“We’re almost there. See the cottage?”
Thank God. Matthew was wigging her out. She couldn’t wait to see her in-laws.
A clearing gave a glimpse of a structure that was close to shambles. The walls leaned and the roof appeared as if it hadn’t been thatched in years.
Why on earth would Ian and Fin be here? More to the point, how had Lancaster come upon them like he said? There was no noticeable path leading this way, and it certainly wasn’t in the direction of any neighboring village. At least none she knew about.
The closer they got, the more uneasy she became. “Ian? Finlay?” she called out.
No answer. Alarm bells started to chime inside her head.
“They must be inside,” Matthew said.
Her eyes darted all around. She stood up in her saddle to get a better look. “Ian? Finlay?” she yelled louder, cringing at the panic she heard in her voice.
There were no horses. No sign of the men. She was close enough to the cottage that whoever was inside would hear her.
But no one came out with her calls.
It wasn’t right. An icy cold crept over her entire body, except for her hand, which started to burn with a radiant heat. The tips of her fingers grew hot where she had pricked them with Myra’s and Amber’s.
Something is wrong.
Something told her to get away. Tara turned her mount and kicked her into a full run.
Matthew came after her.
Over her shoulder, she saw his expression change from catatonic to murderous.
She didn’t get far before Lancaster was beside her. He grabbed her, dragged her off her horse and across his lap. Within seconds, he held her hands in a grip like a vice.
She kicked and screamed. The horse bucked, sending them both to the forest floor.
Winded and frantic, she scrambled to her feet.
Skirts lifted to her thighs, she bolted. She made it a few yards before Matthew tackled her to the ground.
Spitting dirt from her mouth, Tara struggled to get up. His knee planted firmly in her back, held her in place. She had no leverage to fight off her attacker.
Tara managed to turn her head just in time to see him raise a fallen branch over her.
His blow to her skull stopped her fight. Her last thought before darkness overtook her was of Duncan.
Chapter 23
Tara woke face down on a musty dirt floor. Her head ached. Blood had dried on the back of her neck.
Rough rope bound her hands and feet. Cloth covered her eyes. A small slit in the bottom of the fabric afforded her a glimpse of light from a fireplace.
Laughter, wicked and familiar, filled the room.
“Look what the cat dragged in.”
Oh God! A wave of nausea hit her hard. She bit back nasty bile. She’d never forget that voice.
“Grainna!”
“Well, well. Know my real name, do you?”
“What do you want?” Tara struggled to sit up.
A heavy boot pushed her to the floor.
“I’m no use to you, now.”
“That is debatable.” Grainna moved away.
The foot still held her. Lancaster!
Tara struggled to see Grainna, but caught only a bit of her image between the slits in the fabric.
Grainna glared down at her, cocked her head to one side, as if in debate. “You ran from me, after everything I did for you.”
“You were plumping me up for the kill. No better than a turkey on Thanksgiving.”
“True. Still, your ungrateful behavior has led to this.”
“You’re twisted.”
Grainna laughed. “You’re stupid if you think I’ll put up with your insults for long.”
Tara realized how vulnerable she was. No one knew she was here. Duncan wasn’t due back for two more days. She couldn’t use their telepathic link to plead for his help. “What do you want from me?”
“It pains you. Not knowing.”
Tara heard her shuffling and saw the hem of a filthy skirt under the cloth covering her eyes. She heard the sound of old bones popping when Grainna knelt closer. “Where is she?”
“Who?” Tara asked. The foot holding her lifted and came down hard, pain raced up her spine.
“The virgin? What have you done with her?”
Grainna said, spit coming out with each word.
“I don’t know who you mean.” Tara cloaked her thoughts as Lora had taught her.
Grainna pulled her up by the hair. “The sister?”
she hissed. “Where is the sister?”
Tara screamed. The cloth covering her eyes was yanked off. Grainna stood over her. Hate and fury burned in her eyes. Red blazed from them, intense as the flames within the hearth. She somehow looked different—younger.
“Duncan took her to the convent.”
Grainna raised her hand and brought it down hard. Tara tasted blood. Pain burst in her cheek.
“Try again.”
Tara glared and kept silent.
Grainna flicked a finger.
Lancaster kicked her side.
She screamed. My baby! Tara huddled away from the pain of his boot. Fear for her child clenched her gut.
Grainna’s grin widened. “Well now. Isn’t that interesting?” She reached out and pinched at Tara’s stomach.
Tara pushed herself back and away from Grainna until the wall stopped her.
Grainna pushed forward, reached and twisted her grip on Tara’s waist.
A wrenching sob escaped her throat. Tara pleaded, “Please, no.”
“New life has such power, even now. Yes, I feel the heart.” Grainna loosened her grip, leveled her blood shot eyes upon her. “Your lover will try hard to find you.”
The stench of her breath was nauseating. Tara turned her head away.
“Where is she, Tara?” Her hand gripped her stomach, nails bit into her flesh.
“Gone! Out of your reach, out of this time!”
Please leave me alone. Leave my baby alone. I’m telling the truth.
Reading her thoughts, Grainna shrieked in rage.
Tara curled into a ball as objects around the room flew, hitting anything in their path.
Grainna vented her magical wrath.
Megan met Ian and Fin at the door, frantic. She had difficulty putting her words together. “Please, Lord Ian, I dinna know what to do. Amber won’t come out of her room, she locked herself in. She keeps calling for Lady Tara.” Ian looked at Fin in alarm. “How come Tara isn’t with her?”
Megan’s eyes grew large. “She is with ye, is she not?”
“Why do you think that?” Fin shouted.
“Sir Lancaster came to fetch her for ye. She left with him hours ago.”
Father and son took the stairs two at a time.