Dangerous Highlander

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Cara jerked away from the window, her hand at her throat. The raven-haired woman had seen Cara; of that she was sure. A shudder went through Cara, for she was certain the woman held malice in her gaze.

“Cara?”

She jumped at the sound of Fallon’s voice.

“What are you doing up here? Lucan will have my head if you harm yourself.”

She couldn’t tear her gaze from the black-headed woman, her long, straight locks blowing in the wind.

Fallon navigated the broken stones and wood and grasped Cara’s arm. “Cara.”

“Look, Fallon,” she said, and pointed.

He glanced out the window and swore under his breath. “Did she see you?”

“Aye.”

“How?”

Cara tore her gaze from the woman. “I don’t know. I kept to the shadows. I just wanted to see what was going on at the village. I didn’t make a sound, didn’t move.”

“I believe you. Do you know that woman?”

“I’ve never seen her before in my life, but there was something . . . familiar about her.”

Fallon’s dark green eyes narrowed on Cara. “Don’t come up here again. You could fall through the boards.”

“I was very careful.”

Cara turned to look back at the way she had come. It had been much easier crossing the rubble on her way to the window since most of the stones acted as steps of sorts. Then there had been the board that she had walked over. Her gaze had been on the village, so she hadn’t noticed the gaping hole the board covered or how far down she would fall if she slipped.

“Lucan is going to rip my head off,” Fallon mumbled beneath his breath.

She had been more than confident in her ability to climb over the rocks in her haste to get to the window. Now she wasn’t so sure about getting back.

“Is there another way?”

Fallon shook his head. “This is it.”

“I see.”

“Let me go first so I can make sure everything is stable before you cross.”

Cara nodded, not at all ready to walk over the gap. She had never been afraid of heights, but after her fall over the cliff she had a new appreciation for them.

Fallon walked over the thick board, his arms outstretched. If it had been Lucan, he would have jumped over the gap. But Fallon wouldn’t let his god free for even that.

There was a loud crack in the silence. Cara froze, her gaze on the wood. Fallon stilled for a heartbeat, then jumped to the other side. He landed in the rocks, his boots sliding in the wreckage toward the hole. His hands gripped stones in the pile as he hastened to stop slipping.

When he righted himself, he checked the board and nodded. “It’s secure.”

“Is it going to break?”

He licked his lips and held out his hand. “The hole isn’t that big. Get to the center, and I can grab your hand and pull you over.”

It sounded like a good plan except for the fact that she had to get to the center without the wood breaking. She had faced the dark. She could do this.

She placed one foot on the board. After a deep breath, she put her other foot in front of the first.

“Good,” Fallon said, and smiled at her.

“You are really quite handsome when you smile.”

He chuckled. “Is that so? Are you saying I should smile more?”

“I’m saying you should attempt it.”

“I’ll give it a try. Keep coming.”

She hadn’t realized she had taken several more steps until he said something, but she refused to stop now. Her legs shook, causing her to wobble.

“You’re going to make it,” Fallon said. “Look at me, Cara. Keep your eyes on me.”

She tried, but how would she know her feet weren’t staying on the board if she didn’t look at it? She glanced down and groaned when her gaze fell on the hole. It was a significant way down. Five levels to be exact.

“Cara,” Fallon called.

She lifted her gaze to him. She was nearly to the center. His outstretched hand was almost within her grasp. Just . . . a . . . few . . . more. . . .

She shrieked as the board gave a loud crack before it split. Cara felt herself falling, saw Fallon’s eyes widen. And just as suddenly as she had dropped, she was jerked to a stop. When she looked up into Lucan’s sea green eyes, she felt like crying.

“What in the name of all that is holy are you doing?” Lucan ground out.

He lifted her out of the gap and set her on her feet beside him. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She clung to him, her entire body shaking.

“That’s the second time I rescued you from a fall,” he whispered into her hair.

“I didn’t mean it,” she said, her face in his chest. “I just wanted to see the village.”

She heard stones sliding as Fallon moved over to them. “I came to get her,” he said.

“And you would have let her die!” Lucan bellowed.

“Nay,” Cara said, and put her hand on his chest as she pulled back. “Had I done what Fallon said, I would have been all right.”

“Had you done what I said, you would never have been up here,” Fallon argued.

She cut him a glare, then looked back at Lucan. “Thank you. Again.”

He gave her a curt nod and took her hand. He was tender as he helped her out of the chamber and down the corridor. All the while Fallon grumbled behind them about how the hallway should have been sealed off, but that even the village idiot would have known not to go up there.

Cara was duly chastised, and she was glad to have Lucan touching her again. It was the first she had seen of him all morning. She hadn’t realized how much she craved the sight of him until he wasn’t with her.

