Aidan (20 page)

“Ye two are in love, arena ye, lassie?”

“I do love him, Tasgall, though unless I redeem meself in his eyes, he’ll ne’er see me as anythin’ but a traitor.”

“I once loved yer mathair, Effie, though she ne’er even kent it. I was too much a coward
te e’er tell her how I felt aboot her.”

“So thet’s what’s behind ye
r change o’ heart,” she said.

“Aye,” he said with a slight nod
, “I suppose so. I’ve made a lot o’ mistakes in me life, and afore I leave this world, I need te do at least one guid thing. And I want thet te be savin’ the love between ye and Aidan.”

He looked up quickly, and she thought she heard movement from the camp as well. “Go, quickly,” he told her, “and dinna look back, lass. Find help as soon as ye can, or
all o’ this will soon be fer nothin’.”

She nodded to him and then took off through the forest
atop the horse, knowing now that what Tasgall had done had been no worse than then her own actions . If Tasgall could change, then so could she. She would not let the MacDuff name go down in history as being traitorous after all. And she would do whatever it took to redeem herself in Aidan’s eyes, because if not, she would be losing forever the only man she’d ever loved.

Aidan looked up to see Effie riding away on a horse, and felt relived that she’d heeded his warning and was escaping. It was a weight off his shoulders that he wouldn’t have to worry about her being killed now when he attacked the soldiers. He knew what he had to do. If they didn’t go after her and catch her, then he knew she’d be safe and he could continue with his plan to save the stone.

His heart was saddened by the f
act he’d never see her again, as he was sure he was going to die trying to keep the English from getting their hands on the Stone of Destiny. But he was the guardian and he’d failed in his duties. He would try one last time to right a wrong, and would go to his death trying to keep one of Scotland’s biggest secrets.

Chapter 21

Effie rode like the wind, looking over her shoulder once more. The English guards had been following her for the last hour, but she’d veered off the trail and stuck to the creek, making her way towards Hermitage Castle. It wasn’t far, and if she could make it there quickly, she might have half a chance of helping Aidan.

Then, after traveling for another hour or so and not seeing the soldiers following her anymore, she decided to stop and cool off and water her horse.

She had just bent down and splashed water on her
face when she heard a noise of an animal from the thicket behind her. Her horse reared up, scared, and she jumped up to grab its reins, but it took off in the opposite direction.

“God’s teeth, I dinna have time fer this,” she said aloud, and turned to go after the horse, but stopped dead in her tracks wh
en she was met head on by a Scottish wildcat. She froze, her heart skipping a beat, as the animal put its head lower and moved toward her. She wished now that she’d removed the bow and arrows from the horse. At least then, she’d be able to kill this animal before it attacked her. It might be small, but it was hissing and showing some very sharp teeth.

She stepped b
ackwards slowly, meaning to run, and that’s when she heard a voice call out.

“Tawpie, get yer doup o’er here,” came a voice she recognized
as Onyx’s. Then, through the thicket she saw Aidan’s friends, Onyx and Ian, riding their horses toward her.

“Effie?” called out
Ian, jumping from his horse and running to her. She looked over her shoulder at the wildcat once more, and then ran to him, burying herself in his arms. She couldn’t hold back the tears, and started crying.

“Dinna fret aboot the cat,” said Ian. “Thet’s Dagger’s pet, Tawpie. She willna harm ye
.”

“I am so glad to see you two,” she said. “A
nd I’m no’ cryin’ aboot the wildcat, me tears are fer Aidan.”

“He’s no’ with ye?” asked Ian, looking around.

“Nay. We were captured by the English and Coira escaped, but Aidan was hurt and we were taken as prisoners,” she blurted out.

“Take it easy, lassie,” said Onyx, dismounting his horse. “We ken thet ye were taken prisoner and thet ye were tryin’
te steal the stone te save yer sister. Coira made it to Hermitage Castle and told us all thet.”

