The Devil's Laird Read online

  They traveled hard until the night came and they were forced to stop and rest the horses.

  Roderick couldn’t sleep because all he could think of was Michael and Siena. He prayed that neither of them was hurt. When was she going to trust and obey him? She was only a woman and not capable of taking on her father and his men. That was his job. What if something happened to her? He paused and then shook his head. Damn, he just realized that Siena meant the world to him. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he couldn’t remember not having her in his life.

  And his son… his prayers had been answered or would be once his son was in his arms again.

  At the break of dawn, they were riding again. The ride was hard and fast-paced, but no one complained. They all knew what was at stake. It was noon when they spotted a lone rider . . . a very small lone rider.

  “Michael,” Roderick shouted and watched the child’s head jerk up.

  Michael looked up at Barra who was flying above him. “Is it really da?”

  “It is. You have made it to safety, Michael. I’ll leave you now and go back to the castle. Stay safe and go meet your father.”

  “Thank ye, Barra,” Michael said, then kicked his horse in the sides. In no time, he was even with his father.

  Roderick jerked the child from his horse and smothered him in a hug. “I dinna believe I’ve found ye. Are ye hurt, son?”

  “Nay,” Michael said as he leaned back with a big smile on his face. “Hello Angus, Galen, and Duncan”

  “Lad, we thought we’d never see ye again,” Galen said as he reached over and touched the boy on the shoulder.

  “I dinna think so either.”

  “Look at ye,” Angus said. “Appears ye’ve grown two inches, lad.”

  Michael threw out his chest, then said, “I’m a big boy now.”

  “Yes, ye are,” Roderick said with a chuckle, then he asked. “Where is Lady Siena?”

  “She saved me, da. Lady Siena came and took me out of the castle by a secret passage. She gave me this horse and told me to stay on the road until I found you.”

  “But where is she now?”

  “She gave herself over to the bad men so I could escape. They are mean and will hurt her.” Tears rolled down his face. “Ye have to save her.”

  Roderick frowned. A flicker of apprehension coursed through his blood. He would kill the bastards. For now, he managed to get his emotions under control as he asked,“Where did they go? “

  “I dinna see, but I think they went back to that old castle.”

  Roderick gave the signal for everyone to dismount. Once he was on the ground, he took his son aside. “Can ye tell me where the secret passage is located?” Michael nodded and told him everything his father wanted to know.

  “What are we going to do?” Galen asked.

  “Michael, I want ye to return to Black Dawn with Galen.”

  “No, da. I dinna want to lose ye again.” Michael wrapped his arms around his father’s neck. “And Lady Siena – she said she is my mother. I dinna want to lose her either.”

  Roderick pried the lad’s arm from around his neck. “Ye’ll no lose me ever again, but I have to go and find Lady Siena, and I need to ken that ye are safe so that I dinna worry about you.”

  “Nobody will ever get ye again,” Galen promised. “Ye can ride with me since ye are probably tired.”

  Roderick hugged his son once last time and told him he loved him. He felt something in the child’s jacket. “What is this?” He reached in the jacket and pulled out a bunny.

  “Lady Siena brought me my rabbit.”

  Roderick felt his throat closing and he had to clear his voice to say, “’Twas nice of Siena. Ye take care of yer rabbit.” He placed Michael on Galen’s horse.

  “A word, Galen.”

  “Take five men and dinna let Michael out of yer sight for one minute until I return.”

  “He’ll be in good hands.”

  “Something else, brother.” Roderick leaned in and whispered something which made Galen nod, then smiled. “It’s about time, brother.”

  Roderick and the rest of his men rode to Balan Castle.

  Sometimes to get rid of evil it needed to be jerked out root and stem.

  Chapter 18

  They rode hard to Balan Castle but stopped at the edge of the forest just overlooking the castle.

  “We stop here tonight,” Roderick ordered. The men and horses needed to rest while he thought about his plan to rescue Siena.

