Alasdair. I shan’t be long.” The maid carried the boy over to Kenzie and placed him into a hammock-like structure that hung about her neck and was held in place by another piece of cloth that tied about her stomach. The child wasn’t visible unless you looked into the little hammock. Kenzie checked that Alasdair seemed comfortable and slid the little woolen hat over his head. “You should go, too, Beth. The castle could fall to Clan Grant, and I cannot promise ye safety.”
“My mother is alone in the village, mistress. I should like to be with her, if you’re happy with me leaving ye.”
“Go,” Kenzie said, ushering her to the door. She watched as the lass ran down the hall before she headed to her own room, picking up a thick shawl and placing a little dagger into her pocket.
“Are ye ready, Kenzie?”
“Yes,” she said, following Bruce down the hall and toward the stairs. Roars and shouts sounded outside, and tears pricked her eyes. She placed a hand around the baby to try and protect him as much as she could, although if anyone attacked them there would be little she could do with her small dagger.
“This way, Kenzie.” Bruce gestured her toward the bailey wall that had a large green vine growing over it. Pushing a part of it back, a small hidden door was revealed. “Through here.”
The battle spilled into the bailey just as Kenzie went through the door, but leaving didn’t take her view away from what was going on. There were many Grants, far more than she’d realized when Ben had gone out to fight Evan Grant.”
Just as Ben had said, the fight was no longer just between the two of them, but clan against clan. The front door of the castle was kicked in, and as Kenzie slid down the steep hill leading away from the castle, the distinct smell of smoke met her senses. They had lit the castle on fire. So where was Ben?
At the bottom of the hill she turned to look and saw Ben and Evan. Sword clanged against sword, the sounds only broken when one would slip or stumble.
“You must leave, Kenzie, lass. There are horses in the trees just beyond. The laird wants ye at Laird MacLeod’s where he will, God willing,” he said, making a sign of the cross over his chest, “meet ye in a few days.”
An arrow shot out from the trees near where Ben fought with Evan, and like a slow-motion horror movie Kenzie watched as the weapon distracted Ben from the threat directly in front of him.
Evan sliced and then used the sword in a dagger-like fashion, and Ben was struck. He dropped to his knees, clasping his side and the breath in Kenzie’s lungs froze. She heard a woman scream and realized as she ran toward him that it was her.
“Ben,” she said again, skidding to a stop beside him. Evan Grant was walking toward the castle, having completed what he set out to do. To kill the laird of Ross.
“Is it bad? Let me see,” she said.
He lifted his hand to clasp her cheek before dropping to touch his son. “Get to MacLeod land, lass. Ye must leave. Now. Before it’s too late.
“I cannot leave you here.” Out of her peripheral vision she saw Bruce lead two horses from the trees, gesturing her to join him.
“Ye must, lass. Save my boy and yourself.” He paused, meeting her gaze. “I love ye, Kenzie. So much. I’m sorry.”
Kenzie swiped at her tears, leaning down and kissing him quickly. “You’re not going to die here, Ben. I can’t let that happen.”
He chuckled a little, but even Kenzie could tell he was losing a lot of blood. She grabbed her shawl and pressed it against his wound. Hard. “It is I who should be apologizing for what I’m about to do.”
Evan Grant yelled, and Kenzie looked toward the castle to see both him and his father cantering toward her on horses. Never in her life had she ever seen anyone with such determination to exterminate someone. In this case, her, Ben, and Alasdair. Surely, they wouldn’t kill their own grandchild?
“Please, Kenzie. Go. I can’t see ye killed in front of me.”
Kenzie sat Ben up a little, getting behind him and wrapping herself about him as much as she could without squashing Alasdair “I’m sorry Ben, but I won’t leave you.” And with the image of Clan Grant barreling toward them Kenzie started to speak the