Page 50 of Luthias

A strange calm came over her as she nodded and took Tom’s hand in hers. “It’ll be okay,” she told him. “Take me to your father.”

Tom led her through the gardens to an old, barred door mostly hidden by climbing vines. As he lifted the bolt bar she looked up and realized the men watching on the wall couldn’t see the spot. Someone who knew the castle very well had told the boy to take her this way––someone who didn’t want the clan to know she’d left.

Am I going to die today?

As the sunlight warmed her face, and the green scent coming from the disturbed vines tickled her nose, Emery didn’t feel afraid. She definitely didn’t want to die, but it didn’t make any sense that her death would save the clan. No, it would be something she did. Something only she could do.

As they passed through the old door and entered the woods, Tom’s footsteps slowed, as if he were dragging out every step. Finally he stopped and looked at her, his expression wretched.

“I’m sorry, my lady. ’Twas a trick. The bastart––he said––if I didnae bring you, he’d end us both.” He wiped his hand across his watery eyes. “You should go back and tell the laird. I’ll––I’ll be with my Da.”

“No one is going to hurt you or your father. Not if I can help it, anyway.” Emery hugged him for a moment, and then wrapped her hand around his. “It’s okay, sweetie. Take me to him.”

The boy wept as he led her through the trees to a densely-overgrown patch of pine, where an older man had been left tied up and gagged. The man’s eyes widened as soon as he saw her and Tom, and he shook his head frantically. Emery went to him, dropping down to remove his gag.

“My lady,” Tom’s father gasped. “Run, quick as you may–”

“It’s all right,” she told him as she untied the cord binding his hands, and then helped him to his feet. “Tom, take your father back to the stronghold. Go to the lists and tell Darach about this. Tell him everything, okay?”

“Think you I shallnae kill them both first?” a familiar voice asked.

“Tom kept his end of the bargain.” Emery turned to face a hooded man wearing woodcutter’s garments under his cloak. “Keep yours.”

“Take your sire and go, lad.” He waited until Tom and the man hurried off before he pulled back his hood and walked around Emery, studying her with open amusement. “In truth I’m Callum, laird of Clan Carack. Do I not surprise you, my lady?”

“Not really.” She kept her expression blank. “You’re way too clean and well-spoken for a woodcutter. Although I was dressed like a stable boy, you called me ‘my lady’ from the first time we met. The fake lowland accent is pretty good, but sometimes you slip, like you did when we were by the river. Even when I treated that cut you made on your leg, I thought that white and blue patch on your ankle might have been a birthmark instead of a bruise. Also, Callen? Really? You couldn’t think of something less like your real name?”

“You never told the MacRoss any of that, or me.” When she shook her head he looked grim rather than relieved. “That ’twas a mistake, lass.”

“From your limited point of view, maybe. If Luthias found you on MacRoss land he’d definitely throw you in the dungeons. Then your people would try to get you back, and the clans would go to war.” Emery looked up at him. “I don’t know why you’re here, Lord Carack, but you need to go home. Now.”

“Aye.” He grabbed her and turned her around, and pulled her arms behind her back. “Only you’ll accompany me.”

Emery didn’t try to resist as he bound her wrists together and held the end of the cord like a leash.

“Tom will tell Darach everything,” she warned him as he led her toward the river. “He and the garrison will come after me on horseback. You can’t outrun them, and there’s no way you’ve stolen a horse from the stables. I get caught every time I go in there.”

“I’ve no need to run or ride.” He took off his cloak and draped it over her, pulling up the hood to cover her hair. “I’ve borrowed a boat from one of the farmers. I shall be but a vassal out fishing the river, which happily runs from MacRoss land to my own.”

Emery already felt afraid, but the sight and sound of the rushing currents made her stumble.

“Just leave me here,” she told him as he caught her arm. “You don’t need me for anything. I’ll tell Luthias you were a lowlander thief or something, I promise. Just don’t start a war with the MacRoss.”

“You’d still protect me?” Callum lifted her off her feet and carried her to the small boat tethered to a tree on the embankment. “Mayhap there’s hope for us yet, my lady.”

“I don’t want the clans killing each other over me.” She started to shake as he put her in the boat. “Please don’t do this.”

Callum pushed her down so that she lay in the bottom of the small vessel, and then stepped over her and untied the tethering rope. When she tried to sit up he said, “Stay there. If you struggle, the boat, ’twill tip over and you’ll go in the water. Be still, and you shallnae drown.”

“You really have ice for blood, don’t you?” She wanted to kick him as he sat down and picked up a paddle. “Luthias doesn’t care about me. He’ll always do what’s best for the clan.”

“That I hold prisoner the wench brought back in time to save his clan should work greatly in my favor.” He met her gaze. “You’ll no’ be harmed, Emery. I give you my word.”

“You want me to take the word of a guy who posed as a woodcutter to infiltrate his rival’s territory and––what, dally with me? No, that was just you being a jerk.” Emery watched his face. “You came here looking for someone else, didn’t you? The one who broke your heart. If I help you find her, will you let me go?”

“She’s long gone.” Callum looked down river. “Another few minutes, and we’ll arrive on my lands. There I shall take you to Dun Deigh, and keep you safe.”

“Safe. Right.” The boat suddenly bumped into something and turned sideways as it rocked. “I can’t swim, my lord. Please let me out of this thing.”