  He was going to give her a piece of his mind once he made sure she was once again safe. She should have waited for him. Instead, she put herself in grave danger. Then he said a prayer that she was safe, and she wouldn’t object when he killed her father. The son of a bitch had held his son for a year. That thought made Roderick’s hands shake. The man was responsible for injustice to his clan. They needed their revenge, too.

  At the first light of day, Roderick took three men with him to find the secret passage Michael told him about. The rest of his men were to circle the castle and wait for them to open the main gate. No sense in getting some of his men killed breaching the walls when it could be avoided.

  Michael had given good directions for finding the wall and warning him to take a flint with him to light the torch. In no time they were running down the torchlit tunnel knocking cobwebs out of their way as they climbed the stairs to the door. Roderick shoved on the door and the chest slipped enough so that they could get into the room.

  Immediately Roderick saw his son’s blanket, so this is where Michael had been held. Roderick bent over and picked up the blanket and tucked it in his belt. A cold fury seeped through his veins. The mon would pay, but for now, he needed to stay focused.

  “Let us make our way to the front gate so our lads can come in an easy way.” Luckily the castle’s men were still sleeping and the guards at the gate were easily taken down with little noise.

  The gate was opened, and the Scots swept into the courtyard and fanned out, but many stayed on the outside and surrounded the castle close enough to help if needed.

  They were ready.

  Cinge had just crawled out of his bed when he heard someone banging on his door. Blast it was early, he thought and then yelled, “Enter.” He grabbed his pants and slipped them on.

  David, his first in command, rushed into the room. “Milord, there are Scots in the courtyard! Laird Scott is there also.”

  “Kill them and be done with it.”

  “Milord, there are at least fifty Scots out there.”

  “So?”

  “And a hundred more surrounding the castle. We are vastly outnumbered. Their laird said he was waiting on you.”

  Cinge didn’t like hearing that small fact as he finished dressing. He grabbed his sword and made his way to the bailey. He would get rid of this Scot once and for all.

  Once out there he scanned the courtyard. David hadn’t lied. The Scots were everywhere, and their laird stood in the middle, feet braced apart, looking none too happy.

  “Where is my wife?” Roderick yelled.

  “My daughter is not here. She left yesterday with Lord Malcolm. I doubt you will ever see her again.”

  “Why is that?”

  “She is taking Malcolm to the Holy Grail, and I’m sure he will kill her once she is no longer needed. My daughter is evil and has been since the day she was born.”

  “Ye are talking about my wife!” Roderick was seething. His temper was held by a slim thread of discipline. “And ye call yourself her father. Ye have never been a father to the lass. The only evil I see here is yerself, but I want ye to know before ye die that this is for Siena and for daring to hold my son captive for over a year.”

  Cinge’s laugh rang harshly. “How is the boy?”

  Roderick exploded as he shoved his sword in the air and shouted, “No mercy!”

  It was a bloodbath. Roderick’s highly trained warriors were far superior to the English soldiers. The Scots’ swords whirled through the a
ir and arms severed from their bodies now littered the ground.

  Screams filled the air as Roderick advanced on Cinge. His knights tried to help protect Cinge but Duncan and Angus took care of them.

  Roderick never took his gaze off his enemy until he met him. Their swords clanged metal on metal. They moved as if they were dancing… the dance of death. Cinge’s face turned red with the effort of meeting Roderick’s superior strength.

  Finally, Roderick knocked the sword out of Cinge’s hand and knocked him to his knees.

  “An eye for an eye,” Roderick spat.

  Cinge glared up at Roderick. “You will never find her if you kill me. You will be too late.”

  “Ye will never know.” Roderick thrust his sword through Cinge’s black heart. As he withdrew his sword, he wiped the English blood off on the baron’s clothes.

