The Scot's Pursuit - Keira Montclair Page 0,72

then stood up. She didn’t comprehend what was happening. Jep was her father? How could that be?

Jep said, “I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you, but your father threatened to have me sent away if I didn’t keep quiet, and I wanted to watch you grow up. I loved your mother, and I promised her I’d always watch over you.”

Branwen slid back down the wood and stared at Jep.

Kyla clasped her shoulder and said, “I know ’tis a shock to you, but once you think on it, you’ll see ’tis for the best. You finally understand why your father has treated you so poorly over the years.”

Jep sat down again and said, “Aye, he found out the truth two years ago.”

Everything in her world had changed.

She didn’t know what to say.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“I hear hoofbeats,” Alick said, straightening. “Who is it, Dyna?” He needed her seer abilities now more than ever.

Dyna stepped out of the brush as if it gave her a clearer view. After a short pause, she said, “They’re from Thane Castle, but the captives aren’t with them.”

“How many?” Cailean asked.

Dyna stared off into the distance, then spun around and said, “About ten. The first group is meant to take out any reivers. Mostly English. Kyla, Branwen, and her father are in the next group.”

Derric scoffed. “You refused to answer my question about how you know things, and now I’m supposed to believe you not only know warriors are coming but also how many there will be?”

“What?”

“Easy enough to see if she’s right,” Cailean said. “I still can’t hear anything, and I’ve always been an able tracker. If she’s correct, I’ll always believe her.” Then he glanced at Derric and grinned. “Some people are fools, though.”

Dyna, who’d steadfastly ignored their exchange, said, “Sorcha, come this way. These trees are the easiest to climb.”

They took their bows and arranged themselves in the trees while Alick told Cailean and Derric where to position themselves. “Less than ten we should be able to take out. Five of us to ten of them.”

“If your mother isn’t with them, why bother?” Sorcha asked. “Shall we not just allow them to pass?”

All the others turned to stare at her as if she’d said something sacrilegious.

“Sorcha, they’re English,” Alick said as if it were answer enough—and truly it was.

Derric said, “Kill them before they kill you.”

“They may slow down or plan to drop back to protect the next group,” Cailean added.

Dyna said, “These men are part of the group that intends to face our clan at Lorn. If we can handle them, we’re helping our family. The first group was too large for us.”

Cailean grinned. “I love those numbers.”

The three large Highlanders mounted and hid their horses in the trees. Alick waited on one side of the path while Derric and Cailean took the opposite side. A few minutes later, the group arrived. None of the guards were wearing Thane plaids, but Alick was disappointed to see Dyna was correct.

There were no prisoners, just ten warriors, all swordsmen.

He bellowed his war cry and charged out of the trees to attack. Three men went down with arrows in their chests before he reached the closest warrior. Shadow was already in battle mode, his powerful legs pawing in his eagerness to join the attack, but Alick held him back. He had to take out two of the closest enemies first.

His side arc sliced open the belly of the first warrior, and the man fell off his horse. He noticed Cailean took two out in the time it took him to go after his second target, connecting with the man’s sword and forcing him off his horse. Once he hit the ground, an arrow pierced his neck. Derric battled another warrior and finished him in short order.

That left four men, which meant Dyna had been off by two warriors. He went after one of them, deciding to let Shadow have his fun. On his signal, the great beast rose up on his hind legs, and his paws came down on the other warrior’s mount, knocking the man off.

That’s when chaos unleashed. The horse stood up and ran wild, frantically trying to escape. The other two men struggled to control their mounts, which made it easy for Cailean to finish one while Derric took the other. Another arrow hit the man still on the ground.

Then ten horses began to stampede, acting daft. Had circumstances been different, they could have let the beasts run free, but the terrified