“Thank God. Then she is al
l right?”

“She’s fine,”
said Ian, still holding her in his embrace. “Lady Clarista is takin’ guid care o’ her, so dinna worry.”

“Thet’s right,” agreed Onyx. “And we came lookin’ fer ye as soon as we heard. But tell me, where is Aidan?
I thought he’d o’ saved ye and helped ye escape by now.”

The wildcat
stretched lazily and then went down to the water to drink.

“
Nay, I am here alone as he was wounded and tied up and couldna escape. Besides, he wouldna go, as he told me he is goin’ te fight to the deith te keep the English from getting’ the stone.”

“Ian and I arena worried thet they’ll find it,” said Onyx. “Aft
er all, we ken Aidan isna daft enough te actually tell them where he really hid it.”

“Actually, he did,” she said with a downward glance, stepping out of Ian’s embrace. “But he only did it
te save me life, as they threatened te kill me.”

“Thet dunderheid,” said Ian. “What was he thinkin’?” Then Onyx cleared his throat and Ian looked back to her and said, “I mean
, I’m sure . . . he did what he had te do, lassie.”

“Aye,” said Onyx.
“I’m sure he did. And Madoc sent a homing pigeon te the Highlands telling the MacKeefes what happened, so as soon as they get the message I’m sure the rest o’ the clan will be on their way te help.”

“We canna wait fer them,” she said. “Aidan will be deid by then. We
need te go help him right now afore he gets himself killed.”

“Calm down, lassie,” said Ian, putting his hand on her shoulder
. “We’ll take care o’ it.”

“Did someone lose a horse?”

Effie turned to see Madoc, Wren’s brother, riding up with her horse’s reins in his hand.

“
Madoc,” she said, running to greet him. “Thank the heavens ye found me horse.”

“
Your
horse?” He handed her the reins. “I’m English, sweetheart, and I can tell by the trappings that this horse belongs to an English guard.”

“It does,” she admitted. “I stole it from him right after I killed him, and used it to escape.”

“You killed a man?” he asked in astonishment.

“I did,” she admitted. “I’m no’ proud o’
it, but I’d do it again if I had te, if it meant savin’ the man I love.”

“The man ye love?” asked Ian with a chuckle. “Dinna tell me ye are as crazy aboot Aidan as he is aboot ye?”

“Do ye really think he feels thet way aboot me?” she asked.

“Well, if no’, then he’s makin’ a fool outta himself with what he’s doin’ lately,” said Onyx. “And I ken all aboot thet, as I was there meself no’ thet long ago.”

“Where is Aidan?” asked Madoc.

“He’s with
the English, and they’re headin’ fer the place where the Evan Waters and the River Annan meet. Aidan told me he hid the stone in the water at the base o’ a giant Rowan tree.”

“Then let’s go get him,” said Onyx.

“Wait,” she said with a raised hand. “First, I need te tell ye thet the Scottish gypsy, Tasgall is no’ te be killed. He was workin’ with the English, but he’s had a change o’ heart. Ye’ll ken him, as he’s the only other Scot there besides Aidan. He helped me escape.”

“He dis
na sound as if ye can trust him,” said Ian.

“Well, it’s the chance we’ll have to take.”

“How many of them are there?” asked Madoc.

“
Aboot a dozen guards, Lord Ralston and Tasgall.”

“
Thet is no’ a problem,” said Onyx. “The three o’ us can take them down easily.”

“Thet’s four t
e one,” Effie pointed out.

“We’ll have Aidan there as well,” Ian reminded her.

“And he’s wounded badly,” she reminded him. “Besides, Lord Ralston sends out scouts. Plus, when the guards who were following me return and tell him I escaped, they’ll be waitin’ fer us te come, I’m sure.”

“All right then,” said Ian. “We’ll take the scouts
out first.”