  At long last revenge was his and he felt the burden he’d carried for so long lift from his body. However, without Siena, he could never be completely happy. She had somehow managed to become a part of him and he needed her. But how was he going to find her?

  He watched servants as they filed out into the courtyard. He made his usual speech that Balan Castle was under his control and the servants wouldn’t be hurt.

  A stout woman who he assumed was the cook from her stained apron rushed over to him. “Milord, you are Lady Siena husband?”

  “Aye.”

  “Lady Siena gave me a message for you should you come for her.”

  “And the message?”

  “You must hurry. Go to Edinburgh and find the church of St. Stephens. Behind the church is a forest, and in the woods, you will find a small chapel hidden in the vines and that is where she will be if she survives.”

  “What is your name, lass?”

  “Elsa, milord.”

  “Ye will be rewarded, Elsa, upon my return.”

  “I need no reward, sire. Just save milady. She is a good person.”

  “My thanks. How many men did she leave with?”

  “Three, milord.”

  Roderick went to find Duncan.

  “I’m going after Siena,” Roderick told Duncan and his brother, Angus.

  “Wait. We can send men with ye.”

  “Nay. I can travel faster by myself. This is something that I must do. I will meet ye back at Black Dawn.”

  Chapter 19

  They journeyed along the tree-covered road with the only sounds being that of the horses’ hoofs hitting the ground and the birds in the trees.

  Siena was riding lead. So far, she had managed to keep their pace slow in hopes that Roderick would come after her. He’d saved her once before. Would he do so now?

  However, on the second day, her hopes were dimming. Once he had his son back, he really didn’t need her anymore. She felt that Roderick cared for her, but he’d never said that he loved her.

  Now she had to think for herself and not depend on anyone rescuing her.

  She was lucky that Lord Malcolm had chosen only two soldiers to ride with them for protection. What would happen once she led them to the Holy Grail? She wasn’t sure.

  She glanced back at Lord Malcolm. He hadn’t missed many meals. His middle was wide, his eyes were beady, reminding her of a big, fat rat that no one could trust. So far, he hadn’t mistreated her, but she knew that he could tell his men to deal with her at any moment.

  She had her magic but if she were too slow to react there was no telling what they could do to her. There was the possibility that she could disappear and be back at Black Dawn. That would be easy, but her father and Lord Malcolm would still seek to find her to satisfy their greed. Wasn’t that the reason she was taking them to the Grail in the first place? She was protecting all the Scott clan, not wanting any of them to die for her.

  Lord Malcolm rode up beside her. “How much farther?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps midday tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure we are going the correct way? We are nearing Edinburgh.”

  “Aye. The place is a little past Edinburgh,” she said glancing uneasily over her shoulder.

  “The Scots are none too fond of us,” Malcolm’s voice, though quiet, had an ominous sound. “You haven’t set a trap with your so-called husband? It would be a shame to have to kill him.”

  “I assure you that Roderick would be very hard to kill, however, my husband has no idea where I am, so you can ease your worries. Tell me, why is the Holy Grail important to you?”

  “What a foolish question.” Malcolm had a hard-cold-eyed smile. “It promises everlasting life and no man can ever conquer you, so I’ll have all the power of any man living.” Malcolm glanced around. “We have ridden far enough today. We’ll make camp here tonight and tomorrow you had better fulfill your promise.”

  It was a long night with fitful sleep for Siena. She dreamed of her husband, wanting to see him and hold him. What if she never saw him again? Tears streamed down her cheeks at the very thought. She dozed off and on the rest of the night.

  She needed a plan to get herself out of this mess.

  The next day around noon, they entered Roslin Glen with its lush green foliage. They passed the old abandoned church, which was once grand, but no more as half of its walls had fallen.

  As they rode past the structure, oak, elm, and ash trees surrounded them. The trees and ground had lots of flora, so they had to leave their horses behind to enter the forest.

  “Why do we leave the horses?” one of the soldiers asked.

