Page 91 of Once upon a Summer Night

The man rushed her and grabbed her upper arm.

“Ow!” she gasped, but he yanked her towards him. As she catapulted into his chest, he slapped his other hand against her mouth. She immediately bit down, but he didn’t seem fazed; in fact, he swiftly knocked something hard against her head, and everything went dark.

Colin paced Nioclas’s solar,his shoulders tense and his face pinched.

Ellie had been missing for hours.

Nioclas had seen Colin head toward the trees with Ellie, and took the opportunity to send one of his personal guardsmen to replace Colin as she took care of her business. He needed to discuss the news he’d received of a possiblebattle between neighboring clans with Colin, Reilly, and James.

When they’d found the guard slain, Colin felt a fear unlike any other creep into his soul.

Claire’s eyes were red from crying. “Why would someone take Ellie?”

“We’ve searched the faire grounds, the village, all the houses, the castle, the baileys, and the surrounding forest,” Reilly said briskly, checking things from a list on parchment. “Can anyone think of any other places to search?”

The solar door flew open, and a maid burst in, her skirts flying. She looked around wildly, and when her eyes landed on Claire, she sank against the wall in relief.

“Ryanne, what are you about?” Nioclas demanded.

“Oh, my lady!” she gasped, out of breath, and completely ignoring Nick. Her hand on her heaving chest, she gulped in large breaths of air. “Oh, praise the saints ’tisn’t true!”

Claire frowned. “What troubles you, Ryanne?”

The maid waved a piece of parchment toward her and straightened, though she still breathed hard. “Why, ’tis the note I found in your chamber. I thought for certain the O’Connells had ye!”

Claire’s frown deepened. “You know my sire would never allow such a thing to happen.” She took the note. “Thank you for the speed of your delivery, however false the news is.”

The maid smiled, relieved, and bobbed a quick curtsey before hastening the way she’d come.

“How strange,” Claire murmured, her eyes skimming the parchment. “This is the O’Connell seal, but…”

Nioclas silently held out his hand and Claire placed the parchment in it. His eyes scanned the words before he handed it to Colin.

Your daughter is safe, but you may now refer to her as Lady O’Connell. We require no dowry, but offer you instead our swords. Waging war on us is akin to waging war on your daughter.

The note was signed with a wax seal.

“Clearly, whatever plan they had didn’t work out,” Brianagh mused, reaching for Claire, and pulling her closer. “Praise the saints.”

“O’Malley,” Colin suddenly barked. He strode to him and shoved the parchment into his hand. “O’Connell has her. He took her, thinkingshewas Claire—and that’s why you were sent here. If Ellie hadn’t been here, theywould’vetaken Claire!”

Claire’s face blanched. “The O’Connells are brutal. Their women are…they’re…”

“They’re what?” Colin demanded.

“The men take what they want from their clanswomen,” Brianagh answered, her voice catching. “They’re some of the worst. They certainly live up to the barbaric reputation England believes we have.”

“To attempt a kidnapping, right under Nick’s nose, is foolish at best and deadly at worst,” James spat.

Nick pulled open the door and spoke to Kane, the captain of his own guard, before storming back in, Kane on his heels.

“The battle between the O’Rourkes and the O’Connells seems to be more than just rumor,” Kane informed them tersely.

Reilly and Colin shared a look, then, as one, headed for the door.

“You’ll need a garrison to take her back,” Nioclas declared, stopping the men in their tracks.

“Will yours be behind us?” Colin demanded.

---