Chapter 23
“Why have we stopped, Hagan?” Claire asked from horseback. Her eyes stared forward, only able to see the long trail ahead of them. The rolling hills, lush greenery, and rocky outcroppings held no beauty. The clouds covered the sun, which left the day dreary.
Hagan dismounted and grabbed the bag of food. “‘Tis past midday. We both need to eat, and the horses should be rested. You set a hard pace.” He reached up to help her to the ground. His eyes widened as she stumbled on her feet. “Are you going to be sick?”
“That’s your wife’s thing. I’m just dizzy. Give me a moment, and it will pass.” She paused to breathe and was grateful as the wave dissipated. “So, Aliana told you?”
Hagan ushered her a bit away from the horses and opened the bag of food. “Aye, Claire, Aliana told me.” He motioned for her to sit and handed her a piece of the fresh bread. “Eat.”
Ignoring the food, she stared at the tree line in the distance. “Go ahead, I’m not that hungry.”
Hagan scolded her. “It will be late this evening before we reach my brother’s keep. You may have no hunger, but the bairn does. Eat.”
She knew he was right and took the bread he offered. Thankfully, Hagan was contented to let the meal pass in silence as long as she ate what he placed in front of her.
Hagan replaced the remainder of the food in the bag and returned to sit at her side. “Before we go, there are matters I need to ken. What arrangements have been made for the bairn?”
Claire replied with a short, clipped tone. “It is hardly a bairn yet, so what arrangements could I have?”
“I mean between you and Ian. Were plans discussed for the future? I would ken what to tell my brother to expect.”
Rising to her feet, she walked toward the horses. “Leave it alone, Hagan. Let’s go.” How will I ever survive if even the mention of his name drives a stake through my heart?
“You did nay tell him, did you?”
Turning to face the charge, Claire’s voice was sharp with anger. “Don’t look at me like that. No, I didn’t tell him. Ian told me to leave, Hagan. Not exactly the right moment to tell someone a child is on the way.”
“I ken what set us on our path this day. He should have been told. Ian has a right to ken you are to bear his child.”
She wanted to argue and give a voice to the anger and pain she carried in her heart, yet she knew she would be yelling at the wrong man. Claire took the time to breathe deeply and let the fresh air calm her mind.
“Hagan, the child changes nothing, and you know it as well as I do. Ian chose to do what was best for the clan. What other choice was there? It’s not like I can pay Tavis for the taxes. None of us can. Even if he knew, I would still have been sent away.” Claire turned to face Hagan. “It changes nothing. If anything, it saves Ian from the guilt.”
“You amaze me, lass. And aye, you save him for the moment. Ian will still need to ken of his child. But we can talk about this more when you are settled.” Hagan turned to listen to noise from down the trail. “There are riders approaching.”
Hagan turned away to climb the small rocky hill next to the trail. With a reassuring smile, he descended to her side. “‘Tis nothing to fash yourself about, Nolen and his men approach.”
She now knew how the day could get worse. Claire asked, “Do we need to wait for them, or can we just leave?”
With a soft chuckle, Hagan said, “I dinna like the man either. Quickly see to any needs you have in the trees. They ride too quickly for us to avoid them,” Hagan replied even as his hand rested on his sword pommel. “After a quick greeting, we can be on our way.”
She walked a bit further into the trees than she would have if it had been just she and Hagan. Claire once again relieved herself in the woods. Her mind hoped the Douglas keep was fitted with indoor options, as the allure of the woods was long gone. Her walk back to the trail stopped immediately at the sound of metal clashing and Hagan’s loud cries. “Run, Claire, run!”
She hesitated as her instincts were torn between running and fighting beside Hagan. The sound of a rapidly approaching man spurred her into action. She lifted her skirts and ran even as she heard a shout that she had been found. In the distance, she heard orders given for her capture. Her mind raced as she ran. Hagan must have been wrong and someone else found us.
The cloak was her downfall. Grabbed from behind, Claire felt her feet leave the ground as the pursuer grabbed the billowing material and roughly stopped her motion. She stumbled as she turned and saw only the blade in his hand; her years of training took over.
As his hand rose to threaten a strike with the dagger, she stepped into the attack and blocked the swing with her forearms. She took full advantage of the shock and twisted his wrist and came away with the dagger. With a bend in her knees, she avoided his wild punch. Recognition dawned on her as she finally saw his face. It was one of Tavis’s men.
The surprise of who attacked slowed her motion and gave the man the opportunity to lunge for her. She braced at the last moment, and her legs held firm as he came to take her down, only to find his dagger now buried in his chest. The man, not one she could name, fell to his knees and then to the forest floor.
