the corridor outside filled the room with soft light. His gaze fell to the bed. But he already knew. The sinking feeling had penetrated to his gut.
Shed run.
After what had happened this afternoon, he should have anticipated this.
The door to the guards room opposite her door opened, revealing Alasdair, whod obviously just been roused from his bed by the noise.
Is there a problem, my laird?
Lachlan tried to control the sudden explosion of rage. Or cold fear, he wasnt sure which. He clenched his fists to his sides to prevent himself from grabbing the man by his shirt and shaking him. Yes. Damn it. The lass is not in her room. When did you last check on her?
The old guardsmans face paled. About an hour ago. Before I went to bed, as you ordered.
His orders. It was his fault shed escaped. Hed grown too lax. Hed trusted her word. He should never have removed the permanent guard from her door. If anything happened to her, he had only himself to blame. She was headstrong. Willful. And scared. A dangerous combination.
She couldnt have gone very far, my laird.
But Lachlan was already storming down the stairs. He focused on the task at hand, blocking out everything else. His only thought was to find her. The military tactician took over, and his mind immediately went to work analyzing her most likely escape routes, methodically sorting through the possibilities and prioritizing the more likely scenarios. Relying on the skills honed by years of battle. But with the realization that no battle had ever affected him so acutely. Her life might well depend on his ability to think and plan quickly and clearly. There was no room for mistakes.
Rouse as many men as you can find, he yelled behind him to Alasdair. And check the stables, he added, though he knew it was unlikely that she would have been able to sneak a horse past the guards. Nothing should sneak past his guards. There would be hell to pay if he discovered otherwise.
The castle had two points of entry: the sea-gate and the landward-gate. As the sea-gate led directly to the dock where his birlinns sat, well guarded, he realized that she must have left by the other. Still, hed have someone check the sea-gate and dock, just to make sure.
He exited the keep and strode down the forestairs two steps at a time. A few torches lit the courtyard, enabling him to take quick appraisal of the situation. Nothing appeared amiss, which was a bad sign. If shed escaped, shed done so without being noticed.
His arrival immediately drew the attention of the guardsmen scattered around the perimeter of the barmkin wall.
The porter appeared. My laird, is something
Are the gates locked?
The man looked confused. Yes, my laird. A short while ago at the changing of the guard, as usual.
By now, a few more men had gathered round. Mistress MacLeod is missing. I want every available man looking for her. His voice was firm and surprisingly calm. Detached. Emotionless. Hed always possessed an unnatural calm under pressure, but his iron control had never been stretched so close to the snapping point. Did any of you hear anything unusual? Anything at all?
A stream of No, my laird came back to him. But for one man. He stepped forward. The dogs barked not long after I came on, my laird.
Lachlan fought to stay calm, but he knew. Thats when shed left. Castigation would come later, once theyd found her. How long ago was that?
A half hour. Maybe a bit less.
She didnt have much of a head start. They would find her. Unless the bogs or the cliffs found her first. Bile crept up the back of his throat. Dont think about it.
From what direction did the dogs bark?
The man shook his head. I cant be sure, my laird. North, perhaps?
Consistent with his theory that shed departed from the landward-gate, as the sea-gate only led west. Alasdair had returned with more men. Lachlan was vaguely aware of the sounds of the castle stirring behind him and of the increased brightness as more and more lanterns and torches were lit.
All of the horses are accounted for, my laird, Alasdair said. Shes on foot.
Anticipating his next request, Alasdair had ordered his destrier led out of the stable.
Lachlan started issuing orders. Sending a man down to the sea-gate to account for all the birlinns. Sending others both north and south along the rocky seashore. But most of the men would come with him, on horseback and on foot, to roam the moors.
Within minutes, the courtyard was crowded with men and horses. Mary and Gilly had come down the stairs, dressed in their nightclothes with only a plaid for warmth. He could see the worry in their faces, but he didnt have time to soothe their fears. Not now. Not when every second he delayed might make the difference between life and death.
He mounted his horse and turned back to them. Search every corner of the keep. Just to be sure. But he knew shed fled.
We will, Mary said.
Find her, Gilly said.
He nodded, his face grim. I intend to.