“Ye dinna underst
and. Lord Ralston will be expectin’ us. They’ll be armed and ready, and will attack as soon as we ride inte camp. We need te catch them by surprise. If we can do thet, we’ll have a better chance o’ killin’ them as well as savin’ Aidan.”

“
Then we’ll have to think of a way to get us closer and with the advantage, without them knowing we are there,” said Madoc. “And I think I know just the way we can do it.”

Chapter 22

Aidan was relieved when
the guards came back saying they had lost Effie’s trail. Now that her life wasn’t in danger anymore, he knew he didn’t need to tell them the exact spot he’d hid the stone. He’d told them the truth that he’d hid it where the rivers met, but it would take them awhile to search for it in the water. He knew how difficult that would be now that it was getting dark, and that the English would probably wait til morning. Hopefully that would give him time to try to get the stone and move it while they slept.

He felt
his fever getting worse, and knew his strength was weakening as well. But he had to try to do something before it was too late.

“Here’s the river where you said you hid the stone,” said one of the guards
, as they arrived just after the sun went down.

“Tell us where it is,” said Lord Ralston, but Aidan just remained quiet. They had him tied up in the back of the wagon, and the ropes were biting into his flesh, adding to the pain in his shoulder. His body shuddered from cold, though he could see his flushed
skin, as the fever was starting to consume him.

“Speak up!” said Lord Ralston, grabbing Aidan by the ha
ir and pushing his own face close as he spoke. Aidan lifted his bound legs and kicked the man in the stomach, sending him to the ground.

“I will ne’er tell ye whe
re the stone is, and I dinna care if ye kill me.”

“Don’t think I won’t,” said Lord Ralston, getting to his feet. He walked over and punched Aidan in the face, sending him backwards, falling flat in the wagon. “Once the sun rises, you’ll not only tell us where the stone is, but you’ll go and
retrieve it for us yourself. And if you refuse, then I’ll keep cutting off a part of your body until you tell us exactly where you hid it.”

Aidan pushed upward and spit in the man’s face, only getting himself another punch
for his action, this time in his wounded shoulder. He cried out and clenched his teeth, wishing right now he were dead.

“Someone watch the man so he doesn’t escape. And you’d better give him some water or something. I don’t want him dead before he shows us where he hid the stone.”
Lord Ralston stormed away in anger.

Two guards came and p
ulled Aidan out of the wagon. Then they threw him down by a tree. He saw Tasgall watching him. The man had been acting a little odd ever since Effie escaped. Especially since Aidan saw him coming up from the stream as she rode away, but yet he’d told the English he didn’t see her at all.

He wasn’t sure, but he hoped the man was going back to his roots after all.
Because he could surely use an ally right about now.

* * *

Effie waited behind the tree until she saw the scouts headed out from camp. Then, as planned, she stepped out in front of them in the dark.

“Who goes there?” asked one of the guards.
There were only two of them, and that was all they needed for their little plan to work.

“Dinna hurt me, please,” she cried out, trying to sound convincing. She could see Ian and Onyx sneaking up from behind them out of the corner of her eye.

“Hey, it’s the damned Scottish girl that escaped,” said one of the guards, getting off his horse.

“Grab her and let’s bring her back to Lord Ralston,” said the other.

“I dinna think that’s goin’ te happen,” said Onyx, stepping out of the shadows and stabbing his sword through the guard. Effie jumped aside as his dead body fell at her feet.

The other guard’s horse reared up, and when it did, Ian dropped down out of a tree and knocked him to the ground, killing him as well. They quickly pulled the dead guards off the main path, and Effie ran forward and collected their horses.

“Get those clothes off of them quickly before the blood soils them,” said Madoc, coming to join them. “We’ll have a hard time convincing them we’re all English if they see blood on us.”

Effie kept a lookout, with Onyx’s wildcat crouching i
n a tree watching from above her. Ian and Onyx pulled the clothes off the dead men, taking off their Highland attire, ready to put on their disguises. Being modest, Effie turned her head so as not to see their nakedness.