One with whom ye cannae use yer gifts…herald that shrouds the eye of truth…for he comes with the demise of the daughter of truth.
When Jane saw one of her father's soldiers cross into the hallway before them, she screamed.
“Ach, God! I should've ken better than tae trust a lass from a family of fibbers!”
Darach quickly wrapped his hand around her mouth to muffle her again, but it was too late. The man had heard, and he was running toward them. Her abductor pulled her back into the darkness, and with one hand, he tore a panel from her dressing gown, gagging her.
The guard squinted into the dimness but could neither see nor hear her in the thick shadows. Jane’s abductor was holding her still with his bigger frame. The seconds passed heavily until the guard left, and then, with a series of curses, Darach hauled Jane over his shoulder like she was a log. She resisted, kicking and wiggling, but she was no match for the strength of the man before her. He held her up easily and ran toward the rear end of the keep.
The darkness thickened even more before them as he carried her further away. He cut through a passageway into the underbelly of the keep. The stench of rot around the slimy walls pressed all around her—so much so that she gagged.
She couldn't breathe. It felt as if she was sealed in a tomb. She was unnerved by it all, but he showed no discomfort as he placed one hand on her shoulder and dragged her through the dirt.
Jane knew no help was going to come in here.
How had he known this way? Maybe he was in on his companion's plans all along, and his refusal to accept the man's crime was all a mere façade.
Jane was determined to keep her wits around her and take the first chance to escape. She kept her eyes trained on the shadowy path that he threaded with sure feet in front of her. She could barely see a thing. He had plucked a torch from the halls, but it illuminated nothing beyond their next step. She walked calmly behind him, letting him lead her without restraint.
She knew she had only to bide her time.
Jane saw her chance when they stepped outside the castle into the green fields beyond the keep. The cold made her freeze for a second, but she didn’t give up. These were woods she knew well, and he probably wouldn't. He also wouldn't know there was a little band of soldiers that were overseeing her father's flax farm just beyond the wall.
The bright moonlight in the star-filled sky fueled her hope. She could easily find her way back with these. She waited until they were near a big tree on the edge of a slope, and she staggered intentionally. When Darach reached forward to grab her, she pushed him with all her might, causing him to lose his footing and roll down the hill.
Jane swiftly turned and ran. Her leg caught in a grassy knoll, and she twisted her ankle but didn't stop. She stood up and ran again, heading for the garrison. When she reached the clearing where she expected the guards to be, she found no one. The tents were gone, and there were no signs of soldiers.
She groaned in disappointment and dropped to the ground, hearing the steps following her. There was no point in running. She curled her body against the chill of the night’s air and sobbed silently. Her ankle was starting to throb with pain, and now that she was out in the open, her night shift provided no warmth.
She lay there, shivering in the cold, until she was picked up from the ground and lumped over a shoulder. She knew it was Darach Robertson who had found her, and she barely reacted as he walked away into the trees.
Every step took her further away from home, but she didn't have the strength in her to resist. He was a warm body to cling to, and the pain in her leg subsided because it was suspended in the air. She gave in to the drowsiness that overtook her, and she either slept off or fainted on her abductor's shoulders. She didn’t know. She didn’t care.
There was no point in fighting the darkness that hugged her.
* * *
When Jane opened her eyes, she was warm. A cloak had been laid over her, and a fire crackled three feet away. The heat from the flames was a welcome change from the frigid feeling that had pushed her exhausted body into unconsciousness.
Her mind slowly registered where she was and what had happened, and she shuddered in shock.
It is not a dream.
The dark laird had indeed abducted her.
The man in her thoughts suddenly stepped out from the shadows behind the fire, and she panicked, trying to stand and run, only to find that she couldn't move because she'd been bound to a tree. Was this some sort of joke?
“Dinnae be worried,” he said, his gait sure and steady as he approached her. “The ropes were as much for yer own safety as it was tae keep ye in place. Ye've tried so much tae run away, and doing that in these woods would be dangerous for ye. The forest here is nae like the friendly woods around yer faither’s keep.”
Jane tried to reply, but her words came out contorted from the gag still around her mouth. She twisted around, feeling the ropes bite into her skin. He gave an irritated grunt, and a minute later, she was untied and the gag was removed.
Darach loomed over her, and the shadows from the fire made him look even bigger and more intimidating than before.
“There’s nae one tae hear ye scream, only cutthroats and wild animals. If ye utter a sound, I’ll be glad tae leave ye tae their mercy.”
Jane looked around. She'd heard of the woods beyond the MacThomas lands, and the stories had been nothing but grim. He was right about one thing: there'd be no help for her here, only more problems, and calling for attention was not part of her plans. She nodded her understanding and crawled into an upright position.
“How far from home are we?”