The gate opened, and Lachlan led the rest of his men through in a thunderous stampede. Once outside, they disbanded like the spokes on a wheel, radiating out in all directions.
Hed ordered the men to ride for a half hour, then turn around and head back by a slightly different route. Those on foot, hed sent in a zigzag pattern, hoping to cover more ground. The mist would make it hazardous for all involved. But most of all for Flora, who had no knowledge of the countryside.
Senses honed, Lachlan rode hard for a few minutes, playing everything over and over in his mind to make sure he hadnt missed something.
Had she learned nothing from her failed elopement? How could she behave so recklessly?
Fear, he realized. Of him.
He couldnt believe that she wouldnt recognize the danger in traversing unfamiliar territory in the misty darkness. Shed been outside the gates only once. When hed taken her down the pathway to the beach.
The scene came back to him so vividly, he recalled every detail. She was seated on a rock by the edge of the beach with her golden hair streaming in the wind, the crystal-clear view to Mull, the white sand, the
His heart crashed to his feet. Oh God. The old skiff. It had belonged to a fisherman whod had a hut at the end of the beach. Hed died a few years back, and the boat hadnt been used since. By now, the wood would be dried out. It would leak like a sieve.
Why hadnt he thought of it? It made perfect sense. But she wouldnt realize
He pulled hard on the reins, turning his mount in one smooth motion. A strange emotion gripped hima fear so strong, it could only be panic. He lowered his head to the thick, powerful neck of his destrier, and he rode. As fast as hed ever ridden in his life.
By the time Flora realized what was happening, it was too late. But she turned the boat around back toward shore anyway. Thoughts of escape had given way to a fight for survival.
At first, shed thought it was her inexperienced paddling filling the skiff. Soon, she realized it was something else. In the darkness, she hadnt been able to see what was happening, but she could feel the water rising. Slowly but surely, it climbed farther and farther up her leg.
Her boat was leaking.
She tried paddling, hoping that the current shed fought against so determinedly only moments before would take her back to the beach. But the skiff had grown so heavy, it was barely moving. The shore that had only minutes ago seemed so close now seemed infinitely far away. She hadnt traveled more than a few hundred yards, but it didnt matter. She couldnt swim a foot, let alone the distance to safety. When it was clear that she would never make it back to shore by paddling, she started bailing. Scooping the icy seawater with her hands and tossing it out as if her life depended on it. Ignoring the obvious fact that it did. So focused was she on her task, for a while she forgot to be scared.
She gave a valiant effort, but it kept filling. Higher and higher. The skiff, in turn, began to sink lower and lower. The sea had claimed it, and it would not give it back.
But she wouldnt give up. Not as long as there was a chance.
She didnt want to die.
Still bailing, she glanced back toward shore. And blinked, thinking her eyes might be playing tricks on her. But no. Her pulse leapt. There was no mistake. Peering into the haze, she could see the castle glowing brightly in the darkness. Even from here she could see the unmistakable signs of life. Perhaps someone had noticed her gone and they were looking for her? Hope swelled in her chest. He would find her. She knew it deep in her heart. Knew it with a certainty that could not be assailed. If it were humanly possible, Lachlan Maclean would save her. She just had to hold on long enough for him to reach her.
She wanted to stand up and wave her arms, but she dared not stop bailing. Help me! she cried out in the darkness over and over until her voice grew hoarse. Someone had to hear her.
With a renewed burst of energy, she bailed, scooping out the water as fast as she could. Not wanting to acknowledge the futility of her efforts. The orange glow of a torch appeared upon the shore. A horseman. A feeling of euphoria crashed over her.
Theyve found me. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, and she yelled again. Yelled as loud as her voice could carry.
Here! Im here!
The skiff had drifted back toward shore, but it was clear the rider couldnt hear her. She cursed the mist, the darkness, and everything else she could think of.
A few minutes later, the orange light that had seemed a beacon of life faded. Taking with it her last ray of hope, leaving only desperation and despair in its black wake.
The cruel disappointment almost killed her. Her weary body screamed to just give up. She was freezing, and her arms and back ached with the effort of paddling and then of bailing.
