The Bard (Highland Heroes #5) - Maeve Greyson Page 0,85

hint of light. It was as though she had been buried alive. Damnation. She wished she hadn’t thought of that. Now, it felt even harder to breathe. Enough. She refused to panic. Since everything either ached, burned, or felt numb, she knew she wasn’t dead, and if she wasn’t dead, then it was time to figure out a way to escape this situation.

Once safe and in a better state, she would plot a suitable revenge against whoever had done this. Forcing a calm she knew she needed in order to survive, she concentrated on sliding her uninjured right hand up her body and out of whatever had been wrapped around her. She pictured herself swaddled like a newborn babe. At least, that’s the way it felt.

As her inner elbow pressed harder into her ribs, the resulting pain triggered a cold sweat and nausea. Even though it hurt something fierce, she eased in a steady breath and swallowed hard. She dared not vomit. To do so would make her choke to death with that infernal knotted cloth blocking her mouth. After a few moments, thankfully, the feeling passed, and she resumed worming her hand out from under the binding. If she could just get her fingers close enough to her face, she could yank out whatever it was between her teeth. That in and of itself would be cause for celebration.

Bit by bit, she bent her elbow and steadily pushed outward with her good arm. She had no idea if that actually loosened the bindings, but it seemed easier to crawl her hand upward after each stretching of the material wrapped around her. Both the darkness and the silence were beginning to take their toll, but she refused to dwell on it and let hysteria overcome her. One worry at a time. Get rid of the gag, breathe, and swallow for now. She would figure out the rest as she came to it.

With her forearm pinned to her chest, she almost cried with joy as she felt cool air across her fingertips and brushed them against her jaw. No tears, she sternly reminded herself. At least not until she got rid of the gag and could draw in air through her mouth. Just a little farther. She tucked her chin and angled her face toward her hand. Three of her fingers pinched a fold of the gag, but she couldn’t reach far enough with her thumb to help with the chore.

Bending her wrist and pushing with slow, steady force, she attempted to produce more slack. She reached again, straining to grab hold of the rag and attempt what she hoped was an actual pushing with her tongue. The knot worked out from between her teeth far enough so that she could finally spit it out.

She wheezed in a great mouthful of air, then cried out with the burning pain it triggered. “I dinna care,” she whispered, working her aching jaws back and forth. Her tongue still felt strange, and her sense of smell was gone, but she felt so much better. “And now for my swaddling,” she said quietly, finding it a comfort to speak out loud.

With her face turned aside, she worked her arm the rest of the way out, reaching up and around as far as she could. There was a cold stone wall behind her head and one to her right. It relieved her to no end to find out that she couldn’t reach anything above her. “At least, if they’ve stuffed me inside a tomb, it’s a large one.” Large, in her almost panicked state, meant plenty of air. She would take her blessings where she could find them.

With her one free hand, she examined what was wrapped around her so snugly she could barely bend her knees. Whatever it was would make it impossible for her to sit upright. Bedclothes, maybe? Folded and knotted around her? As far as she had been able to touch, no rope had been used. She fumed about that for a while. With her wriggling and stretching, the tied cloth might be knotted even tighter.

“It canna be helped. I had to be rid of that infernal gag.” But now her bare arm had gotten bitterly cold and transmitted the chill to the rest of her. Even with her teeth chattering, she yanked a fold upward to her mouth and did her best to tear the cloth. If she could get a good rip started, she might be able to free herself