Page 107 of Desiring the Highland Laird
Then he flashed a smile and went to join Jamie, their clansmen and their bannermen.
“Callum—”
He turned to her. “We dinnae have the numbers to beat Rory MacDonald and his men. I dinnae want to scare ye, lass, but I dinnae want to lie to ye, either.”
Hot fear pumped through her as she stared at him. “What are you saying, Callum?”
“I’m saying we are outnumbered. Come.” His voice was gruff as he led her through the bailey.
Evie had no choice but to stumble along after him, her breath pluming in the air around her as she struggled to keep up. She didn’t have her cloak. They headed toward the outer wall. There was nothing on the other side but rocky cliffs leading down to the craggy shoreline of the loch. An underlying sense of fear erupted through her as a sudden question burned through her mind.
“Where are you taking me?” she panted.
He halted abruptly and turned to face her, taking her by the upper arms and holding her. His sharp blue eyes met hers.
“It will be a bit of a climb, but ye can do it.”
She shook her head, panic welling deep inside her. “What are you talking about?”
“I mean to see ye to safety, lass.”
“I understand that, but—”
“There isna much time.”
He took her hand again and headed for the wall where he rounded a corner. There were several steps leading down to a gate. A gate she hadn’t noticed before, made of iron with heavy hinges and, beyond that, the craggy shore and the dark waters of the loch.
Her heart throbbed a mad beat as he led her down the slippery steps toward the gate. Her throat constricted as the threat of tears burned her eyes. At the bottom of the steps, he reached for the gate, then stopped. He turned to her once again, holding her gaze as he gave her hands a squeeze.
Then he reached inside his sporran and brought out the cloth-wrapped stone. She sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head, understanding of what he meant to do dawning. He unwrapped it and discarded the handkerchief.
“No, Callum.” Panic clawed at her throat.
“Ye must take this, lass.”
He pressed the keystone into her scarred palm, closing her fingers around it. As he did so, she caught a glimpse of the glowing lines etched in the stone.
“I can’t!”
“Yemust. ’Tis the only way to keep ye both safe and out of the hands of Rory MacDonald.” He brushed his hand over her cheek, the tender look in his eyes nearly making her come undone. “I cannae allow ye or the keystone to fall into enemy hands.”
Hot tears clouded her eyes. “But if I take it, then I lose you.”
“Nay.” A smile pulled at the corners of his lips. “Ye can come back to me.” He clutched her hands in his. “Come back to me, lass. Promise me.”
But what if he died in battle? What if she returned to her future only to have the past reset? What if she forgot her love for him? What if he forgot her? There were so many unknowns.
Her heart thudded as her stomach twisted into a tight knot. The stern look in his eyes told her she had no argument to give him. No way to convince him she should stay in Dundale.
“I promise.”
He kissed her, then, his lips warm and sweet against hers. She savored it, knowing it was the last time she’d kiss him. Every moment they had spent together flashed through her mind starting with waking up in his bed wrapped in his warmth. She hadn’t meant to fall in love with him. In fact, she hadn’t meant to return home. Now, she had no choice.
She vowed to find out the outcome of the battle when she returned home. So many questions swirled through her mind. Questions she didn’t have time to ask.
“The shore is a bit rocky, but ye can do it. Get as far from here as ye can. Then use the stone to return to yer time.”
“What happens when I do? Will I remember? How will I find you again?”