She wanted to cry out with frustration and rage and the unfairness of it all, but the scream lodged in her throat. There was no one to hear.
Only that much maligned streak of stubbornness kept her scooping the icy seawater with her frozen hands.
Lachlan intercepted a few of his men near the castle and sent them back with instructions to launch the birlinns and search every inch of the sound between here and Mullin case he was right. With most of the men roaming the countryside, it would take time to find others to man the boats. And time was something he didnt have.
Never had he so badly wanted to be wrong.
He calculated how long it would take the skiff to fill, and fear gripped his chest.
Once hed reached the rocky precipice above the inlet, he dismounted and raced the rest of the way down the narrow path to the beach. His worst fears were realized when he looked down the white spans of sand and saw that the old skiff was indeed gone.
His breath lodged in his throat as he scanned the horizon above the sea through the fog. Be there, damn you.
Nothing. Damn it, where was she? He ran into the water and tried again. Peering hard into the darkness, cursing the mist that shrouded the moonlight, blurring night and sea into one murky cauldron.
His eyes moved purposefully, intently, back and forth over the waves.
There. His gaze caught a movement perhaps a hundred feet from shore. A shimmer of something silvery. His heart stopped and then raced full force. Her hair. The boat was all but sunken under the water, which was why he hadnt seen her at first.
Why was she still holding on to the boat? Why hadnt she just started swimming? The answer hit him. She didnt know how to swim. How could she be so reckless to try to escape in a damn boat? Understanding eviscerated the tenuous hold he had on his control. Shed been that desperate to get away from him. Apparently, a watery death was preferable to the idea of marriage to him.
Flora! he yelled, running farther into the sea toward her.
He thought her head turned, but he couldnt be sure. Without thinking, he dove into the waves and started to swim as if his life depended on it, every stroke strong and determined. Hed grown up swimming in the waters around the Isles and usually won the speed events when his clan participated in the Highland games, but the current of the sound was ruthless. The time it was taking to reach her seemed interminable. He checked her position every time he lifted his head to take a breath.
He was about halfway there when he heard her voice. Lachlan
It was so soft, he thought hed imagined it. He paused for only a second, then heard it again. Lachlan The plea in her voice cut through him like a knife. He heard her hope. Her trust. She believed in him. And it ate at him. He couldnt let her down.
Hurry. I cant
The choking sound stopped his heart. Her head bobbed once with the waves and disappeared.
Flora! The voice that tore from him was not his own. He felt as if his heart were being ripped out of his chest. She was only about fifty feet away. His body exploded with uncontrollable rage. He wasnt going to be able to reach her in time. Hold on! he yelled, even though he knew she couldnt hear him, right before he dove into the water.
He swam to the place hed last seen her. Swam until his lungs were about to explode. Only knowing that hers were doing the same kept him going. He tried opening his eyes underwater, but the salt burned and it was too damn dark to see anything. Swimming near the bottom, he reached around blindly, grabbing for anything.
His lungs were burning, screaming for air. He couldnt hold his breath much longer. Think of her. Shes drowning, damn it. He was frantic now. Reaching wildly around him. Suddenly, mercifully, he felt something. His fingers tangled in something too fine to be kelp. Her hair. He could have cried with relief. Hed found her. Pulling her harshly against him, he wrapped his arm around her stomach, holding her snuggly under her ribs, and shot to the surface.
When his head broke through the water, he gasped in air. But she still fell limply against him. Lifeless. Flora! He heard the raw panic in his voice. Panic that had shred the last bit of his reserve. He couldnt lose her. Instinctively, he jerked her hard against him, hitching his arm against her stomach. The swift movement caused her to spasm, and she choked, seawater gurgling from her mouth. He turned her around to face him. Cradling her face in his hands, he urged her with his voice. Flora. God. Ive got you. Can you hear me?
Her eyes fluttered and closed. But she was alive.
He pressed his lips on her forehead, tasting only salty seawater. She was like ice. He brought his face to hers, cheek to cheek, and felt the unmistakable wisp of her breath on his neck. Shallow but true. His skin prickled, every nerve ending flared at the sweet sensation. But he could not savor it for long.
The danger wasnt over.