She clung to his hand and followed him to the great hall. But once there, he released her hand and stalked from the castle.

Cara looked behind her to Fallon, who was staring after Lucan as well. The realization that Lucan really didn’t want her, that she was just something else he could fix like his brothers, made her throat burn.

“It has been a long time since Lucan has had his life turned upside down,” Quinn said from the table. “I quite like this.”

“Quinn,” Fallon admonished as he walked past her. “Doona pay any heed to Quinn, Cara.”

She wrung her hands. Sister Abigail said idle hands were the devil’s work. “I need to do something.”

Quinn rose and unsheathed a dagger he kept in his boot. He handed it to her hilt first. “I was just about to skin and clean the deer.”

Cara took the dagger, grateful that she had something to do. “I’ll help.”

She and Quinn got to work quickly, and though her hands were busy, her mind wandered. To Lucan. She didn’t know much of men, but she had been sure Lucan desired her. It was there in the way he looked at her and in his kisses. At least, she had thought it was. Now she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

Her life was in disarray again, all because of the Demon’s Kiss. Her mother’s blood. Her blood. What was so important about it? There was no one alive who could tell Cara the truth. She would have to carry her question with her until Deirdre found her.

For Cara had no doubt, despite Lucan’s efforts, that Deirdre would take her. To what end, Cara wasn’t sure.

Death most likely.

She dropped the dagger and looked at the blood that soaked her hands and forearms. “I need to leave.”

Quinn paused on his knees and lifted his face to her, his brow furrowed. “It’s just blood. It’ll wash away.”

“I need to leave. Everywhere I go people die. My parents and now the village. If I stay here, you and your brothers will die as well.”

Quinn sat and regarded her. “We’re immortal, Cara.”

“But you can still die. Lucan told me that.”

Quinn’s lips twisted wryly. “And I’m sure Lucan told you your safest place is with us.”

“You have your own battle with Deirdre. You would still be safe had she not come looking for me.”

“Stay here, Cara. You have no idea what’s out in the world.”

She laughed, the sound brittle to her ears. “I had thought living in the nunnery and giving my life to God would keep me safe from the evil.”

“No one is safe. No one. The evil strikes where it will.”

She swallowed back tears. “You’re right, of course. I’m going to go wash the blood off.”

“Follow the path,” Quinn said as he pointed out the kitchen doorway. “It’ll lead you to the sea.”

How he knew she needed a moment alone she didn’t know. She gave him a nod and kept her pace slow as she left the kitchen. She didn’t want Quinn to know what she planned. Not yet anyway.

The path down to the sea was steep. Many times she had to grab hold of the rocks to keep from sliding as her feet came out from underneath her. It would be a dangerous climb back, but then she had no intentions of returning to the castle.

She had tried to tell Quinn, tried to make him understand. She couldn’t stay there. Not any longer. It wasn’t just her feelings for Lucan. It was because she didn’t want them to die. They had survived so much. They didn’t deserve death.

And she knew she couldn’t stay around Lucan and see his dismissal of her. It hurt too much.

Cara had never been to this part of the sea. No one had known about the path from the castle since no one went near the ruins, and with the cliffs the villagers had to go a different route when they wanted to fish. Which meant this bay had been kept isolated for three hundred years.

She knelt by the water and washed her hands. Her shoes and hem were soaked by the time she was done, but she didn’t care. Her mind was on a way to slip away unnoticed.

Quinn was busy with the deer. Fallon was busy with his wine. And Lucan was most likely watching the village. It was the perfect time for her to disappear.

She stared over the water, watching the waves roll in. The repetitive movement of the water had always soothed her. She took a deep breath and looked around. The cliffs were too high for her to climb, and the rocks that jutted out around the bay would be impossible to cross in her gown. Her only option was to return the way she had come and find some other route on the other side of the castle.

Cara lifted her skirts and started back up the path. She was halfway up and out of breath, her lungs burning, when she spotted another pathway that jutted to the left.

With a glance at the castle, she took it. The trail wasn’t near as steep, and it veered away from the castle, taking her along the coast. Cara lifted her skirts to her knees and lengthened her stride until she was running.

The farther away from the MacLeods she was, the better chance they had to live. When the ache in her side became unbearable, she stopped and leaned her hands on her knees. She glanced over her shoulder, amazed she had put so much distance between her and the castle.

Part of her wanted to return, wanted to make Lucan face the attraction between them. But she couldn’t. She would rather stay away and have him safe than risk his life.

She looked at the sun. It was almost midday. She needed to hurry if she wanted to get away before dark.

“Farewell, Lucan MacLeod.”

With one last, lingering look at the castle she took her skirts in hand and ran.