Highland Hellion (Blades of Honor #1) (17 page)

“She canna leave. Not like this,” Cailin said. “Arya is sorely mistaken if she thinks we deliberately tried to hurt her or kept her from being with her mother.”

Garrett nodded. “I know you have her best interests at heart and so will she, once she calms down. Give us some time alone. Please.”

Cailin backed out of the doorway. “I will give you a chance to talk. But Bryce is serious when he says he willna allow her to leave until morning.”

“We will honor his wishes. You can tell him that we have agreed to stay until first light,” Garrett said as he stepped farther into the room, then closed the door.

Chapter 19

“Have you lost your bloody mind?” Arya launched herself at Garrett. “Get out of my way. Not even you can stop me from leaving.” She repeatedly pounded her fists on his chest and shoulders.

Garrett grabbed Arya’s hands, then whispered in her ear, “Keep shouting if you like, it will make them think I am trying to talk some sense into you. But we need to move away from the door. Cailin might still be outside in the hallway, listening to our conversation.” He backed her into the room.

“If this is a jest,” Arya said, “then the trick is on you. I am not staying here until morning. My mother needs me, so dinna try to persuade me otherwise. I—”

He held her wrist with one hand and covered her mouth with the other one. “I’m not foolish enough to try to stop you from doing anything you’ve set your mind to. But I am hoping to convince the Frasers the opposite is true.” Garrett kept his voice low and continued to speak into her ear.

Arya bit his hand, forcing him to let go. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Garrett shook his injured hand. “Damnation, Arya, If you’ll stop cursing and stay quiet long enough for me to explain, I will.” He nudged her toward the bed. “Sit.”

“I’d rather stand.” She crossed her arms over her chest.”

“Suit yourself, but hold your
wheesht
.”

“Fine,” Arya finally conceded by sitting on the side of her bed. “Explain.”

Garrett joined her. “I know how much you want to go home to Scotia, and I intend to do everything in my power to get you there. But Bryce Fraser is determined to keep you here until morning.” He cupped Arya’s chin and lifted. “Which might not be such a bad idea. You’re pale and your punch wasna nearly as powerful as it usually is.” He rubbed his shoulder, then caught Arya’s wrist midair when she tried to strike him again. “Or as quick.”

“I am fine and want to see my mother.” She yanked her arm free.

“I know better than to try and change your mind. I rode day and night to get here, so we could return to Scotia’s bedside while there was still time. And I mean to see this through.”

“But you told Cailin we were staying.”

“I did so, hoping she would convince Bryce we are honoring his wishes. If he suspects you might bolt, he will put a guard on your chamber door and double the watch around the castle. If he does, we dinna stand a chance of escaping and will have to wait till dawn.”

“If we delay, even a few hours, we may not make it back before my mother’s . . .” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word
death
. “He has no right to keep me here.”

“He believes he does. The right of a brother to protect his sister. He obviously cares about what happens to you. And after you saved the bairns when they were lost in the woods, he is in your debt.”

“I am not his sister. He owes me nothing, and I have no obligation to him or Clan Fraser. It shouldna matter when I leave.”

“Apparently, to him it does matter. You suffered from exposure when you rescued the bairns, did you not?”

“Aye, but I am much better now.”

“That may be true, but Bryce feels you are not quite ready to travel. Not to mention you are a fugitive and if caught will be arrested, then executed.”

“Why does everyone feel the need to remind me of the fact I am a wanted woman? I am not daft,” Arya snapped. “Why won’t you listen to me, Garrett?”

He stroked his knuckle across her cheek. “Fortunately, I know all too well that you willna yield if you want something bad enough. I will get you home. And we leave tonight.”

Arya threw her arms around Garrett’s neck and kissed him. “Thank you,” she murmured against his lips.

He wasted no time snaking his arm around her waist and hauling her against his chest, his tongue coaxing her mouth to open, his free hand holding her head in place. “I’ve missed you so much,” he rasped, then took possession with a kiss that stormed her senses and, for a moment, made her forget everything else.

Arya placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed until she broke the intimate bond between them, then gazed into his eyes. “I’ve missed you too. More than you can imagine,” she said, then returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm, this time being the aggressor and laying claim to his mouth. She inhaled his masculine scent and savored the taste of his lips, all the time wishing the moment of bliss never had to end. But she knew it did and needed to keep her wits about her.

“If Bryce is determined to keep me here, how will we escape?”

“I figure if he believes you have surrendered and agreed to leave on the morrow, he might let down his guard. At least, he willna triple it.”

“And how do you plan to convince him?”

“I will tell him you’ve agreed to wait until first light, then suggest I join him for a drink before the evening meal so that we can plan our journey.”

“And what will I be doing while you are pretending to be his ally?”

“You will wait here until I come for you. Given your anger at being detained, it wouldna be odd for you to refuse to come to the great hall for the evening meal. I thought perhaps I would join them, then partway through the feast, I could offer to bring you a tray and check in on you. It is while the clan is occupied and no one is expecting it, we will make a run for it.”

“It all sounds too simple.” Arya scratched her head. “Bryce is not a fool, and Cailin and Fallon hover over me like a mother hen. I am certain one or both will bring me some food and try to make amends.”

“Not if I tell them we would like some time alone together. I’ll be sure to engage them in conversation prior to the meal and mention how much we’ve missed being together. Then, I’ll let the news slip.”

“What news.”

“I will inform them we canna live without each other, so I plan to ask for your hand. Woman are very sentimental and easily caught up in the idea of two people in love.”

“Perhaps it will work. They keep mentioning how I will someday wed and have bairns. Despite my attempt to tell them otherwise,” Arya added.

