The Bard (Highland Heroes #5) - Maeve Greyson Page 0,84

within a circle, then held his lantern so Sutherland could see his face. “For protection and to show I’m the one who’s been here,” he explained. “We will find her and get her back. Believe, so the gods and fate will help us.” Pagan to the core, Magnus swore by the old ways, especially since, in his mind, Christianity had murdered his mother.

“I willna allow myself to think anything less,” Sutherland said, then forged onward into the darkness. He strained to hear the slightest sound other than his own footsteps. Occasionally, he’d pause and check the floors and walls for any possible sign that someone had recently passed.

The floor was always clean. Too damned clean. And then it hit him. He remembered Sorcha’s stripped bed. If the bastard had carried her away wrapped in her bedsheets and feather ticking, chances were that some of the material had dragged the ground. If that were the case, the floor would be swept clean behind them. Sutherland didn’t know whether to be thankful for the clean passage or frustrated. Footsteps would be so much easier to follow.

The sound of scurrying or scratching whispered off in the distance. He paid it no mind. Vermin would be no help to him. But then the very walls around him seemed to shudder and, not too far ahead, the growling grind of heavy stone shifting made him lift his sword. At last. Sign of someone in this winding hell other than himself. Light flickered and danced along the walls.

Rather than douse his own lantern, Sutherland placed it on the floor and charged toward the other light with his sword raised. The light blinded him as steel clashed with steel.

“Sutherland!” Magnus barked as he swung his lantern aside.

“Shite!” Sutherland stepped back. “How the hell did ye end up ahead of me?”

“Greyloch said the place was a maze capable of changing. I came to what I thought was a solid wall. When I checked closer, I found a lever near the floor, and it triggered the wall to slide aside—opening the passage back into this one.” He turned and scratched another star beside the opening. “Who knows how many more do the same?” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I will say that this passage feels to have a downward tilt to it.” Lowering his lantern to the floor, he held it close to the opening of the other tunnel. The floor of the passage in which they stood was not flush with the opening. It did indeed appear to be sloping.

“I’ll fetch my lantern, and we’ll keep to this one until it plays out.” Sutherland turned back, determination tightening the knot in his chest. He scooped up the light and strode forward. If they reached the end of this tunnel with no success, he had a good mind to start tearing out walls until he found her and held her in his arms again. “Come,” he invited as he lengthened his stride. “Apparently, we’ve miles of tunnels to run and damn little time in which to do it.”

*

She couldn’t move and could barely breathe. Some sort of knotted rag had been shoved between her teeth, large enough to make her jaws ache. What in heaven’s name had they decided to do to her in the name of healing? Sorcha opened her eyes but discovered a blackness just as dark as if she still had them closed, maybe even darker if that was possible. Her bedchamber had never been so absent of light. Even the coals in the hearth had gone out. No wonder it felt so very cold. She worked her jaws and tried to shove out the gag with her tongue, but had no success. In fact, she wasn’t even sure her tongue was pushing. It felt strangely numb and thick.

Her temples throbbed as though she had partaken of too much wine and not enough food. The ache in her left shoulder and the burning pain in her sides with even the slightest intake of breath reminded her of the fall, but her thoughts were still a muddled mess. She distinctly remembered talking to Sutherland earlier. Maybe. Now that she thought more about it, had she talked to him or merely dreamt it? The more she assessed her current state, the angrier she got. Where was this place? Who had done this to her, and why in the devil, couldn’t she move?

She opened her eyes wider and turned her head, searching for any