Chapter 37

"Arran!" Niamh's voice pierced the cold night, and he let go of Zachary's collar.

"Ye will find yer delinquent son before I do," Arran spat out.

The other guests looked on, and he could hear their hushed whispers as Zachary stumbled away from him.

"Arran," Niamh repeated, and he spun to face her.

"What?" he asked harshly.

She recoiled slightly before leading him away from the guests. "Look, I think I might ken where they are."

"How? What?" Arran asked and paced as he lifted his interlaced fingers over his head and pressed his head back into them.

"Well… do ye remember the first night of the feast?"

"Aye, when he fell down the stairs?"

"Aye, well, I actually pushed him…" Niamh trailed off and brushed off her skirts.

"Ye pushed him?"

"Aye, I pushed him down the stairs that night."

"Why?" Arran asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He tried to force himself on me, Arran. I didnae think, I just reacted, and the next thing ye ken… he's lying in a puddle of blood at the bottom of the staircase."

Arran's face turned red with rage. "What?!"

"And… it was him in the village who hurt me. I saw him, and I saw where he ran off to."

"Why did ye nae tell me all of this before, Niamh?"

"Ye would have killed him, which is exactly what ye just threatened Laird Donaldson ye'd do even before ye kenned this about him."

Arran paced. His arms still crossed over his chest. "Aye…"

"Aye. And the deal with Clan Donaldson is too important to ye, and I didnae want to ruin it for ye. Ye worked so hard to?—"

He stopped walking and faced his sister. His face was crestfallen, as her words felt like a knife to the heart. He lowered his chin and took two long, steadying breaths before answering her.

"Aye, thank ye for telling me. I vow that on this day, I will avenge ye. Now tell me, where he is."

"He's in the abandoned stables, probably used the trap door underneath the last stall. Ye ken? The same one ye and I used when we were playing Hunt the Haggis."

"Aye, I remember…" he said and took off running to the stables.

* * *

Scarlett's vision was blurry at first, and then it just greyed out on the sides for a while until she fully regained her vision and her eyes adjusted to the dim light.

She tasted iron in her mouth, and she knew that Reuben had hit her hard enough to render her unconscious for quite some time. Unfamiliar with her surroundings, she quickly took inventory of the space.

There are nay windows. I'm restrained. I'm on the ground. There is nay exit where doors usually were, except for a loft hatch in the corner.

She then assessed herself.

I have a splintering headache after being hit. Me arms are numb from being restrained for a long period of time. And the entire left side of me body is throbbing.

Scarlett very quickly understood that they were underground and that Reuben had dropped her through that hatch before he restrained her. He was pacing and didn't quite register that she had regained consciousness, so she continued to pretend to be out.

She slowed her breathing and actually almost fell asleep, which she knew was probably not the best idea, having been knocked senseless off a horse when she was younger.

Remember when Freya bucked ye off, Scarlett. Ye cannae fall asleep. The healer said ye can slip into death if ye fall asleep after brain fever.

She felt Reuben's sweaty hand on her face.

Is he caressing me face?

She could hear his heavy breathing, which hitched with each stroke.

Is he… aroused?!

"Enough!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, startling him.

Reuben stumbled backward and tripped over a small bench. She watched him judgmentally as he clumsily regained his feet.

He's drunk. I can work with this.

"Scarlett…"

His eyes flicked from her face to her breasts and down further, all the way down to the shoes she wore for the handfasting ceremony.

Me dress clasps in the back, and I have four layers on, plus the corset. Mrs. Cameron said that she tied them special for tonight. Which I can only assume was meant to infuriate Arran when it came time to consummate our union.

The idea brought an uncontrollable smirk to her face.

"What?" Reuben asked.

Instead of responding, Scarlett spat out the blood that had collected behind her teeth.

He looked horrified by the act, but then he looked surprisingly ashamed when he noticed the color of her expulsion.

"Scarlett, ye have to ken that I've wanted ye for as long as I can remember. Even before ye grew into a woman. I've?—"

"Ye are disgusting and despicable, Reuben Buchan. I cannae imagine a world where I would ever be with ye. I curse ye, Reuben Buchan."

His eyes rose from the floor to meet hers, and he furrowed his brow, somehow offended by what she said.

"That's right, I said it. I curse ye, Reuben Buchan. May yer days be filled with torment and yer nights with nightmares. May yer strength wither and yer name be forgotten. May every step ye take lead ye to misery, and may the spirits of the land and sky turn against ye."

He was standing by the time she finished, and she was close to sobs—she was so frustrated. Reuben didn't say anything. He remained silent, letting the weight of the curse she laid on him really sink in.

Then she saw it, the demon inside of him taking hold as he rolled his shoulders back and cracked his neck. A devious, toothy grin broke out on his face as he took a menacing step toward her.

"This, Scarlett Paton, I will enjoy slowly…"

"Help! Anyo?—"

Reuben's foot connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"Scream all ye want, Scarlett, nay one can hear ye," he snarled.

He grabbed her ankles, laying her flat on the ground. Then he set his knees on either side of her hips before reaching down and yanking her chin toward his face. Tears threatened to fall when she couldn't pull her head out of his vicious grip.

Nay. Nay. Nay… Arran, where are ye?

"Let go, Reuben! Get off of me!" she screamed and bucked and struggled against him furiously.

"Ye will love me, Scarlett," Reuben growled and then pressed his lips to hers again.

She bit his lip and drew blood.

He hissed and landed a blow to her stomach again, knocking the wind out of her once more, and then his hand wrapped around her throat.

"Ye will love me and only me."

"Help! I'm down here!" Scarlett cried out loudly again and bucked him higher than he had anticipated, but he recovered quickly and used a knife to rip open the bodice of her dress.

Nay. Nay. Nay, please…