Authors: Hannah Howell
Highland Hunger (3 page)
“I escaped in the hope of helping the others who are still held prisoner at Dunmorton,” she said. “My plan was to find someone to help me free the others, but something went wrong, for I was not gone from the place for very long before the laird’s men were fast on my heels.”
“Mayhap one of the other prisoners told them.”
“Nay. They all ken that they are trapped until they die unless someone helps them. And they all ken that nothing they do will gain them any ease from their torment or mercy.”
“Why?”
“The laird began merely hunting ones like us for sport, killing us, or sending us to another who undoubtedly killed us. He caught poor Allana and decided he would rape her first. They fought, for Allana is no meek lass, but she lost that battle. In the fight, however, the laird swallowed some of her blood. It healed the wounds she had given him and made him feel stronger, younger even than his fifty years.”
She frowned. “Considering how he looked when I first set eyes on him, he must have had a hard life or lives hard and unwisely, for he looked far older than that.” She shrugged. “I think Allana was saved from execution at first simply because he wished to abuse her a few more times, but he quickly saw that she might have more use than as a reluctant leman. He did not need much time to discover that he was right, that Allana’s blood healed him, made him stronger, and he began to make potions of it to share with the five men closest to him.” She nodded toward his wineskin. “Much like ye have in there. Then he sent his men out to find more of us. He now has eight, aside from myself, and he keeps us caged, attempting to abuse the women and bleeding all of us for his potions so often that we are all weakened by it.”
“He raped all of the women? He raped you?” Raibeart had a fierce need to get his hands around the man’s neck.
“Nay, only Allana, Nan, and Mora, and, although he still attempts it from time to time, he no longer can do it. Allana told us not to fight him, that he needs a woman to show fear, to fight, before he can become man enough to take her. Nan and Mora still fought but quickly learned not to. Madeleine is able to swoon at will so was ne’er even taken away.”
“And you?”
“I dinnae ken why, but he fears me. I am but beaten now and then. And he may share his potion with his men but nay the women.”
The man needed to die, Raibeart thought as he fought against a surge of mind-searing rage. “That makes five. You said there were eight aside from yourself. The other four?”
“Two youths, Bartram and Colla, and two children. Two wee lasses. Joan who is six and Alma who is five.”
“He takes the blood of children?”
“Aye. Do ye see why I must find an ally?”
“Ye have found one.”
Una’s relief was so fierce it made her head spin. “Thank ye. We can leave for Dunmorton as soon as the sun sets.”
“Nay.”
Chapter Three
Una wondered if one’s heart could stop when assaulted by such a rapid, fierce change in emotion. She had been so relieved, almost elated, when he had declared himself her ally only to be struck by a crushing grief and disappointment when he said nay to going after the others. Her mind, filled with plans to save her fellow prisoners, was now empty. She was unable to gather the thread of a single thought.
Raibeart watched all color leave the woman’s face and cursed himself for not softening that nay. “You misunderstand me. I
am
your ally, lass, but we cannae save the others on our own. Two people cannae storm the laird’s wee castle and take away eight people who are undoubtedly weakened by what they have suffered, nor protect them as we flee the place.”
am
your ally, lass, but we cannae save the others on our own. Two people cannae storm the laird’s wee castle and take away eight people who are undoubtedly weakened by what they have suffered, nor protect them as we flee the place.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. For a moment, as she regained some calm, she thought over all he had said. He was right. Two people could not rescue the others alone. Even if they could get inside the keep, defeat the guards without an alarum sent out, and free the prisoners, getting that many people out safely, including two small children, would be impossible. Una knew that would be true even if all the prisoners were in good health, and they were not.
“I ken how to slip in and out of the keep,” she said, reluctant to leave the others at Dunmorton for any reason, even one as sensible as getting more help.
“And do ye nay think they now ken that?”
“I am nay sure they do. There is more than one way to get in and out unseen. The one I used was old, verra old, and I dinnae think it has been used by this laird. Mayhap his father or his grandfather, but nay him.”
“How did ye find it?”
“I wasnae a verra weel-behaved prisoner.” She gave him a brief, narrow-eyed glare when he grinned at her, even as her heart gave an odd little skip at the way the smile illuminated his handsome face. “Thrashing me didnae change that.” She nodded when his grin abruptly disappeared into a scowl. “I was made to scrub the filth from the walls and floors of the dungeon, clean the cages, scrub the ragged clothes and blankets we were allowed, empty the slops, and all of that.”
“All the filthiest work.”
“Aye, for I had revealed a need to remain as clean as I could despite the rough conditions of my imprisonment. So, one of the times I was scrubbing away I found the opening to a tunnel.”
He served her a bowl of stew. “Were ye nay guarded as ye worked?”
“Oh, aye, but nay closely. The men guarded the ways out. At least the ones they kenned about.”
