Highland Legends 04 - Captive Highlander (27 page)

“What is it?” Jared asked.

“Draco is not here,” Ian replied
immediately looking for Katie. He made his way quickly to the dais. “Where is
Katie?” he asked Laird Blackburn.

“She was right here moments ago,”
Brian said. “She vanished as you brought the rest under control. I dinna see
Draco either. Has he been captured? You must find him before he can warn
Rannoch.”

“Dinna worry, I will find them
both,” Ian promised. He started towards Rannoch’s chamber.

Chapter 33

Brianna shed her gown until she
was down to the sheer under-dress. She picked it especially for this night. It
coated her body in a see-through netting of white to signify her innocence.
Rowan watched with eager eyes. “Are you pleased, Milord?” she asked in an
urgent whisper.

“Aye, Brianna, I am very
pleased.” He walked over to her with goblet in hand. “This wine contains a
special potion. Drink deeply from the cup.” He kissed her flat belly with his
hand. “This will help us conceive a child. I want my offspring to grow inside
you.” Brianna sucked in her breath as his hand ran lower. “Tell me you want
that too.”

“Aye, Milord. I would welcome
your babe inside my womb,” she said in a breathless whisper.

He took his hand away and gave
her the cup. Gazing into his eyes, she drank it all down. Rowan smiled, walked
over to the table, and refilled it. While she watched, he swirled the contents
of the goblet. “Here’s to a virgin bride and a wedding night conception.” He
drained the contents.

Heat surged through Brianna. She
felt flushed and dizzy. “’Tis is a strong potion,” she murmured. Suddenly a
movement in the corner drew her attention. Sorcha Blaine walked from the
shadows. “Why is she here?” Brianna choked coming at Rannoch with fisted
hands. She pounded his chest.

He struck her hard across the
face. The blow spun her around and sent her face first into the bedding.
Getting to her feet, she wiped the blood from her lip.

“Lie down,” he snarled.

“Nay, Milord, I will end this
marriage before the deed is done and plead for an annulment.”

He grabbed her roughly and tossed
her onto the bed. Sorcha rushed forward, grabbed her thrashing hands, and
secured her to the bedposts. Rannoch had her ankles, doing the same until she
lay tied and open for the taking.

“She needs more of the potion, Milord,”
Sorcha said. She walked to the table and brought over the tainted wine.

Rannoch forced Brianna’s jaw open
and made her choke down more the elixir. Fire snaked through Brianna’s body,
driving a hunger the likes of which she had never known. Panting, she twisted
against her restraints. “Let me go,” she pleaded, her voice ragged. “Please
Rowan, let me go. I wilna tell anyone.”

His laugh seemed to echo off the
ceiling and fall down around her. He poured himself more of the evil potion and
drank it down. “I am far from done with you, wife. Your night is just
beginning.”

Hot tears streaked down Brianna’s
face. Sorcha’s magic worked on her body. She could almost feel herself opening
for him. Brianna wanted him quench the ache tumbling through her body.

“She is ready now,” Sorcha
observed.

“Leave us,” Rannoch ordered.

“But, Milord, I could be of
help,” Sorcha objected.

Rannoch walked over and stroked
Sorcha’s cheek. “You have helped enough, my naughty healer. I will be
relentless in plowing the furrow you have opened for me.”

Brianna whimpered, her need so
keen she could not stop writhing in the sheeting.

“I would be alone with my wife,”
Rannoch said, giving Sorcha a shove toward the door.

Heeding his command, the Red
Witch left the chamber.

Rannoch turned to Brianna. “You
promised me you would bend to my wishes,” he reminded her. He opened a tall
cabinet near the bed.

Brianna’s breath caught in her
throat. A myriad of implements of torture hung on hooks inside the cabinet. She
didn’t know which instrument terrified her more. A collar with a long chain and
spikes inside the neck dangled near her face. Thumb screws, whips, a variety
of sharp spikes, and an evil looking branding iron took their places beside it.
Her body began to twitch involuntarily as fear joined with the terrible potion.
She fought it. “You canna use these things on me,” she cried. “Be with Sorcha.
Use your torturous devices on your whore.”

