Chapter Twenty-Nine

Rhona was nowhere to be found.

The hairs on the back of Kaid’s neck prickled with unease.

He pushed his first and middle fingers against his temples to stave off the building pressure and entered Torra’s chamber once more.

She stood where she always did now, staring out the window overlooking the village in the distance.

Percy glanced up from her book and kept her finger on the page where she’d stopped reading.

“Ye canna find her, can ye?” Torra asked without looking at him. “Nathaira.”

“Nathaira?” he repeated. “Ye mean Rhona?”

“If that’s what she goes by here, then yes—Rhona. It has been some time since I’ve seen her at Edirdovar.” Torra turned from the window. The late afternoon sun glowed against her face and lit her red hair like a flame.

There was very little anxiety on her face now. She was regal in the deep blue gown of velvet with split sleeves and full skirts. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders in silver and red, and her back was straight and proud.

Percy’s teas had worked wonders.

“I knew she’d left with how she walked,” Torra said. “Too fast, desperate almost. She kept looking toward ye.”

“Do ye know where she’s going?” He figured he already knew the answer, but wondered if she might have better insight.

“To my half brother.” She spoke calmly, but a line of concern creased over her forehead. “If she knows I’ve escaped—if she tells him where I am and they find me—”

“We will protect ye no matter what.” Kaid hoped she would hear evidence of his genuine promise in every word he said.

She flicked a glance out the window before returning her haunted gaze toward him. “And if I do not feel safe, I can leave?”

It had been a generous offer Delilah had extended, a wild gamble. Though Kaid would never have been so daring as to propose freedom, he understood why she’d done it and still held tight to the hope it would pay off.

He nodded. “If that is what ye wish.”

Torra considered this a moment and drank another sip of tea before speaking again. “He will bring a powerful force to see me dead.” She stared out the window and shuddered, as if she could already see the men coming over the hills.

“I’d rather bring a powerful force to see him dead—with you and I at the lead together,” Kaid said. His pulse raced with the danger of moving too quickly and frightening her. It was like reaching out the first time to stroke a skittish horse’s neck.

Torra swallowed and swung her gaze back toward him. “You truly want an alliance with me.”

Kaid gave a nod. “Ye’re the rightful laird to the MacKenzie clan.”

One of Torra’s fingernails dug against the edge of her thumb. “And ye’re just as serious about helping me reclaim my rightful place?”

Kaid’s heart swelled with a hope so great, it almost stole his breath. “Aye.”

“My father wanted this.” She spoke more to herself than to him and lifted her chin with a tilt of defiance. “Then gather yer men and tell yer clan. Ye will have an alliance with the MacKenzies, and I will take back my rightful place.”

Kaid bowed low. “Aye, Laird MacKenzie.”

She beamed and extended her arm to him, which he grasped as he would any man he respected.

“Percy, we will have a clan meeting at sunset with her. Will ye be able to have her prepared in time?” Kaid asked as he made his way toward the door. He would need to act quickly to gather everyone, and did not wish to put off the announcement until the following day.

Percy looked to Torra for confirmation, received it and nodded to Kaid. “That will not be a problem.”

It was all he needed. He pushed through the door from Torra’s chamber, victorious, and all but ran into Delilah.

Elation glowed through him and a smile pulled at his lips. The only thing better than having accomplished so wonderful a goal was having Delilah there to celebrate with him.

He caught her by the waist and spun her around. “She agreed.”

The happy confusion on Delilah’s face gave way to joy. “Oh, Kaid, that’s wonderful.”

He set her down and gently pressed her back against the wall, capturing her mouth in a kiss. Desire surged through his body, demanding to be sated.

If only he had more time.

“I need to gather the men,” he said between kisses. “For a clan meeting.”

It was more a reminder to himself. He pulled back and found a worried expression on her face.

His elation waned. “What is it?”

“Claire is missing.”

Kaid cupped Delilah’s face. Her skin was like warm silk against his palm. “She’s a lass who has gotten used to roaming the castle of her own accord. I’m sure she’s fine.” He swept his thumb over her lips to smooth away her frown.

It remained. “I sent Sylvi to find her since I cannot be seen around the castle yet.” Her gaze surveyed the empty hall.

“She’s fine,” Kaid said reassuringly.

“I know how much she had missed me. I don’t think—”

Kaid pressed another kiss to her mouth. “She’ll turn up, Delilah.”

Delilah did not kiss him back. “Kaid—”

“I must get the word spread about the clan meeting,” he said. “Once we announce to them all ye’re no’ Elizabeth, ye will be free to roam the castle. Everyone will know who ye are and everyone will know Torra to be the rightful laird of the MacKenzies.” He caught her by the arms and looked deep into her worried gaze. “This will all be over soon. Finally. And because of ye.”

The concern did not leave her brow, but she nodded.

He released her reluctantly. “I’ll look for Claire while I’m assembling the clan.”

