Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“ B leedin’ hell,” Magnus said as he emerged from the trees.

He walked to the open door of the lodge and stepped inside. The first thing he saw was the ropes on the ground near the hearth and surmised what she’d done. As irritated as he was by her latest escape, there was another part of him that couldn’t help but respect her determination and resourcefulness. Admire it even. But knowing he had to go back into the cold to fetch her once again, his irritation won out.

Grumbling to himself under his breath, Magnus threw the pile of wood in his hands down. It hit with a loud clatter. He turned and stalked out of the lodge, quickly finding her tracks in the snow. He had to assume she knew she wouldn’t be able to mask her passage through the freshly fallen powder and figured she was relying on her speed to put as much distance between them as she could. All things considered; it wasn’t a bad plan.

Knowing he had ground to make up, Magnus started off, following her trail of footprints as quickly as he could. He moved swiftly but carefully, knowing that with a fresh layer of snow, the ground was slick beneath his feet. Slipping on something and twisting or worse, breaking an ankle or leg would not do. Not at all.

His breath passed his lips in a steamy plume as he hurried along, following Ciara’s trail. He wanted nothing more than to go sit in front of the fire and have some wine but thanks to this troublesome woman, he was having to traipse through the forest on the verge of freezing to death. He silently swore to himself that when he caught her, he was going to bind her so tight, she wasn’t going to be able to move so much as a finger.

The forest grew denser around him and the fog wound around the trunks of the trees, making it almost impossible to see well. The canopy above him was thick and hadn’t allowed much snow to fall to the ground. He had a feeling Ciara knew that without the snowfall, Magnus was not going to be able to track her that way. Grunting to himself, he pushed on, knowing she had to stick to the dense section of the forest to keep him from following her boot prints.

Where did she think she was going? There was nothing out there. Not for a long while yet and if what she’d told him was true, and that she had no idea where she was, being out in that weather was all but certain death for her. In nothing but her cloak, she would not last long out in those woods. Nor would he.

“Fer the wee man’s sake!”

Magnus paused and held his breath. In the stillness and silence of the woods around him, her voice seemed to echo, coming to him from every direction at once. He closed his eyes and focused hard, listening for the slightest sound that would tell him where she was. There. The snap of a branch sounded like an explosion of thunder. Magnus was certain it had come from his right. Turning, he moved quickly, flitting along the soft forest floor silently, moving like a wraith.

Magnus stepped out from behind a tree to see Ciara walking through the small snow-covered clearing. She was limping, which explained the curse he’d heard. The woman had obviously reinjured her twisted ankle in her flight.

“Ciara,” he called.

She spun around, brandishing a thick branch in her hand like she was ready to brain him. She was so small and the branch so large, it was a comical sight. Magnus had to keep himself from laughing. It was easier to bite it back when he remembered just how resourceful and dangerous she was. She might be small but he knew she was capable.

“Stay back,” she growled. “Leave me alone and let me go.”

“Ye ken I cannae dae that. But if ye stop fightin’ me, I’ll take care of that ankle.”

“Oh, well isnae that lovely,” she calls. “Yer goin’ tae patch me up just so ye can turn me over tae yer braither tae be tortured and killed, eh?”

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so bleedin’ daft, lass. Get that out of yer mind because we dinnae dae that.”

“So ye say.”

He scowled at her. “Maybe yer English friends like tae torture and kill, but we’re nae like that.”

“I dinnae have any English friends, ye bleedin’ mule. Can’t yet get that through yer thick skull?”

“And if that true, ye’ll be fine,” Magnus called across the clearing. “Just come with me and talk tae me braither. Everything will be fine.”

“Leave me be, Magnus. Leave me be and let me go on me way.”

Her eyes still on him, Ciara took a step back and was then… gone. Magnus stood still as a statue for a moment gaping at the clearing before him, trying to understand what had just happened. It was like she’d just disappeared into thin air.

“Ciara!” he called.

His heart racing, and fear coursing through his veins, Magnus dashed across the clearing, pulling up short when he realized what had happened. He stood at the edge of a large hole in the clearing that had been partially masked by foliage and the fresh fallen snow. Ciara had been so focused on him that she hadn’t seen it. And when he peered into the hole and he saw what had become of her and relief flooded his body, Magnus had to stop himself from laughing.