“You are mine and I will do as I
wish with you, Brianna.” She sobbed when he tore his clothes off and climbed
into the bed. “I feel Sorcha’s elixir working,” he said. “So do you. Dinna
fight it.” Taking one of the spikes from the cabinet, he teased it across her
breast. “Before the night is done, you will ken all the pleasures of the flesh,
my virgin bride.”

Rannoch loosened the ties on the
curtains that hung around the huge poster bed. They dropped closed blocking out
most of the light. In the shadowy space, Brianna felt the nearness of his body.
The blade moved across her nipple and down around her full breast. At first, it
kissed her torso then Rannoch pressed it into her. She screamed when the spike
cut into her tender flesh. The whole chamber spun as his assault continued.
Her shadowy world dissolved into a cauldron of fire and pain. Punishment and
pleasure made her wild with fear and desire. She gasped and tore at the
sheeting as the darkness swallowed her.

Ian caught a flash of color
entering one of the chambers near the top of the stairs. It was the same hue as
Katie’s dress. “Katie,” he called. No sound. Step by step, he walked closer to
the door. “Katie,” he repeated. He heard a shuffle inside the chamber.

“Ian, look out!” she cried.

Her warning came too late. Draco
pushed the door open hard hitting Ian and making him fall. Draco shoved Ian
backwards down the stairs then leapt down on top of him. Draco’s full weight
landed hard on Ian’s chest. The blow knocked the wind out of Ian. Gasping for
air, Ian fought to keep Draco’s dirk from slicing his neck.

Katie jumped on Draco’s back
trying to pull him off Ian. With a quick twist, Draco sent her flying across
the floor. Ian saw her head strike the wall. She moaned and stayed down. Ian
brought his knee up hard in Draco’s groin. Draco recoiled clutching his stock.
Getting to his feet, Ian grabbed his sword and swung at Draco, but the man had
recovered his balance. He drew his own sword and lunged at Ian. Out of the
corner of his eye, Ian saw Katie get up. She ran by them and headed up the
stairs toward Rannoch’s chamber.

Distracted, Ian barely avoided
Draco’s next attack. His sword flew out of his hand as Draco’s blade gashed his
knuckle. Lowering his body, Ian drove his shoulder into Draco’s midsection
knocking him off balance and sending them both tumbling across the floor.

A scream rang out from Rannoch’s
chamber. The diversion allowed Draco to gain his footing. Ian hopped up and
shoved Draco against the wall. Amid Draco’s blows, Ian grasped his dirk and
plunged into Draco’s belly drawing the blade upward through the center of
Draco’s chest.

Stumbling away, Draco watched the
blood gushing from the wound. He looked bewildered as he saw his blood puddle
on the floor. With one glance at Ian, he took a few faltering steps and fell to
the floor with a death rattle.

Ian rushed up the stairs.
Flinging open the door, he saw Katie trying to rip Rannoch off of Brianna. The
heavy curtains which once obscured the occupants of the bed sat in tatters on
the floor. Brianna lay tied to the bed bucking wildly against her restraints
and moaning. Her eyes rolled as she let out a scream that would wake the dead.
Rannoch appeared out of control as he sought to shove his fully erect tarse
into Brianna. Katie’s blows were useless.

Running toward the bed, Ian
pushed Katie aside, grabbed Rannoch around the neck, and threw him to the floor.
They rolled across the cold stone, first with one on top then the other.
Rannoch fought with the strength of ten men. Ian never saw the likes of it
before. No matter how hard the hit, Rannoch acted as if he didn’t feel it. His
punches punished Ian with every tumble. Grasping Ian’s head, he slammed it
against the floor. Katie got into the fray, but Rannoch got up, grabbed her by
the hair, and snatched his dirk from the table. He took hold of Katie sliding
the blade across her throat. Rannoch pulled her neck back so Ian could see the
blade dancing across the pulse point in her neck. Ian struggled to his feet and
faced them.

“She is mine. They both are mine
and you wilna take them from me,” Rannoch ranted.

Ian walked slowly toward Rannoch
and Katie with his hands outstretched. “It is over, Rannoch. Your men are dead
or captured. Let her go and give me the knife.”

Rannoch pulled Katie with him as
he moved to the door. He shoved the bolt into place. “It is just us now,” he
said. “They canna break it down in time to save any of you. So careless of me
to leave it unlocked when Sorcha left, but I was anxious to take my wife.”

“Leave off this insanity and I
will show you mercy,” Ian told him.

