Page 45 of The Veiled Wish of a Highland Bride

“Nae in time to save my Laird.”

“Well, that is a shame.”

Lennox seemed to be getting more desperate by the second. “Laird Murray, we ken where he is. All we'll be needing is some of yer troops. We would nae want the Bonnie Prince's plan to turn to ash, do we? We have spent several weeks planning his escape route, and yer castle is closest to where he is being held hostage.”

“Get out of my sight and my castle. I dinnae ever want to see yer face, ye and yer seducing Laird.”

Mia had heard enough. She knew what she had to do, and she didn’t care how dangerous it was.

She was going to save Archie.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

The sharp tang of sweat flavored the air as Mia snuck through the tunnels beneath the castle. She was constantly casting furtive glances over her shoulder, her steps barely giving off even the faintest of sounds.

She knew where she was going: a small secret door at the very end of the dungeons. But she kept second-guessing herself. She had discovered the door sometime around her first week in the castle, its iron calling out to her until she went to find out what existed at the other side of it. Mia had been quite alarmed at how the dungeons were barely guarded. Her best guess was that the Laird was confident in the strength of the bolts that stood firmly at the entrance of each cell.

She had first stopped at the armory, grabbing the best weapons she could find—a sharp sword and a bow with a sheaf of arrows. She wanted to have enough alternatives if she was ever disarmed, and even now the weapons clattered by her sides, their coldness sending shivers down her body.

Her father may have been a devil, but at least he had taught her how to fight.

As Mia finally caught sight of the door, small as it was, she heard the uniform steps of soldiers. They were getting closer to where she stood, and she was frozen to the spot. She was certain that they were on patrol.

Mia was in no mood for games, and she didn’t want to leave a trail of bodies behind her if she could help it. She wondered if she could wait them out and then make her way out the door.

The door which they now stood guarding.

Why in heaven’s name were they guardingthatdoor? She knew a peaceful escape was not in the cards for her.

Pressing her back against the cold stone wall, she crept up on them from behind, knocking the first one across the head. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The second soldier's eyes widened in shock as he saw who it was. He seemed unsure as to whether he ought to fight her, his sword hovering between them.

She slashed her own at him, nicking his torso.Tsk, she thought,these men have next to no training. The soldier ran off, perhaps too terrified to commit the crime of hurting the Laird's wife. He had probably gone to alert the castle of her escape.

She couldn’t have cared less.

Now that she had a guard on the loose who knew of her whereabouts, Mia could not afford any more delays. She stepped over the unconscious guard, his red uniform bearing a strange resemblance to the crimson red of blood, and she pulled the door open. Its metal handle was rough in her palm.

She threw one last glance behind her.

The chill of the night air made her shiver. She adjusted her cloak, offhandedly taking notice of the dark sky which seemed to threaten rain, but it would take more than a spring shower to prevent her from leaving.

She dashed to the stables.

The dry hay on the stable floor crunched loudly beneath Mia's boots as she searched for Buck. She was relieved that none of the stablemen had chosen to remain with the horses on this night. She wouldn't have known what to do or say with them.

She was sure the castle would be notified of her escape by now—word travelled like wildfire in these parts.

As she found Buck, her mane being blown gently back and forth in the breeze, she hurried her steps, grabbing onto a saddle as she approached her. Mia saddled her quickly and made to mount her when she heard yet another footfall approaching her.

Mia was exasperated. She had heard enough footsteps to last her a lifetime.

It wasn't until she saw Clyde's dark hair and large frame that she began to breathe again.

“Mia! What are ye doing?” he exclaimed as he covered the distance between them. “Ye cannae go! How could ye even think to do such a stupid thing?”

Mia scoffed. “Well, I dinnae ken what ye thought I would do when ye left my chamber room door open!”

“I thought ye'd get some air, having been locked in for almost the entire day. And perhaps find a way to write the Laird a letter or send him a message some other way. I dinnae ken that he was already kidnapped and ye'd run away from the castle trying to save him on yer own!”

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