The Highlander's Destiny (Highland Rogues #2) - Mary Wine Page 0,4

arrangements their fathers had made?

Cora rolled over and screamed into the pillow.

*

Her horse was skittish.

The animal fought against the bridle as Cora pulled him to a stop. “Easy now,” she cooed to him as she rubbed his thick neck. The animal’s ears were far from relaxed. They moved as though searching for confirmation of a threat.

Cora contemplated the sky.

The Highlands were always a place of changing weather. A wise person kept one eye on the horizon when they were out of the safety of the stronghold. Munro land was more than half a day’s ride behind them now.

“Mistress?” Rory inquired behind her.

The Mackenzie Retainer was hardened by life, his shirt collar weathered by the elements. His doublet was open a few buttons at the neck because the chill in the air was nothing compared to the bite of winter.

The wind gusted. Like the snap of a whip, it blew through the stillness of the day. Rory looked up, his expression serious.

“Best we hurry,” Rory informed her. “I’ve a feeling the weather will nae hold.”

Cora patted her horse one final time before she used her heels against its sides to urge it forward. The animal started with a jump. Cora tightened her thighs and maintained her seat as they continued on. Their pace was brisk, the horses all seeming eager to make it home.

But Fate wasn’t planning to be so kind.

The storm blew in from the north with all the viciousness of a winter gale. It was an angry one as well. Like it had been held at bay by summer and was finally free to rage. The wind ripped at the trees, tearing the leaves from the branches and leaving them bare.

But that wasn’t enough.

Thick, black clouds flooded the sky, colliding with one another and producing huge booms of thunder. The sound echoed up and down the rocky Highlands, while Cora and the other Mackenzies struggled to maintain their grip on their bridles. It was a fight for survival now. The horses would run into the open, possibly over a cliff in panic, if they got free. Cora struggled to find the strength to grip the reins. Rain began to whip them. To say it was falling would be incorrect. The water was riding on the vicious wind, hitting them from the side like hard pellets. The onslaught was brutal, and it left her chilled to the bone.

But the only option was to press onward.

The storm wasn’t willing to let them succeed. It unleashed a crackle of lightning that split the sky open in brilliant white bolts of fire. The thunder boomed again, and suddenly, the very ground beneath them gave way.

The long summer months had seen the land drying up. But now, water was coming down too fast for the earth to absorb. The excess ran off in tiny rivers, which joined others and grew and grew until there was a torrent of water. Cora looked around in horror to see they were near the low point in the land. She squeezed her thighs tight around the saddle and tried to guide the horse toward the high ground.

But the horses began to panic. The neat column of Mackenzie riders fought for control, but they were no match for the horses. The animals turned and reared, seeking escape in all directions. Cora maintained her seat as her mount came crashing back down to earth. She felt the powerful animal leaping forward. She leaned down, hugging his neck. It jumped and bolted into the swirling storm, its only thought to escape the madness by outrunning it.

Cora sucked in a breath. She strove to maintain her composure, fighting back the urge to join the horse in mindless panic. At any moment, the land might give way to a cliff or another river, and she had to gain control of the horse before they both ended up dead.

“Easy…” She tried to settle the animal.

She pulled back on the bridle, not too hard, just enough to get the horse’s attention. She felt him hesitate, dropping into a canter.

“That’s the way,” she encouraged. “Let’s look for some shelter.”

Her eyes couldn’t adjust to the blinding lightning, and the horse refused to be soothed.

The thunder came again. Cora would have sworn she felt the sound as much as heard it. The next crack of lightning was directly above her head. The horse rose up, pawing at the air in an attempt to slay the storm. Up, up, and up. Too far for the slippery conditions. Cora felt