A wave of dizziness caused her to stagger and left her without the ability to react to the voice behind her. “You are full of surprises, Claire.”
Her turn to face him was too slow, and Nolen’s voice was like ice down her spine. Claire was not ready for the blow. The hilt of the sword came into her line of sight too late. She felt the strike just below her right temple and then nothing as the world turned black.
“Why aren’t you doing something? That was an illegal hit!” Claire turned to storm at Michael. “There’s no hitting to the head. Are you going to stop this match or am I?”
The look on Michael’s face was a mix of sadness and determination. “This isn’t a fight I can stop.”
She wondered why she couldn’t move her hand to touch the side of her aching face. “Of course you can, it’s your dojo for heaven’s sake.”
Michael held out his hands to prove the statement. “Too bad we’re not in the dojo now.”
He was right. She saw the trees, the growth-covered ground, and the gray sky above. She was not in the dojo. “What do I do now, Michael?”
He moved to stand close and looked into her eyes. “You do what you have to do. This won’t be a fair fight. There are no rules, not here and not now.” He took her by the shoulders. “Every drill, every class, and every sparring match has prepared you for this moment.”
Her voice whispered the words she never thought she would say. “I’m so scared, Michael.”
“Good, Claire. That’s a great place to start. There are a lot of unknowns here: why, who, and to what end. This won’t be easy, but true battle never is. Use your strength, and more importantly, use your mind. This is your greatest asset. Wait for it, Claire, wait for the right moment. You’ll know it when it happens.”
Pain roared through her head, as well as the sensation of something sharp on her legs. “It hurts, Michael. It already hurts so much.” With consciousness threatening, Claire begged, “Help me, Michael.”
Michael smiled. “You don’t need me. You have everything you need inside you. Find your moment and use it well.”
Claire wanted to stay with Michael, but the sting to her cheek brought her back to the forest, to the battle ahead.
Unable to stop the groan from crossing her lips, the first glimpse of consciousness delivered only pain. The taste of blood on her lower lip let her know a hit of some type had woken her. Slowly she remembered the strike to the side of her head and was instantly aware that her right eye was barely open. The swelling had already taken over. She wondered why she couldn’t move her hands. She felt the hard, damp ground beneath her back and the pressure on her wrists. She was flat on her back, and her hands were over her head, tied up and attached to something. The decision to reach out was immediately regretted as she felt the cut from a blade.
“Ahh, Claire, you finally join me.”
Focusing on the man leaning over her, recognition dawned. “Nolen.” His cold, blue eyes stared into hers as the smile spread across his face. It took a great deal of focus to suppress her shudder of fear.
“I began to fear I struck you too hard and you would nay wake. I wanted you awake, lass.” He stared as she tested the bindings on her wrists, and his tone was almost casual. “Save your strength. The bindings are attached to my sword, which is stuck deep in the ground. There will be no escaping.”
She tried to concentrate enough to take stock of the situation. Her legs were free. That was good. With her head tilted, she could see that only three or four inches of the sword’s blade were visible above ground. Buried deep was an understatement; there would be no way to pull the sword loose from where she lay. Circulation was not an immediate concern in her hands, but it would be over time. The material used was too familiar, and her legs felt the cool breeze, which brought more into focus. She was tied with pieces of her yoga pants. With the realization, she broke out into a panicked sweat. Fear raced through her veins, and she struggled against the bindings. A hard slap to her cheek from Nolen stilled her body.
“Dinna you wish to ask about your cousin, Claire?” Nolen began. “Three of my best chased him through the trees. They will return, and Hagan will nay.” He crouched to brush a loose lock of hair from her forehead. “Dinna waste your time mourning. You have little time left in this world either.”
“Then why I am still alive, Nolen? You could have just killed me.” She tried to shift away from his touch, disgusted by the feel on his hand on her head.
Nolen laughed at the question. “Did you truly believe it would be so easy, lass? There is unfinished business between us.”
Before she could ask what he meant, Nolen moved. He sat on top of her midsection and pressed her hard to the ground with his weight. “I made you a fine offer. You and your cousin led me to believe you were a proper lass. Did you think I would accept being made the fool?” He slapped her hard on the face. “I am nay a man to be lied to, lass.”
Even though he slapped the side not swollen, the pain roared through her head. She again tasted blood inside her mouth. “This is because I wouldn’t marry you?” Somehow she didn’t believe his motivation for this brutality could be so singular.
