Page 95 of The Highlander Who Loved Me

Spurred by this long forgotten memory, Davina lit a candle and moved to the spot where her father had stood. She reached behind the various jugs and baskets on the shelf, running her fingers slowly over the wall, just as her father had done.

Suddenly, her hand caught on a piece of metal jutting out of the stone. She lifted the candle higher for a closer look.

“’Tis a lever,” she whispered in surprise.

She tugged on the mechanism; it didn’t move. Determined, she pulled harder. Once, twice. On the third try there was a click and a narrow section of the wall separated. Amazed, Davina pushed and it slowly creaked open. She took a half step forward, her flickering candle creating eerie shadows against the stone.

Expecting to see a hidden chamber, she instead found herself looking down a narrow spiral of stone steps. Unable to resist, she went down a few. The air was damp and musty, the walls glistening with moisture. She only intended to go down a few more, but each step pulled at her curiosity and she’d descend deeper.

At last she reached the bottom. She looked up, trying to judge how far she had come down, but saw only darkness. Excited at what she might discover, Davina held her candle high. The chamber in which she stood was oblong in shape, narrowing at the far end to complete darkness.

She batted away the cobwebs that clung to her face and proceeded through the chamber, this time finding what she expected—a tunnel!

Her excitement grew. Was this an escape tunnel? Or perhaps a secret passageway into the keep? Anxious to tell James of her discovery, Davina turned to make her way back.

Suddenly, a sharp, staggering pain cut across her temple and then she was falling, crumbling helplessly onto the damp, stone floor. She hit the floor hard, wincing at the pain in her hips and shoulder. Miraculously, she kept a grip on the candle, holding it upright. Hot wax dripped onto her hand, but she didn’t let go.

By the Saints, someone struck me!

Terror speared through her. She looked frantically over her shoulder, but no one was there. Blinking, she turned to search all four corners of the chamber. Thinking she heard a noise, she lifted the candle higher, illuminating the shadows.

Nothing. She was alone. Whoever hit her must have been hiding in the tunnels and escaped back through them. Pray God they didn’t decide to return.

A chilling breeze blew through the gaps in the stone wall. Nervously, Davina cupped her hand over the candle flame, groaning at the pain in her shoulder. But she was not quick enough. The light flickered, wavered, then went out, plunging her into total darkness. Trembling, she lifted her hand in front of her face, gasping when she realized she couldn’t see it. She couldn’t see anything.

Breathing hard, Davina lay on the floor for a long minute, listening to the noises above her. It sounded like the stomping of feet or perhaps the movement of tables and benches and she realized she must be directly beneath the great hall.

Fear crept through her, but she pushed it far back in her mind. Panic would do naught but make things worse. Her thoughts turned to James and she knew he would tear the keep apart stone by stone when he discovered that she was missing.

Yet she could not simply lie here and wait to be rescued. Her body shook, but she forced herself to think clearly. Without light, it would be madness to move forward through the tunnel. Nay, she needed to find her way back to the staircase and return the same way she came down.

Crawling slowly on her hands and knees Davina moved forward until she found the wall. She swayed dizzily when she stood, leaning heavily against the stone. Her knees were shaking. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, trying to get her bearings in the darkness.

Her eyes gradually adjusted, yet she could still see almost nothing. She reached behind her, pressing her hand against the damp stone wall. Hand over hand, she carefully guided herself along the wall, searching for the opening to the stairwell.

Found it!A nervous giggle of relief escaped her lips. Using the same method, she placed her hand on the wall. Gingerly, Davina stepped up, slowly ascending the slippery steps. They were rough and uneven; difficult to negotiate in the dark, but she continued to climb.

A scurrying noise caught Davina’s ears. Rats? Mice? Or some other foul creature that lived in this damp, darkness?

No matter. They were more afraid of her than she of them—or so she told herself. Davina inhaled slowly and then exhaled, calming her nerves. Squinting hard, she peered into the darkness, but still saw nothing.

Tentatively, she took another step, clinging to the stairwell wall for guidance. She managed to rise three more steps before feeling something brush over her hand as it raced over the wall. Shrieking, she yanked her hand away and in the process lost her balance.

Crying out, Davina struggled to keep herself from tumbling, but she felt herself slipping. She went backward, somehow managing to land on her arse when she reached the bottom. The fall knocked the breath from her lungs and she gulped, struggling to pull in air.

Chest heaving, Davina folded her arms and buried her head on them, fighting to stay calm. Fear blurred her pain, but desperation drove her to act. She tried to rise, but a searing, stabbing jolt shot through her leg. Tears of agony filled her eyes.

Visions of being trapped down here for hours, even days, haunted her thoughts. Fear made her mouth go dry and her entire body tremble. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes.

Rest. I’ll rest fer just a few minutes to gain some strength and then I’ll try again.

“Where have ye been, James?” Malcolm asked, his eyes dark and troubled. “I expected ye back two hours ago.”

James tossed his reins to one of the stable lads and vaulted off his horse. “Ye’ll not believe what I’ve found, Malcolm.” James reached into his pocket, but his hand stilled when he saw his brother’s expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“’Tis Davina. We cannae find her.”

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