“Aye. I’m glad ye’re gettin’ a good laugh out of this then,” she snarled.

Ciara glared up at him from the bottom of the hole, which was about eight feet down. Her face was etched with frustration and embarrassment as mud covered her face and matted her hair. Ciara was filthy. And though her face was dark with anger and her eyes were narrowed to slits, Magnus was sure it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen in his life. Sitting on her backside in a wide puddle of mud, she looked like a small child.

Magnus was silent for a moment as he took a deep, steadying breath. The fear he’d felt when she disappeared was as great as the relief that had gripped him when he found that she was all right. It wasn’t the reaction he’d expected to have and it left him confused. It had felt like a gut punch when she’d gone over the edge. It had been genuine fear that something terrible had happened to her. It wasn’t the sort of reaction he’d expected to have. She was a traitor after all.

“Well? Are ye goin’ tae stand there gapin’ at me like a mule? Or are ye goin’ tae help me out of this mess?” Ciara shouted at him.

“Oh, now ye want me help? Dinnae ye just tell me tae leave ye be?”

She screeched in frustration. “Ye are an impossible lout.”

“Aye. Sometimes.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance and a gust of frigid wind swept through the clearing. The storm had relented but it wasn’t done with them quite yet. There wasn’t a lot of time to get her out of the hole and back to the cabin. Magnus pushed aside the confusing feelings that swirled around inside of him and looked down at her. Ciara’s eyes were wide. She’d heard the thunder too and seemed to know what was coming.

“Ye get me out of here, Magnus” she screamed at him.

Unable to resist, he grinned. “Are ye sure ye want me tae?”

“Dinnae be such a bleedin’ idiot. Get me out of here!”

Magnus chuckled to himself but nodded. They were running out of time.

“All right. I need tae run back tae the lodge and fetch some rope,” he said.

“Just… hurry up!”

“Aye, aye, I’ll hurry,” he replied then grinned again. “Dinnae go nowhere.”

“When I get out of here, I’m goin’ tae kick ye somewhere ye willnae enjoy!”

“If ye’re goin’ tae kick me, why should?—”

“Get me out of here!”

Her howl of outrage echoed around the small clearing, making Magnus laugh out loud. But the rumble of thunder, closer this time, dried up his good humor. Time was running short.

“I’ll be right back,” he called down to her.

Running as fast as he could, Magnus returned to the lodge and gathered up the rope stored in a box. Once he had it, he returned to the clearing. Part of him expected to find that Ciara had somehow managed to escape and was on the run once more. So, when he found her still in the hole, a snarl on her lips, eyes narrowed, and looking like she wanted to disembowel him, Magnus let out a small breath of relief. She had her arms wrapped around her midsection, holding herself tight, and even from where he stood, Magnus could see that she was shivering.

“It took ye long enough,” she shouted.

Thunder crashed right over them, the peal so loud, it felt like it shook the entire clearing. Fat flakes of snow began to flutter to the ground and a frigid gust of wind made Magnus shudder. Uncoiling the rope, he quickly tied a loop into the end of it then lowered it down into the hole.

“Put yer foot in that loop and hold ontae the rope,” he called.

She did as he’d instructed. “All right.”

Planting his feet firmly, Magnus put his back into it and going hand over hand, hauled the small woman up and out of the pit she’d fallen into. Before she was able to get to her feet though, Magnus moved quickly and tied the rope snugly around her waist then tied the other end around his. Standing so close to her, Magnus felt the heat of her body and looked deeply into her eyes. She licked her full, heart-shaped lips, making his breath catch in his throat. Ciara was the first to turn away though, breaking the moment as she looked down at the rope, then up at him.

“What in the bleedin’ hell are ye doin’?” she asked.

“Makin’ sure ye dinnae go anywhere,” he replied. “I’d hate tae have ye fall into another hole.”

She rolled her eyes and scowled at him, making Magnus chuckle to himself. Now that she was safe though, those confusing feelings that had been swirling around inside of him before returned, seemingly even stronger and he didn’t understand them now any more than he had earlier. As the snow began to grow thicker and it sounded as if another peal of thunder ripped the heavens above them wide open, he tore his eyes away from her and gave the rope a gentle tug.

“Let’s go,” he grunted. “We need tae get out of the cold before the storm really hits.”