“You think too highly of yourself, yet, in part you are correct. I wanted you, so I will have you.” He pulled the laces on the front of her gown. “It could have been different between us, but that matters little now.”
Claire’s mouth dried, and her breathing became shallow as he untied her bodice with painstakingly slow movements, as if drawing out the moment to last an eternity. She could tell he wanted her fear as much as anything else he might try to take. His method worked. Panic took hold as his dagger cut through the tank top beneath the gown, followed by fresh pain as he cut the skin beneath. With her pulse racing, she squirmed beneath his weight.
“Let that be a lesson, Claire. Dinna think to struggle or more cuts will find their way to your skin.” His breath quickened as fear trickled down her spine. Nolen pushed the gown off one of her shoulders and ran a fingertip along her collarbone. “Would you like to ken the best part? I will tell him how you died. The Draig laird will die with the knowledge I had you.”
Even as her body cringed in disgust at his touch, she knew what Nolen said made no sense. “What do you mean, Nolen? Why would Ian die?”
Still perched on her stomach as he leaned over her face, his breath was hot on her cheeks. “Before Ian draws his last breath, I will tell him what happened here. He will ken the last hand to touch you was mine.” Nolen touched her bruised lip with a gentle finger and caressed the swollen side of her face. He leaned closer to stare in her eye. “They are all going to die, Claire.”
“What do you mean they all will die?” The question made him smile, and he shifted his body to lie on top of her. Her breath stopped when Nolen settled between her legs.
His casual air disturbed her the most. The brutality had ceased and given way to a perverse conversation. He again brushed her cheek with care. “You surprise me. I thought you kenned the whole of it. You were the one digging into old contracts.” His hand caressed her neck as he asked, “Would you hear of it? Do you wish to hear of it?”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know anything, yet she needed time to find a way out of her predicament. Claire looked into his cold, blue eyes and asked quietly, “Please tell me.”
“Such fine manners you have, lass.” Her submissive tone made his cold stare soften a bit. He studied her and perched on his elbows while he rested over her body. “Tis about wealth, lass. Such matters are always about wealth. Tell me, would you die satisfied kenning you were correct?” Nolen surprised her with a kiss to her chin. “The lands you pestered Ian to investigate are the reason. A few years ago we accidentally stumbled on the mines while chasing a loose herd. The mines had just begun to yield silver, lots of silver. We simply took control of the mines and those who toil there. We have enjoyed this wealth ever since.”
The explanation was simple enough, greed. Claire didn’t understand why they bothered to come all the way to the highlands. This made no sense. “So why kill everyone? You have what you want.”
“Aye, that we do, lass. However, the Crown prefers everything neat. It took us some time to discover who had rightful claim. Imagine our surprise when Hagan arrived searching for a wife for the verra man we needed to give us clear title. Ian refused to sign formal agreements during the negotiations, stating some nonsense about only wanting a marriage contract. He left without signing what we needed. We captured him before he left our lands. My men had secured Ian, and a messenger came to tell me where he was being held. Unfortunately, Ian escaped and, in the process, killed three of my men. I sent half of my forces to recapture him. Ian somehow managed to make it back to his lands. The Laird of the Draig’s mark to a paper for the ownership of the land would have been forced if we had captured him. Of course he would have died anyway.” Nolen settled more forcefully onto Claire. “So now a marriage contract will have to suffice.”
This is what she had saved Ian from when they met. Tavis’s greed had changed the path of her life. Her mind cursed at the circular path. She was now the one bound and helpless. But she didn’t think any doors would open to bring her a savior. Claire realized how utterly alone she was.
She tried to not to think about Nolen’s body pressed against hers and willed her mind to focus on his words. Claire stated the obvious, “But no one is giving you anything with this marriage. You still don’t have legal claim to the mines.”
“Did you not read the contract?” Nolen scolded. “For shame, lass, contracts should always be read. Should the laird die without an heir then his property reverts to Tavis.”
She couldn’t think clearly. Her arms ached, and her head screamed with pain. She was dumbfounded that this conversation was so casual while she was bound and injured with Nolen draped over her body and nestled between her legs. Still the flaw was obvious. She said, “But Cerwyn is the recognized heir.”
Nolen chuckled softly, “You think with a soft heart. Now you ken why all must die. The marriage will take place, and then we claim all, though all we want is the mine. Someone else can come to claim the keep and the lands.”
“You don’t have that many men.”
