to come along.
“Henry, is it not the Grants who have ties to the abbey?” asked one of the men standing behind the leader.
The man apparently named Henry was the one who’d held the dagger to his throat. “Ewan, you make a good point. I think he does have the connections to get us inside the abbey.”
“I thought you were headed to Edinburgh.” He sat up and pushed a wee bit away from them, making sure to hide his sword. But they all had swords in their sheaths, too. Regardless of their fighting ability, or lack thereof, one man against three was not good odds. Perhaps he should do as they asked until they arrived at the abbey. Then he’d have a chance to sneak away.
“We are, after we go to Lochluin Abbey. And you could be just what we need to guarantee our success.” Henry smiled, rubbing his long beard. “Good thinking, Ewan.”
Ewan smiled, his two missing teeth evident. “Aye. With his help, we’ll all be wealthy this Yule.”
“Wealthy?” Thorn asked. He knew nothing about the abbey’s finances, but he’d gone there often as a young lad. The abbey was guarded by the Camerons, long-time allies of the Grants. On more than one occasion, Connor and Loki had made the journey together, along with their wives and children. Claray, Nari, and Thorn would often play together. They’d loved finding their way through the maze of passageways, even into the cellars, though Claray hated dark, damp places, and Sela would never come down the stairs after them. Exploring buildings was one of his favorite things to do.
Henry chuckled. “We’ll steal their coin to fund our trip to Edinburgh.”
“And if you help us,” Ewan added, “we’ll leave you be and go on our way. If you don’t, we’ll kill you right now. What’s your choice, warrior?”
Thorn swallowed hard, knowing he’d have to go along with them to give himself a chance to escape or best them.
“Looks as though I’ll be traveling with you.”
“Wise man. And once you hand over that fine Grant sword and your dagger, we’ll leave.”
Thorn had no choice, but his insides churned beyond belief. Unfortunately, they’d done the one thing that guaranteed he would follow.
They’d taken the sword Connor Grant had ordered made just for him, and he’d never leave until he got it back.
Chapter Eight
Claray was beside herself with worry. If Thorn would just return, she would relax. It had been two long days, and there’d been no word from him. Loki was heading back to Castle Curanta with his warriors, so Nari had promised they’d search for Thorn on the way back.
“We’ll find him, fear not,” Loki had told her.
Nari had stood nodding behind Loki. “And when we do, I promise to send a missive back letting you know that he’s hale. You’ll see him at Yule. I promise. He loves Yule. ’Tis his favorite time of the year because of all the food.”
Loki had chuckled and said, “Thorn has been with Clan Grant for a long time. He wouldn’t leave us willingly. He may go off for a jaunt now and then, but he always returns. If anything will bring him back, ’tis you, lass. Worry no more on it because the man loves to eat. He’ll be here for the pheasant, the stew, and the fruit pies. And you,” he added with a wink.
They’d taken their leave shortly after breaking their fast, and Claray’s heart had dropped into the pit of her belly. She needed someone to talk to, desperately, but who? Dyna hadn’t returned yet, her mother was hurt, and her father was traumatized over her mother. Astra was too young for these kinds of discussions.
She felt more helpless than ever.
It was the middle of the afternoon when she heard a fuss rise up near the gates. She ran out of the keep to see who had arrived, and much to her delight, it was Aunt Jennie. There wasn’t a sweeter soul on this land than Jennie Grant Cameron, and her healing touch had helped so many of them…just like Claray hoped it would help her mother.
“Aunt Jennie. How was your journey? I hope Dyna did not rush you too much.”
Aunt Jennie was helped down by Jamie, who set her carefully on her feet. “Nay, I’m always at the ready. My brothers and sister have given me such a large family to take care of that I learned long ago to have my healer’s bag always packed, plus an overnight bag. That has served