Beneath a Highland Moon (The Highland Moon Series 1) (15 page)

After leaving the cottage,
Jillian turned to Will.
"I need you to ride with me to Lochstorm."

Will
's mouth dropped open.
"But m'lady, the laird will have my head.
For ye own safety, he didn't wish for ye to go back to Lochstorm until he had it secured."

She placed her hands on her hips.
"If you won't, then I'll have no other choice than to ride there alone. Kade and his garrison are so far ahead, I'm certain Lochstorm will be secured by the time we arrive."

He shook his head and sighed.
"Very well, m'lady.
I'll do as ye ask."

"
Much thanks, Will.
Have the stable lad saddle my mare.
I'll meet you back here within the hour."

"
Aye, m'lady."

Jillian hurried back
to her bedchamber and retrieved her cloak.
The burgundy wool day dress she had on would do. It'd have to, for
Glennis had burned the stable lads clothing. She would see that he had funds to purchase others, once she arrived at Lochstorm. Jillian nervously drew her teeth across her lower lip. Aye, Kade would be angry with her for following him, but was she not just as angry with him for leaving her behind?

She knew it could have been dangerous for her to go, but with such a large garrison, Kade could
've made certain no one harmed her. Now she'd be arriving after the fact, but no matter. She had to go.

On her way to the stables, she stopped by the great hall
for food to take along, for she had yet to break her fast. Whilst there, she let Glennis ken of the needs of Sully and his wife, and left her to it.

Logan entered the
room and headed directly for her. "M'lady, I've just learned from Will of your intention to follow the laird to Lochstorm."

"
Aye, Logan, 'tis so.
Will is to go with me."

"
Do you think 'tis wise, m'lady?
Must I remind you that you nearly lost your life on the ride here?"

"
Kade and his garrison have a big head start.
I have faith that he'll have already defeated Gordon MacRae and secured Lochstorm by the time we arrive. We'll return to Ravenskull together.
Besides, Will is a seasoned warrior and I feel quite safe with him along as my protector."

He sighed loudly.
"Very well, m'lady.
I can't stop you, if you intend to go, but I want it to be known that I disapprove greatly."

"
Your disapproval is noted, Logan. And much thanks for your concern. Please let Ian ken that I'll be returning to Ravenskull within the next day or two.
I don't wish for him to worry.
Now I must go.
Will is waiting for me at the stables."

"
Godspeed, m'lady."

"
Much thanks, Logan," she said and hurried off to find Will.

***

Night had fallen by the time Kade had Lochstorm within his sight. The sky was dark and cloudy—giving them a better chance of concealment.
An unusual number of torches lit up the massive castle and the area around it. Several guards paced back and forth along the ramparts scouring the landscape. He smiled to himself. MacRae indeed knew he was coming, and that was fine with him. Kade was ready. He and the garrison had left the path some time ago and circled around through the wood, where they now had a good view of the back of the castle and its surroundings. He didn't want MacRae's men to ken they were there even one minute before they attacked.

"
We leave the horses here with Donald and go the rest of the way on foot," he whispered. "I tell you again, this is no ordinary garrison we face, but paid soldiers. They'll be prepared to fight to the death, as should we. Have a care." He separated them into two groups, one to go with Galen to the left of the castle, and the other with him, to the right. "When you hear my battle cry, rush the entrance."

Kade waited until
the guards moved to the far side of the rampart, before using the key Jillian had provided him to unlock the postern gate set in the curtain wall leading into the backside of the bailey. He kept a close eye on the guards as he quickly ran to the castle. With one hand on the hilt of his broadsword, and the other holding his targe, he flattened himself against the cold stone.
There he waited until all his men, one by one, reached him. Slowly, they edged their way around toward the front, knowing it too would be well guarded.

With a battle cry, Kade charged
the entrance, fighting off the blows dealt by the first guard, then slicing him across the throat and leaving him lying still on the ground.
Several others hurried out to greet them in his place.
With Galen beside him, Kade fought his way into the castle, amid the hissing of arrows flying at them from the ramparts.
His own archers returned fire.
A man screamed above him and a body thudded to the ground a few feet away.
Knocking the sword from the hand of the last man guarding the entrance, Kade kicked it out of his reach.
"Shaw, take him prisoner."

"
Aye, laird."

Kade and Galen
left the fighting outside and hastened into the great hall.
Gordon MacRae sat beside the fire, a goblet of drink in his hand. Four men waited with him, two on either side, their swords drawn.

"
The exterior of the castle is secure, laird," shouted Shaw from the entrance.

"
Good work," Kade called over his shoulder, never taking his gaze from MacRae or his guards. "MacRae, my clansman you ordered beaten and killed, lives."

Gordon
shrugged as if it meant naught to him. He drained the goblet of its contents and set it down. "I understand, MacLachlan, Lady Jillian took the lad to you. Why would she do that? The MacRaes and the MacLachlans have never been strong allies in the past."

B
ecause she'd hoped he still loved her, which of course he had. He could've never turned her away no matter what. "As of yesterday," he said, his heart filled with pride, "she became my wife."

MacRae
's smile quickly disappeared. "Your wife?" An evil grin slowly spread across his face. "I'd wager 'twas that sweet body of hers that persuaded you." He cocked his head sideways. "Not that I blame you, after sampling a taste of her lips myself. The feel of her shapely curves beneath my hands was almost more than I could bear."