“In truth, I don’t need many. Think, Claire.” Nolen glared at her with disappointment. “I truly thought you had figured this out already.” He lifted off of her chest enough to rip the bodice of the gown he had already cut and ran his fingertips over the swell of her bare breast. The shudder ripped through her as he taunted, “Think. What did you miss?”
She couldn’t writhe far enough away to escape his touch. Her mind attempted to shift through the trail of events leading to this, any distraction to avoid the reality of the touch on her skin. She needed the details if she had any hope of saving them all. The small cry of disgust escaped her lips as Nolen leaned down to place a kiss to her shoulder. There was no hope for clear thought as she involuntarily struggled against him. The slap to her face brought a fresh wave of pain. Claire gasped in air as the memory rose unbidden to the surface. Through clenched teeth, she said, “This has to do with the wedding ale. Tavis was so insistent, too insistent it be saved and not touched.”
“Aye, lass, the ale. ‘Tis to be served the day after the marriage. There will be little need to fight. The poison will take care of most of the clan. Those who survive should prove easy enough to kill.” Nolen smiled as he answered.
She had no idea how such a devious plot could be so easily ignored by the rest of world. “But others will come from the village or other clans, and it’s not like you can hide something like this. I can’t believe Mairi would not confess this immediately.”
His head shook in disappoint while his hips moved to a more favorable spot, and he did not try to suppress his groan of pleasure. Nolen replied with a casual tone. “The disgusting child has been deemed an acceptable loss. Dinna look so shocked. Mairi has long been an embarrassment to the clan. None of the rest truly matters. The Crown will receive its share. Should any come for vengeance, the king will support Tavis.”
Claire listened in silent horror as Nolen continued and was horrified how none in power would care about a dead clan far away in the highlands. Nolen had arranged for her exile and capture. She saw the face of everyone she cared for who was destined to die as a result of Tavis’s greed. When he began to vividly describe every insult he planned for her body, her anger faded to hopelessness. Claire was so utterly helpless to stop any of it and unable to save herself and her child, much less the clan.
“How quickly Ian agreed to send you away, lass. I assumed Ian would argue longer and with more passion.” The smile could be heard in his voice as her eyes closed. Nolen’s words were chosen with care. She could hear his joy in killing her spirit.
Nolen lifted to rest on his knees and crouched between her legs. She felt the tattered skirts lift off of her thighs. There was only his laughter when she attempted to push back. He held her in place with her head a mere hand span from the blade. “You have nowhere to go. You are mine now.”
“Never, Nolen.” The verbal resistance was all she had left.
“Ah, Claire, we both ken this is over and I have won. I will tell Ian how sweet my victory was and how I enjoyed the pleasures of your flesh.” Nolen’s hand left her hip to untie his trews. He whispered a curse as he rose to his feet and stepped back to fix the problem.
The irony of the knot in the tie for his leather pants was not lost as she relished the momentary reprieve. A deep breath brought back focus and replaced the fear with something else. How much time do I have? What can I do while tied? Already her right eye was swollen shut as her head screamed with pain. She could feel every cut and bruise on her body. Grief took hold as Cerwyn’s face appeared in her mind’s eye. She wondered briefly if her child-to-be would have had the same wonderful green eyes.
So many excuses, Claire. Michael’s voice rang strong in her mind. “I trained you myself, just for this. You can take him. He doesn’t expect an attack. Do it. Do it for those you love. Do it for the life you carry. Do it for yourself. Just do it now. This may be the only chance you get.”
When did I give up? She had been ripped from her life and not given up. Everything she knew was gone, yet she had survived. The choice was clear: give up and let Nolen abuse her and kill her or attempt to take him by surprise. The odds of her success were small, but she had two children to protect, and she was far from done with her life.
Claire glanced up at Nolen. His attention was solely on the knot and not on her. This was the moment she needed and maybe the only one she would get. Though pain ripped through her head, she bent her knees and placed her feet firmly on the ground. Claire’s right leg snapped up to forcefully connect the bridge of her foot to Nolen’s groin. The breath left his body as he bent forward. Her left leg was ready to strike and capitalized on his now-bent position. The sole of her foot connected hard with his face. The sound of crunching bone confirmed his broken nose, and Nolen fell hard on his back.
With no thought, her body moved with the skill of years of training and a will to survive. Her feet braced as her hands grabbed the only support available, the sword. Her right hand was able to reach and grasp the pommel of the sword. Her left hand, trapped by the bindings, left Claire to only partially able to grip the pommel, and her palm was forced into the blade. She screamed with determination, focus, and agony as her body bent up from the ground. Her right leg kicked up, and her left pushed her body in motion backwards, up and over the sword. Wounded hands pulled her body to land on unsteady feet.