  “Because the pathway we travel will be small and tangled with foliage. It will be easier and faster on foot. You two …” Siena pointed to the knights. “You will have to clear the way with your swords or you could give me a sword and I can do it.”

  “Not a chance,” Malcolm said.

  The knights nodded and started to swing their blades to make a path through the woods.

  The journey was a struggle and slowed their progress but finally, Siena heard a waterfall. Strange she was going to a place that she had never actually seen except in a vision, but she did remember in the vision the chapel was beautiful and she remembered there was a waterfall. They came out of the trees on the side of a beautiful waterfall that plunged sixty feet into a steep-sided gorge.

  “Where in the hell are you leading us?” Malcolm spat and backhanded Siena.

  Her hand went to her face to rub her stinging cheek. “If you hit me again you will be very sorry. You didn’t expect the Grail would be easy to find, did you?” She looked at him as if he were stupid. “I’ve heard that men have searched for years and have never found the cup. You are close, but we can always turn back.”

  “No. I, too, have heard the tales,” he admitted. “I chose not to believe in such nonsense.” He looked around, then asked, “Now, where?”

  Siena pointed up. “A small brown chapel should sit at the top of the falls. But first I need to get a stone out of my shoe before I can make the climb.” She sat down on a small boulder to remove her shoe and shake the stone out. The soldiers and Malcolm were taking a drink from their pouches and not paying her any attention. She needed a plan.

  Again, she prayed that Roderick would come for her. However, if he had any chance to find her, she needed to leave him some clues. How could he possibly know where she was going? She had relied on Elsa to give Roderick her message if she saw him, which meant that Roderick would have had to go to her father’s castle. There was a possibility that might not have gone well.

  She thought about what she needed to do and finally came up with a plan to leave something to mark her trail. Siena tore a couple of strips off her skirt and tied one to a branch beside her. It was the best she could do as she stood and said, “I’m ready.”

  The climb took her breath away and a couple of times she stood aside so the men could pass her, giving her a chance to leave a couple more strips of her skirt.

  When they reached the top, they could see on the other side of the river stood a small brown chapel covered in ivy which loo
ked more like a cave than a church.

  A small man came out of the door and stared at them but he said nothing. He was dressed in brown monk robes. His long, white beard came to the middle of his chest. He sucked in a breath and asked, “Why are you here?”

  “These men seek the Holy Grail,” Siena answered.

  “Only the worthy can touch the Grail,” the hermit said with raised brows. “First you must cross the stream.”

  Malcolm shoved one of his men in the back to go first. The soldier was halfway across the stream when he stepped on a slick rock. The current was so strong that he lost his footing and fell into the water which took him straight over the falls to his death.

  “How are you supposed to get across the stream?” Malcolm asked.

  “How indeed,” the hermit said.

  Malcolm shoved Siena to the edge of the riverbank.

  Siena looked up at the hermit.

  He smiled and said,

  Out of the darkening forest rode she.

  Over the waters so still.

  Down into the depths of her watery realm

  To wait for the moment death’s knell.

  (Val Joice)

  Siena looked at the water, which was anything but still. Her knees trembled. Crossing the stream looked impossible. Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and murmured, “Be still.” When the water had settled and remained calm, she pulled up her skirt and walked across the river never slipping once. As she turned around, she saw that Lord Malcolm had followed her. The minute her foot touched the riverbank, the water once again was swift.

  “Charles, stay on that side until I come out,” Malcolm ordered his soldier.

  Siena strolled over to the hermit. “I am Lady Siena.”

  “I am, Nicene, keeper of the Holy Grail. I knew you would come someday.”

  “Where is it?” Malcolm shouted, shoving Siena out of the way.

  Nicene let out a slow breath. “Inside the cave, milord.”

  Siena got to her feet, resisting the urge to curse Malcolm as she brushed off her cloak. She felt sure, he would get what was coming to him. There wasn’t anything holy about the man.