“Ah, and they were nay guarding that particular opening.”
Una took one bite of stew and realized how hungry she was. It was not going to be easy to retain the good manners her mother had taught her, not while filling her empty belly and trying to tell Sir Raibeart all she knew of Dunmorton. The amusement revealed in his midnight eyes told her that he recognized her dilemma. Una decided she would just ignore that and do her best. She was too hungry and too eager to tell him everything to be concerned about embarrassing herself.
“Nay, they ne’er came near it though I lurked round it many times,” she said between bites of stew. “I decided that they didnae ken it was there and, if they didnae, then neither did the laird.”
Raibeart nodded as he filled his mouth with stew. It was not the tastiest stew he had ever made, but it would serve to fill her stomach and help her regain her strength. Una probably needed such food since she was not a Pureblood. Most of the Lost Ones they had found revealed a need for both Outsider food and blood, their need of the latter much less than a Pureblood’s but still there.
“How could ye be certain it was a tunnel that would lead ye out of the dungeon?” he asked.
“I couldnae be certain but couldnae think of what else it might be. It was verra weel hidden behind old ale kegs and one of the cages, so I kenned that I just needed one wee chance to explore it, one short time where I could slip in and out of it unseen by the guards. It took a fortnight before the guards ceased to watch me all the time. Allana was in the cage next to mine, and when we were left alone at night, she and I tried to think of ways to make certain the guards were thoroughly distracted, and for long enough, to allow me to make certain it was a tunnel I could use.”
“What did ye decide on?”
“Allana and Madeleine decided they would fight. They are in cages next to each other. The laird had the cages built just to hold us, and only the bairns are caged together. He doesnae want any of the rest of us together.” She realized she had finished her stew and was just thinking of asking for more when he took her bowl and refilled it.
“Nay, I can understand that. He kens your strengths,” he said as he handed her back the bowl. “Two of ye could cause him and his men a great deal of trouble. It would be a lot more dangerous for his men to e’en open the cage door.”
“I thought that was the way of it, too,” she said between bites. “Wee Alma took a piece out of his leg when he stepped into the bairns’ cage to take their blood. He sends two men in there now.”
Raibeart waited until she had nearly finished the second bowl of stew before asking, “So Allana and Madeleine held the attention of the guards?”
“They did. They started arguing, hurling insults that had the guards all laughing and urging them on. Then the guards yanked Allana from her cage and threw her into Madeleine’s. They wanted to watch the women really battle each other. Allana had said they would, but I was still surprised to see that she was right.”
“Two lasses tussling, skirts flying up, legs bared, mayhap a bodice ripped away? Aye, men would watch.” He grinned when she gave him a look rife with feminine disgust. “So was there a tunnel you could use?”
“There was, which is why I am here now. It was easy to see that it had not been used for many years, but it was still passable and it led to a place near the edge of the burn that runs along the south side of the keep. I moved as fast as I could, getting in and out quickly, but it was still a very close run race. The guards were already dragging a cursing Allana back to her cage.”
“Why did ye nay just flee when ye had the chance? Why risk them seeing ye coming back into the dungeon?”
“I couldnae leave the others. I needed to talk with Allana and the rest before I did try to leave them. There might have been some way for all of us to flee, even though I hadnae seen one. Nay when there are always four guards and only I was let free of the cage.” She set her empty bowl down and sighed. “I hated to leave them. I am certain they will suffer for it.”
“Ye were their only hope of getting help. Are ye certain none of them are the reason those men found ye so quickly?”
“Verra certain. I am also certain they didnae find the way I got out, either. I should have had enough time to get clear of the area, for the women were going to distract the guards again and, as I said, they didnae watch me all that closely, for they were guarding the only ways out as far as they kenned. The fools probably think I made some spell. Either my absence was discovered far too soon or someone caught sight of me as I slipped out of the bolt-hole near the burn. There was a cleared area I needed to cross. And there is always the chance that the laird or some of his men chose that time to come down for more blood and realized I was gone when they began to dismiss the guards. They ne’er let the guards stay when they come for blood.”
“And ye are certain ’tis only the laird and his five closest men who ken about the blood?”
She nodded and idly rubbed her cheek. “The laird doesnae trust anyone. I am nay sure he even fully trusts those five men. And once he discovered our blood could heal him, strengthen him, I believe he even ceased to trust the one he used to send our kind to. He must believe that that mon had already learned the secret and wasnae sharing it with any of the others who hunt our kind down.”
“ ’Tis likely he is right to think that. What of the other people of Dunmorton?”
“Some bad, some good, just as it is in most places. There are nay so verra many of them for the land is poor and the laird rules with a harsh hand. Many have left to try to find a better life elsewhere, even his two sons. The laird liked to boast on how he would probably still be hale and strong when his ungrateful whelps died of old age.”
“So, there may only be six men we will need to kill.”