Her shoulders relaxed somewhat and again she nodded.

Kaid took her hand in his and raised it to his lips like a grand courtier. Surely he felt like one, almost giddy.

His people were going to be safe. This would all finally be over.

And with that, he left to gather his men for the most important clan meeting of his life, where finally he was going to be the laird they all wished him to be. The kind of laird who would have made his father proud.

• • •

Claire was still missing.

Delilah gathered in the main courtyard with the rest of the MacLeods, though she stood at the front near Kaid’s side, waiting to be introduced to the clan for who she truly was. The position afforded her the opportunity to search the sea of faces for one sweet, blonde child in a blue gown.

Kaid spoke in a voice loud enough for all to hear, and the clan listened with rapt attention. Perhaps she ought to be listening as well, and focusing on him. Certainly enough faces had turned to look upon her. Had he said her name? People smiled with appreciation and clapped.

She returned their warm expressions in what she hoped appeared genuine, for all she could focus on at present was Claire.

This was the moment Kaid had wanted for so long, what he’d sacrificed and risked death to achieve. Though he’d never said it, she knew he felt as though he’d let his people down before. And now he would be their savior.

Her gaze swept over the crowd once more, and the pull on her heart dipped even lower. Still no Claire.

Something brushed Delilah’s fingers, warm and soft. She jerked her attention to the touch of a hand, but it was Torra.

“Ye look more nervous than I feel,” Torra whispered. Her fingers trembled against Delilah’s.

“I’m looking for someone.” Delilah let her gaze roam over the crowd once more. “And not finding her.”

The clan cheered and clapped, and many faces turned toward her. She smiled at them. Kaid must have been unveiling her participation in the ruse to free Torra.

“Rhona?” Torra asked.

Delilah shook her head and almost replied with Claire’s name, but then it occurred to her Torra had not ever met her. “A young girl with blonde hair.”

Torra drew a shaky inhale. “There are so many people here.” Her voice was a thread of a whisper.

Delilah turned her attention from the crowd and found Torra’s face white and glistening with sweat. “Torra?”

“Too many people.” She gave a long, slow blink.

Delilah grasped her hand and found Torra’s palm wet and her fingers like ice.

“Take a deep breath,” Delilah whispered. “You can do this. You’re a laird in your own right. You’re doing this for your people, to liberate them from your half brother, to give them a good life.”

Torra’s chest swelled in compliance and she nodded.

Kaid indicated Torra and she met the curious gazes with a look of such confidence, it left Delilah’s skin prickled with pride.

“Who will come?” Kaid asked his people. “Who will come with me to aid Laird MacKenzie in taking her land back and fostering a peaceful allegiance with her and her clan?”

Man after man shouted their intentions to join with a sharp jab of their fists in the air.

Delilah almost sagged with relief. They had found Torra, helped pull her from the darkness she’d been buried in for too long, and gotten her to agree to claim her inheritance, and now Kaid had the full support of his clan.

It was all coming together, just as Kaid had intended from the beginning.

Regardless, unease nipped at Delilah’s conscience.

Claire.

The very thought of the girl’s name caught Delilah’s heart in a heavy grip and dragged it to her stomach.

Delilah scanned the crowd once more, stopping at each waist-high face, and each blonde-topped head. A hand clasped Delilah’s forearm.

“Ye did it,” Torra said. “Ye and Kaid, ye did it. We’re marching out the morning after next.”

A small blonde girl darted between two men. Delilah straightened with hope and leaned to the right to follow the girl’s path. But the child was wearing a green dress. Not blue. And without the lace bits on the sleeves.

“Ye still canna find her?” Torra asked. “The little girl with blonde hair?”

Delilah nodded. “I haven’t seen her since this morning.”

Kaid finished his speech, and the crowd roared with noise. Torra turned her gaze to the ground.

When the swell of cries dwindled, Torra finally lifted her gaze. “I saw a blonde girl with Nathaira—Rhona, as ye know her. She dinna look as though she wanted to go, but Nathaira was pulling her by the arm. Rough.”

Delilah’s heart pounded in her chest. If the clan continued to roar behind her, she no longer heard them. “Could you see what she was wearing?”

“She wore a blue dress.”

The air sucked from Delilah’s lungs.

“Was there anything else about the dress? Anything special?” she asked.

Torra tilted her head in thought and nodded. “Aye, she had a bit of lace trimmed on the sleeves. No’ the hem, just the sleeves.”

Delilah’s body tingled with dread and the breath, the life, whooshed out of her body. “No.”

Torra reached out for her. This time it was Torra keeping Delilah up and not vice versa.

“Do ye think it was her?” Torra asked.

“Yes.” The word came out in a whimper.

Claire—abducted by Rhona. To be taken to the man who had brutally murdered so many. Delilah swallowed the thick emotion welling in her throat.

Kaid. She needed to speak with Kaid.

They needed to leave immediately.

They had to rescue Claire.