The blood of an angry
warrior pumped hot through Kade's veins. He took a step toward MacRae, hell bent on slicing him in half.

Galen
stopped him. "He's trying to make you blind with rage, my friend. It'd be best to keep your head about you, so I may also keep mine."

Knowing what
Galen spoke was truth, Kade slowed his breathing and forced himself to calm down.
He grinned. "Aye, she has a sweet body, 'tis true.
And grows sweeter each time she lies beneath me. She still slept, exhausted from our coupling, when I left Ravenskull this morning."

Gordon
's expression clouded in anger.

It then became clear to Kade
just how badly MacRae had wanted Jillian for himself.
An icy chill crawled up his spine. Thank God she'd managed to escape him before he was able to use her for his own twisted needs.
"Tell your men to throw down their weapons, MacRae.
You heard it for yourself, the castle is secure."

Gordon threw back
his head and laughed.
"You're wrong, MacLachlan, if you think I intend to just let you stroll in here and take me." He turned to the four men surrounding him. "Kill them," he ordered.

Kade and
Galen stood back to back, their blades held high, as they waited for MacRae's guards to make the first move.

They
came at them from all sides.

His hand
wrapped around the hilt, Galen swung his blade wide, sending one of them to the floor with a deep slash across the chest. He kicked the dying man's sword out of his reach and readied himself for the next attack.

Two guards
rushed Kade at once. He dodged the first man's blow, but the second man's blade lightly grazed his shoulder. Ignoring the pain, Kade swung around, quickly drawing his blade down across the first man's ribs. Screaming with pain, the man dropped his blade and grabbed his side, blood dripping from his fingertips. He staggered backwards, fell to the floor, and lay there moaning.

The secon
d man came at him again, bringing his blade down hard, scarcely missing Kade's chest. As he spun around to confront him, the man lying on the floor grabbed Kade's foot, causing him to lose his momentum and stagger backwards.

Just as the man
was about to put his blade through Kade's back, Galen jumped between them, blocking the blow with his targe. "Stab a man in the back, would you?"

The ma
n growled and swung his blade. Galen leapt out of his way. Swinging his broadsword around in front of him, his blade sliced across the combatant's throat. He fell to the floor writhing, then lay still.

Kad
e glared at the man on the floor who'd grabbed his ankle. "I should slit your throat, you bastard. Your actions nearly cost me my life."

Only one of MacRae
's guards was left to stand against them. "'Tis finished," said Kade. "You can't escape. Even if you did manage to get past the two of us, Shaw would cut you down outside."

After glancing
back and forth between the two men, the guard tossed his weapon onto the floor.

"
Shaw," Kade shouted.

Shaw hurried into the great hall. "Aye," laird?"

"Throw any of MacRae's men who still live into the dungeon—'til I can decide what's to be done with them. Set free whoever is being held there."

"Aye," he nodded, and began
rounding up the guards.

Kade turned
to face MacRae. He had vanished.
Curses fell from his mouth. "Shaw, leave the prisoners to someone else. MacRae has disappeared. Grab whatever men you can spare and search the castle. He couldn't have gone far." Kade clenched his teeth, angry at himself for allowing the swine to slip past during the battle.
He realized that had been MacRae's intention all along.

Kade grasped Galen
's shoulder. "Much thanks for what you did.
If not for you, I'd be dead. There was no possible way I could've blocked his blade in my position. You saved my neck—again."

Galen smiled.
"You ken you're always welcome. Let us go find MacRae."

Just then Roderick
entered the great hall, his face battered and bruised.
"Much thanks for our freedom, Laird MacLachlan."

"
Och, you're welcome, Roderick.
It appears your face met near the same fate as Sully's."

Roderick let out a long breath, shaking his head.
"From the dungeon, I heard them beating him.
He never cried out.
One of them said he was dead. Then I heard a splash.
I assumed they'd thrown his body into the loch."

"
They did. Sully somehow managed to almost make it back to Ravenskull, before we found him. He's a brave warrior, and lives still, or did when we left him."

Roderick
nodded.
"I'm much pleased to hear that.
How does Lady Jillian fare?"

"
She's now my wife. But since you were well aware of her coming to me for help, I'm certain you're not surprised to hear that bit of news."

Roderick
only smiled.

"
I assure you. The two of us are content together.
My only regret is that it took so long for it to happen."

"
I'm very happy for the both of you. Jillian is a wonderful lass, with at big heart."

"
Aye, that she is." Just thinking of her being his wife sent a wave of desire rushing over him.

An older woman hurried over
to them, wringing her hands.
"Are Lady Jillian and the wee lad well, m'laird?"

Kade smiled.
"You must be Winnie.
Jillian speaks highly of you.
They both are well."

"
Winnie," said Roderick, "our Jillian is now Laird MacLachlan's wife."

"
Och, you don't say," she said, bringing her hand to her mouth. "'Tis about time the lass found some happiness for herself." She wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

Kade smiled. Jillian could n
ever be any happier than she'd made him. "As for the lad, every time I see him, he either has a tart in his hand or one smeared all over his face."

Winnie chuckled
. "It surely makes my old heart dance to hear such things."