Una stared at him in surprise. The cold, firm tone of his voice told her he meant every word he said. In the flickering light of the fire, he looked predatory, all the soft amiability gone from his features. It should frighten her to see him like that, but Una realized she was comforted. After being alone and frightened for so long, she had finally found a strong ally. He would do whatever was necessary to protect her and help her friends.
“Are ye certain they must be killed?” she asked although she believed the laird and his men deserved whatever fate Raibeart dealt them. “We could just steal the prisoners and slip away.”
“I fear the men ken too much. We have only just discovered that our blood can heal Outsiders ourselves. This is a secret that cannae be allowed to be told.”
“Outsiders?”
“Those who are nay of MacNachton blood. Our laird decided that we were dying, no bairns born to the clan for many, many years. Not amongst the Purebloods. He was born of an Outsider and a Pureblood. He also realized it isnae so easy for us to stay hidden at Cambrun anymore, that the world outside its walls is growing, secrecy becoming more difficult to maintain. For our own survival as a people, we had to begin to look outside the clan for wives. He found one and both his sons can tolerate a lot of sun. He thought we could breed out most of what makes us so different and feared, but the Lost Ones are showing us that it may ne’er all go away.”
“Nay. And it can come back a wee bit now and then. ’Tis stronger in me than it was in my mother.” A fresh pang of grief struck her when she thought of her family’s deaths. “I wish I had kenned that my blood could heal. I might have been able to save my family.”
“How did they die?”
“A fever.”
”It may have helped, but ye cannae be certain, and we who have lived with what we are for hundreds of years didnae ken what our blood could do for others until recently. Ye couldnae have helped them when ye didnae ken how.”
Una nodded. “I ken that. It just hurt for a wee moment. What do we do now?”
“We rest and then we go to Cambrun,” Raibeart replied as he moved to lie out his bedding.
“How far away is Cambrun?”
“Three nights’ ride if all goes weel.”
“Then, at the verra least, it will be over a sennight before I can rescue the others.”
“At least. It willnae take us long to plan our attack for, since finding the first of the Lost Ones, we are always at the ready to ride out. The only thing that slows us down is that most of us still need to shelter from the sun. That is a weakness I will be verra pleased to see bred out.”
“Ye cannae abide any sun, can ye?” Una was weary but could see that he had only enough bedding for one, and she was not looking forward to sleeping on the hard rock floor of the cave.
“Verra little. We all have heavy cloaks so that we may ride or go out in the early morning or at the end of the day, but I am a Pureblood and the sun is poison to me. ’Tis as if it slowly draws the life right out of me.”
“I have felt the same when caught out in the middle of the day.” She frowned as she thought of the ones still trapped at Dunmorton. “I think some of the other prisoners may have a stronger dose of MacNachton blood than I do. The bairns say they cannae abide the sun much past the dawn. So the weakness your laird tries to breed out appears determined to linger in the blood.”
“Or they are the get of one of our men who went awandering and ne’er returned. Some go looking for a mate but find only death, too often betrayed by the verra woman they thought was their mate.”
Una wanted to question that word
mate
but yawned instead. With her belly full for the first time in far too long and the bloodrich wine she had drunk healing and strengthening her, her body now demanded rest from the ordeal she had suffered. She knew she needed sleep to continue to regain the strength she would need to help the others, but she wished she had had the chance before fleeing Dunmorton to grab a few supplies, especially a blanket. The hard rock floor was sure to leave her with a few new aches in her battered body.
mate
but yawned instead. With her belly full for the first time in far too long and the bloodrich wine she had drunk healing and strengthening her, her body now demanded rest from the ordeal she had suffered. She knew she needed sleep to continue to regain the strength she would need to help the others, but she wished she had had the chance before fleeing Dunmorton to grab a few supplies, especially a blanket. The hard rock floor was sure to leave her with a few new aches in her battered body.
“Ye can share my bedding,” said Raibeart as he set aside his boots, placed his weapons close at hand, and stretched out on the bedding. “There is room.”
Even though there was the fire between them, Raibeart watched her tense and lean away from him. She may not have suffered rape at the laird’s hands, but she had no trust in men. Her beauty guaranteed that she had been the victim of unwanted attentions, especially if she had been alone and unprotected for any length of time. There were too many men out there who had no respect for women and little care, thinking it their right to take what they wanted even if the woman did not want to give it. Una Dunn was going to be a difficult woman to woo, he mused, and he now had every intention of wooing her.
It would amuse his friends and family to know how hard and fast he had fallen. Her grace and beauty had caught his eye first, but that was no surprise. Una was a woman made to catch a man’s eye. It was what he had learned of her as they had talked that had grabbed hold of his heart and would not let go. Her loyalty to her fellow prisoners, her need to free them at any cost to herself, her clever escape, and her courage all drew him to her. He could only hope she would see something worthy in him in time.
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