“Not a chance,” Rannoch replied.
Ian moved closer. Rannoch drew blood with his blade. Katie cried out in pain.
“Back off.” Ian stopped. His eyes never left his quarry.

“If you hurt her, you are a dead
man.”

“In the cabinet is a collar. I
had intended to use it on Brianna. Now it will find another use. Put it on,”
Rannoch ordered.

A slave chain from the dungeon
hung on a hook. It had a neck collar with spikes on one end and a padlock on
the other. Ian picked it up slowly.

“Put it on!” Rannoch screamed.

Heavy footfalls sounded in the
hallway outside the door. Jared’s voice rang out. “Ian, Katie, are you all
right?” Ian heard the men outside try the door. “Open up,” Jared called.

“Never,” Rannoch cried.

Ian heard Jared’s order for a
battering ram.

“Put it on.” Rannoch’s eyes
turned black as pitch. “If I have to ask you again, she is a dead woman.”

Ian snapped the collar into place
around his neck feeling the sharp spines dig into his neck. “What now?”

“Throw the key across the room.”

Ian did as Rannoch bade hearing
the clatter as it landed near the fireplace.

“Over to the bed. Chain yourself
to the post.”

The heavy chain dangled from
Ian’s neck without touching the floor. Brianna lay shaking in a pool of her own
sweat. She tried to call out to Ian as he came closer to the bed, but no sound
came forth. Drawing a deep breath, Ian wrapped the chain around the post and
pretended to snap the lock into place.

“Good,” Rannoch said. Breathing
hard and sweating profusely, Rannoch dragged Katie over to the far side of the
bed. He shoved her down on the bed face-first right on top of her sister. His
knife still danced along her neck. Katie tried to twist away and he struck her.
While she suffered the effects of his blow, he began to fumble beneath her
skirt.

Ian’s eyes met hers. “Submit,” he
said.

“Ian,” she cried. “How can you
ask this of me?”

“Do it,” he ordered. “I would
rather have you raped than dead.” He saw her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Trust me.”

Rannoch’s manic laughter echoed
through the room. “He will watch me take you,” he told Katie.

Outside the door, the first
strike of the battering ram shook the whole place. Rannoch looked Ian in the
eye, took the knife from Katie’s throat, and plunged it into Brianna’s thigh.
Brianna shrieked, twisting against her restraints.

Lifting Katie’s skirt, Rannoch
sought to mount her from behind.

The pounding sound of the
battering ram drew Rannoch’s attention to the door. Ian slipped the padlock
from the chain and lunged across the bed. In one quick motion, Ian tumbled
Rannoch to the floor and wrapped the chain around Rannoch’s neck. Ian pulled it
taut. “You are a dead man,” Ian said as he tightened his grip. The weighty
chain bit into Rannoch’s neck. Rannoch flailed and kicked. Katie joined in
pummeling Rannoch as Ian slowly squeezed the life out of him. Eventually
Rannoch’s face turned white, and then tinged with blue. With one last gurgle,
he fell limp.

Taking the knife, Katie cut the
ties that bound her sister to the bed. Brianna curled into a ball weeping.
Wrapping a blanket around her, Katie hugged Brianna tight as she sobbed
uncontrollably into Katie’s shoulder. Katie looked at Ian. “Thank you,” she
whispered.

He reached across and stroked her
face.

The final thrust of the battering
ram splintered through the door. Ian turned as Jared and five of his men rushed
into the room. “It’s over,” he told them. “I think we could use Asilinn’s help.
Brianna is wounded.”

“Please fetch my wife,” Jared
said to one of his men.

A short time later, Asilinn
entered the room and took charge. “One of you carry Brianna to her own chamber.
It doesna look too serious. I will tend her there.”

Ian moved to accommodate
Asilinn’s request. Jared stopped him. “I’d get rid of the chain first if I were
you.”

“Aye, so,” Ian agreed. He picked
the key up off the floor and unlocked the collar. The long chain clanged as it
fell from his neck. Ian moved back to the bed and picked up Brianna. Katie
walked behind them with her hand on Ian’s back. As soon as he settled Brianna
into her bed, Katie rushed into his arms. He held her fast, stroking her fiery
hair.

“I trust you with my life,” she
whispered.

He smiled down at her. “I am sure
you had a moment’s doubt.”