Not able to give in to the pain, the nausea, and the wave of dizzy disorientation from the move, her hands pulled the sword free of the earth. She stumbled to where Nolen fell, still holding his groin and broken nose. The shock of Nolen’s expression was its own reward. With bound wrists, Claire raised the sword high and plunged the weapon deep into Nolen’s chest.
Falling to her knees after she pulled the sword from the dead man, her breath came too rapidly as the world went gray and swam before her eyes. Her body fell to the ground. Only as she curled in a ball did she notice the blood on her hands. Her left palm had a deep cut from grabbing the blade. With the sword held by her feet she was able to cut through the bindings on her wrists. She ripped a strip of fabric from the ruined skirt and wrapped her hand in an attempt to slow the bleeding. Throbbing pain shot through her shoulders at this simple task, but the pain would have to wait until later. She needed to stand up, find Hagan, and get back to the keep.
Panic returned as the sound of approaching footsteps brought the world back to focus. Claire found her feet and turned slowly to face the sound. She prayed there would only be one man to battle. She knew there was no way she could handle more than one. She doubted her ability to handle one.
“Claire, where are you?”
“Hagan, is that you?” Claire stared dumbfounded as he stumbled into the clearing. She gasped at the blood covering his body and sword. Hagan’s face transformed with shock as he looked her up and down.
“Forgive me. I never should have left you alone.” Hagan’s voice cracked with despair while he looked everywhere but her eyes. He glanced at the dead man behind her. “What did he do to you?”
The implication was clear in the question. Claire took stock of her appearance: the undone and ripped state of dress, the mud and blood, and what was certainly a very swollen face. Her good hand moved to straighten the bodice of her ruined gown. “Not what you think. Nolen tried, but I stopped him.”
Hagan covered the distance between them quickly and turned her battered face to look at her injuries and then pulled her in for comfort. He held her until her shaking ceased and she pushed gently away.
She pushed away the fear of what had almost happened and looked down to Hagan’s side to see bleeding. She lifted the shirt to see the large gash on his side. “This needs stitches, and I don’t know how to do that.” Her face hurt too much to allow a proper smirk. “I thought we worked on the whole left side thing.”
“There were three men, and I believe my balance was all it could have been. It does need tending, but for now a binding will serve. It can be seen to properly at my brother’s keep.”
She ripped more fabric from the skirt to improvise a bandage and apologized when Hagan winced as she bound the wound. “We need to go back, Hagan. There is so much I need to tell you. Everyone is in danger, they are all going to die.”
“What do you mean?”
Claire told Hagan every detail she could remember as she continued binding his wound: the mines, the wealth, the plan to kill everyone, and even of Mairi’s part as the sacrifice. His questions were answered as he wrapped her hand with skill and care. Claire waited for the response as she finished telling of all Nolen had shared.
“I believe the marriage will take place on the morrow, and I can nay leave the safety of my family to chance. My brother’s lands are closer, but by the time we sort this out and he gathers men, it could be too late. Heaven help me, you are in need of care now. You are bruised, battered, and far too pale. But I need to ask this of you. We need to ride back now, cousin.”
She had no desire to ever see Ian again. Even now his voice taunted the back of her mind.
“Save me, sweet Claire.”
Once the thought held such different meaning, but this was bigger than her broken heart and shattered illusions. This was life or death for so many. Again Cerwyn’s face broke through her inner haze. “You’re right, Hagan. We need to go now.” She took in his pained expression and saw the blood soak his bandaged side. “Are you sure you are up for this?”
“Aye. I can manage. The true test will be getting both of us in the saddle.”
Nolen’s sword served as a walking stick. Balance was something she had lost. The pair used the rocks to climb up to mount the horses. Both breathed too hard from the simple task of mounting, and the thought of the long ride mocked her weakness.
“Let me ken if the pace is too much. We can stop if needed.”
The thought of turning to face him was too strenuous as pain wracked her body. “There will be no stopping, and we both know that. Promise me one thing, Hagan.”
“Name it, Claire. My debt to you kens no limit.”
“After we have stopped this and saved them, promise me you will take me to your brother’s lands.”
“But you do realize that the news we carry changes all.”
“Just promise me.” She knew she spoke from bruised pride and shattered dreams, yet also believed she would control the rest of life. She had remembered who she was, and there would be no going back.
“Aye, lass, I swear this to you,” Hagan vowed.
Her wounded hand rested across her lap, and she grabbed the reins with the other. Claire kicked the horse into a run.