Page 67 of Captured By the Highland Devil
“Go ahead,” he said.
“When I’d left the orphanage, I’d gotten on me horse and began to ride home,” she said. “I’d gotten beyond the township and was on that stretch of road ye say many thieves use to rob people. Only this time, the men who grabbed me dinnae want any coin from me.
“Two of the men hauled me from the horse, bound me arms and feet. They placed a cloth between me lips and then pressed another cloth to me nose, before throwin me in the back of a covered wagon.” she said firmly. “I kenned nothin’ from there on.
“I faintly remember the road grew rocky and I drifted in and out of consciousness,” Norah said. “I was—I was in a cave. Half of the room I was in looked dug out by human tools and the rest was pure natural cave.”
Paige covered her mouth with a hand as her heart began to sink lower and lower in her chest. This already felt horrible, how much worse could it get?
“Nay one told me why I was there, nay one told me who wanted to take me and nay one threatened me with a grisly death. More often than nae, they woke me up by flingin' a bucket of water in me face.”
“Do ye remember anyone who held ye?” Ruben asked.
“There was a man,” she said, looking to Paige. “He had black eyes and small silvery scars that went down the left side of his face. Just like ye told me. He had thin dark hair that could nae cover his head.”
“I killed that man,” Ruben said.
Norah gave him a flickering smile. “But he was nae alone, he had at last two men with him, guardin’ me all the time. They were careful, nay one spoke anythin’ about who wanted me there, nae once in the months they held me captive.”
“I was constantly bound and sat in corner of the room. There were times they would starve me and then only give me few slices of bread and water to live.
“The men would tell me I was nothin’, that me brother dinnae care enough about me to look for me and that when they were done, nay one would remember who I was.” Norah said, hereyes trailing to the roof. “They would say it so much, I’d believe them.”
As her heart sank with sorrow for Norah, Ruben’s spine stiffened and she could see carefully controlled fury darken his face and stiffen his jaw. Ruben was about to punch his fist through the walls around him and take every brick down with him.
“They would rarely take me outside to get some sunshine and fresh air, and when I did, I could nae find any familiar sightings to mark where I was,” Norah said.
“Kidnapped and held hostage for five months with nay hope of ever being found made me think I’d die in that cave.” Norah said. “The fact that I survived still amazes me.”
“Did any of these men touch ye?” Ruben asked.
Norah canted her head to the right, confused. “Touch me… what do ye—” when his meaning descended on her, she shook her head vehemently. “Nay, nay, nothin’ like that.”
“Are ye sure?” Ruben pressed.
“I can attest to that, me laird,” the healer said. “Years ago, when she was returned, we had examined her. She was then and still is a maiden.”
Those words mollified Ruben a little but not too much as his shoulder was still tight, how brows lowered and his jaw clenched.
“A cave, ye say,” his eyes lifted to Paige. “And ye cannae remember much about where it was?”
“All I remember was this strange mountain form,” Norah said tiredly. “Like two devil horns jutting into the air.”
From the way Ruben’s eyes shifted from left to right, Paige knew he was trying to remember where such a mountain could be.
“Ye’re sure about that?” he asked Norah.
“Aye,” Norah said, her voice fading. “I am.”
“Now that you have heard what she had to say, I think t’is best for Norah to rest now,” the healer said.
Ruben reached for Norah and held her hand tight, “Get some rest and thank ye for being brave enough to tell me. And Norah, I am glad to see, the real ye, back.”
Norah squeezed his hand, “Thank ye for listenin’.”
Returning to their rooms, Paige walked with wooden legs; the shock of hearing Norah tell them about her abduction shook herto her core. She drooped the wrap from her cold fingers and didn’t even realize where it fell.
“Lass?” Ruben asked. He reached for her and dropping his hand to her shoulder, stopped her. Gently turning her, he asked, “Are ye feelin’ well?”