Rolling her around so that she floated on her back, he swam her to shore. A much easier proposition than on the way out. Reaching the safety of the beach, he lifted her in his arms, wrenching her from the steel jaws of the sea that had tried to claim her.
He carried her a few feet up the beach and set her down carefully, kneeling beside her.
Flora. He shook her shoulders gently. Wake up.
She looked so still. So horribly still. Flora. He shook her gently, his chest squeezing painfully. Please wake up. I need you to wake up. I need you.
Her eyes fluttered again and thenblissfullyopened. And he found himself looking into the achingly familiar fathomless depths. He felt a rush of relief so strong, he could have wept. Instead he kissed her.
He knew there wasnt time, that he had to get her back, but he couldnt help it. He needed to know that she was alive.
His mouth covered hers in a searing kiss, as if he could warm the cold from her lips with the heat of his passion. He kissed her with a raw desperation born of fear. With all the intensity of the emotions shed exposed inside him. He told her with his lips what he couldnt admit to himself.
In that one brief instant, he told her so much. When he lifted his head, her eyes met his and he could see her surprise.
Lachlan, I Her eyes fluttered again, then closed as she slipped back into unconsciousness.
For a moment, he thought shed died. Fear gripped him again as pressed his hand against her chest, relieved to feel the precious beat of her heart. He swore, still breathing hard as he gathered her in his arms again. The currents of the sound had sapped him of his strength, but he knew that if he did not get her back to the keep, to warmth, she would die.
There was nothing more he could do for her until he got her back to the castle. Her shallow breath against the open V in his shirt would be all the assurance he would have. He held on to it like a precious talisman. A lifeline that gave him strength where there was none.
His breath came hard and heavy between his lips. His legs burned with each dragging step across the sandy beach. Her normally insignificant weight grew heavier and heavier as he climbed swiftly and steadily up the rocky path. Pressing on. Using every last reserve of energy.
He wouldnt let himself think about how cold she was. How long shed been in the freezing water. He swallowed. How long shed been underneath. He wouldnt think about the pallor of her skin resting against his sopping shirt. Her bloodless lips. The dark shadows under her eyes. It was just the moonlight.
God take him, she wouldnt die. He wouldnt let her. As if by the sheer force of his will, he would defy anyone, God or man, who sought to take her from him.
She was his. Shed belonged to him from the first moment hed seen her. And not because of his devils bargain with her cousin Argyll that would ensure his brothers safety and his clans future. No, the truth was far more elemental than that.
The fierce pounding in his chest did not lie. Gilly had been right. He did care for her. For the first time in his life, he couldnt deny an emotional attachment to a womanhed thought himself dedicated to his family and clan alone. He was wrong.
Finally, hed reached the top of the path and his horse. Beyond exhausted, he was moving mechanically, instinct, forged by years of pushing himself to the limit of endurance, taking over. He needed every last ounce of it right now. After laying her across his saddle, he mounted behind her and nestled her in his arms again, then rode hard for the keep.
He didnt take the time to explain to the men he passed along the way but simply ordered them to spread the word that hed found her and to return to the castle.
No longer able to feel her breath against his skin with the wind of his ride, he held his hand against her chest, needing the surety of her beating heart, but terrified by how soft and faint it wasand how dangerously slow.
He entered the gate to a flurry of activity. Activity that stopped as soon as he came galloping inside, soaking wet with his precious bundle limp against him.
Gilly and Mary must have been watching by the door, because they appeared beside him before his feet hit the ground. Some of his men, appraising his condition, moved to help him, but he held them back, his whole body shaking with effort. No one else would touch her. She was his.
You found her, thank God, Gilly said. Drawing nearer, she gasped and voiced the fear that had made the courtyard as quiet as a tomb from the moment he entered. What happened? Whats wrong with her? Her voice broke into a sob. Is she dead?
No! he said savagely. She still breathes. But I need to get her inside and warm. He plowed up the forestairs, savoring the blast of heat as he entered the keep. Not hesitating, he headed straight for the stairs.
Where are you taking her? Mary asked, hustling along beside him.
His face was grim as he gave his sister a fierce stare. To my bed.