Page 55 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
“Ye cannae do this!” Nathan cried as the guards dragged him out of the room.
Ryder took no satisfaction in what he had to do. He turned to the window and raked his fingers through his hair. He clenched his jaw as he tried to figure out what he was going to do with Nathan. There was no way he would be able to keep Nathan in the dungeons indefinitely, but maybe the time out would teach him to hold his tongue.
“Are ye sure this is how ye want to handle this situation?” Felix asked as he stepped into the room. “Ye’re goin’ to have the council in an uproar over this move.”
“Nae ye too,” Ryder huffed. “And here I thought ye were on my side.”
“Aye,” Felix answered. “I’m on yer side. But ye seem to be constantly puttin’ me in situations I’d rather not be.”
“What are ye grumblin’ about?” Ryder asked.
He eyed Felix narrowly, daring him to voice one complaint.
“Actually, I have nay complaints,” Felix answered as he moved to the fireplace to warm his hands. “Although, I am startin’ to wonder if there is somethin’ else behind Feya’s disappearance.”
“I take it ye’ve heard nothin’,” Ryder muttered, his gaze flicking to the window.
Morgana’s face flashed through his mind. He hated the thought of having to tell her that her sister had been kidnapped, but there was no other explanation he could come up with.
“Nae even a peep. I hate to say it, but what if somethin’ has happened to the lass?” Felix said, a hint of concern lacing his voice. “All the signs point to somethin’ happenin’ to her. A healer as well kenned as she is doesnae just up and vanish, ye ken?”
Ryder nodded once.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected that conclusion. After all, all the signs were there for any skilled tracker. But the question that kept gnawing at him was one that he dared not utter out loud. He understood that there were some things a person shouldn’t ask, and yet he was poking the grizzly.
“Do ye want me to say somethin’ to yer wife? Ye ken I will always be more than happy to spend a few moments alone with her.” Felix smirked.
“Ye dinnae want to vex me,” Ryder huffed. “I’m already in a foul mood—I dinnae need ye to be antagonizin’ me.”
“I’m just sayin’.” Felix threw up his hands in surrender. “If ye want help with her, I’m right here.”
Ryder shook his head, his brow furrowed.
Felix barked out a laugh. “When will ye lighten up? I swear, ye’re goin’ to end up six feet under before yer time.”
“Felix,” Ryder bit out. “We’ve been friends for a long time. Ye’ve seen the worst—and maybe ye’ll even live to see the best of me. But if ye want those memories, I suggest ye leave.”
“Alright, alright,” Felix relented with a chuckle.
Ryder couldn’t understand why he was on edge. It wasn’t like he had been looking for trouble. But when he turned and saw Morgana skipping through the garden, the soft golden light of the midday sun glancing off her hair, his chest tightened.
He didn’t want to be in the stuffy room, trapped inside all day. Why couldn’t he go out and have a spot of fun as well? After all, it wasn’t like Morgana would turn him away if he showed up at her family picnic. He was her husband and shouldn’t need an invitation.
A smile stretched across his lips as he turned and made a beeline for the door.
Confusion flickered across Felix’s features as he breezed past him.
“Where’s the fire?” Felix playfully taunted as Ryder pushed through the door.
The warm air hit him as he stepped out into the sunlight. The scent of wildflowers and basil tickled his senses as he made his way around to the garden.
“Ye better hurry up!” he heard Morgana call from the tree to his left. “Ready or nae, here I come.”
His heart skipped a beat the second he spotted her under the shade of the oak.
“And what’s this?” she asked as she paused her attack. “Have ye come to join us?”
“Actually, I thought I would,” Ryder answered, just as two girls came charging for him. His body tensed as Morgana opened her arms to them.