“It has to work. Otherwise, there may be no other chance of getting away when no one is watching.” Garrett tugged her into his embrace. “It willna totally be a lie either. I have missed you and do want to marry you.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then released her.

“Will you never give up?” Arya asked.

“Not until you say yes and are round with my babe,” Garrett said, then laughed. “Best I go down to the great hall and see if I can find Bryce. Stay here and be ready to go when I come for you. We willna have a lot of time to dally.”

Arya followed Garrett as far as the hallway, then peeked out to see if the coast was clear. “I’ll be ready when you come for me.” She watched him walk away, then disappear, before shutting the door and sinking to the floor. She cradled her face in her hands and closed her eyes, praying she’d soon be on her way home.

Arya paced from one side of the chamber to the other and back again. The sun had set nearly two hours ago and the evening meal must have started by now. What was keeping Garrett? Perhaps he was having more trouble convincing Bryce than he’d expected. Every time she heard a noise in the hallway outside her chamber door, her insides tensed with anticipation, uncertain if it was Garrett returning, or Fallon and Cailin coming to check on her.

Minutes felt like hours, and when she finally heard the door latch lift, she inhaled sharply, holding her breath until Garrett entered the chamber.

“What took you so long? Did you convince them we’d stay till morning?”

“Aye. I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, but I dinna want to rush things and make them suspicious. Your brother certainly has the gift of gab when he has had a tankard or two.” Garrett closed, then barred the door.

“If the door is blocked, how do we get out?” Arya asked while impatiently tapping her toe on the wooden plank floor.

“I told Cailin and Fallon we needed some time alone. No interruptions, if you know what I mean?” He wiggled a brow. “If we are quick and careful not to be seen, we should be able to get away without any problems.” Garrett moved to the window and threw open the shutters.

“What on earth are you doing?” Arya asked. “And you still dinna answer my question. How do you plan to pass through a solid wood door?”

Garrett peered outside. “We wouldna get a few feet down the hallway without someone noticing us. And we canna leave through the front door of the keep. Your brother may think we are waiting till morning, but this is a stronghold, and there will be servants milling about and sentries guarding the perimeter of the castle and all the entrances. If we are seen, you can be sure they will let Bryce know.”

“And you have another way out?”

Garrett pulled a length of rope from under his tunic. After securing one end to a table leg, he dropped the rest out the window. “We will depart this way.”

“You have lost our mind.” Arya began to pace again. “Do you honestly expect me to climb out the window?”

“Have you a better idea?”

Arya shook her head.

“I dinna think so. The guards pass on the hour, so if we watch and wait for them to go by, we should have plenty of time to shimmy down the rope, slip into the stable for our horses, then be away.”

“And how do we get beyond the main gate? They dinna leave it wide open for people to come and go as they please.” Arya was beginning to doubt the logic of Garrett’s plan and feared they might be forced to stay. Those hours could be crucial, the difference between arriving at her mother’s croft while she was still alive, or being too late.

“Once we reach the gate, you will wait below while I sneak into the watchtower, take care of the guard, and raise the portcullis. Once it is high enough for you to pass under with the horses, lead them out and stay close to the curtain wall. I will lower it, then join you on the other side.” Garrett jostled the rope. “Lady’s first.”

“This is insane. You know that?” Arya said, shaking her head.

“We can always wait until dawn and have Bryce accompany us.”

“Nay. Let’s go.” Arya climbed onto the windowsill, her stomach doing a quick flip, her head swimming. She’d never been one for heights.

“Dinna glance down and you’ll be fine. Now, go.” Garrett held the rope steady as she made her descent, then quickly followed.

They reached the ground in time to hide behind some bushes as the guard lumbered passed. Arya pinched Garrett’s arm. “I thought you said they go by every hour.”

Garrett shrugged. “I must have been mistaken. Or Bryce has increased the number of guards.”

“Have you made any other miscalculations?” Arya asked.

“Hopefully not. Let’s get the horses.”

They entered the stable and quickly located their mounts. Garrett’s horse stood in a stall, already saddled.

“I told the squire not to take his saddle off because I would be leaving right away. I also told him you’d be accompanying me, so instructed him to ready your mare.”

Arya smiled as she approached her palfrey. “Very clever.”

“Not really. I wasna expecting to sneak out. I thought we’d leave with no issues. But am glad I asked him to have the horses ready.” They led the animals out of the stable. “Do your best to stay in the shadows until we reached the main gate,” Garrett whispered.

The bailey was quiet. Everyone, except the guards, were in the castle, attending the evening feast or at home with their families. When they arrived at the portcullis, Garrett brought his finger to his lips, then leaned in close. “Wait here with the horses. I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

He pressed his fingers to her lips. “Shhh. Wait here and be ready to pass through the gate when it opens. Dinna dally, you will have but a minute,” he said then disappeared.

Arya could not believe he was leaving her alone, but she also had no idea how they were going to get through a closed portcullis, leaving her with no choice but to trust him and wait as he’d instructed. Not an easy task.

A few minutes later, and much to her surprise, the iron bars lifted enough for her to pass under with the horses, then quickly closed once she was on the other side of the curtain wall, where Garrett suddenly reappeared.

“I canna believe you were able to open the gate.” She kept her voice low, then handed him the reins of his horse.

“I struck the guard when his back turned. A quick blow to the head was all it took.”

Arya gasped and clutched her hand to her throat. “You dinna kill him, I hope.”

“Nay. He’ll have a headache when he wakes up, but will live. I placed a rag in his mouth before I tied him up, so he canna shout out a warning. By the time the guard changes in the morning and they find him, we will be long gone.”

“Then best we be on our way.” Arya quickly mounted, then kicked her horse in the sides, causing the animal to bolt forward.