Page 64 of Highlander's Runaway Seductress
He slipped a bit and nearly collapsed again, but firm, warm, steadying hands clutched at him and he met Amelie’s worried eyes.
“Damien…” her word trembled as she touched the handle of the knife still sticking out of his shoulder. “What—what do we do with this?”
He held her tightly, even though his body felt as heavy as lead, and his mind was foggy with pain. “I need a healin’ room, lass. It will be worse for me to yank it out now—I’ll lose blood.”
Laird Dolberry yelled out something and the clearing was filled with four leather clad soldiers. Two of them dragged Ben’s body up from the ground, one went to the Laird’s side and the other to Damien.
“Ye’ll need to come with me,” he said. “That wound might kill ye if ye daenae get it fixed soon. There is a healer at the castle, we’ll need to get ye there now.”
Amelie kissed Damien’s cheek. “Go and get the help ye need. I’ll find ye later.”
Unwrapping his arm from her showed Damien just how weak he was. When she had held him, Amelie’s body had been his anchor. When she stepped away, his shoulder was throbbing with pain and his body crumbled under him.
The solder grabbed him before he fell and the other man who was at the Laird’s side came to him and lifted him too. The last thing Damien saw before his vision went black was Amelie clinging to her father.
* * *
A soft humming filtered through the heaviness inside Damien’s mind and before he even opened his eyes, he knew that Amelie was by his side. It was a tune he had heard her hum a few times back when they had been travelling in the cart, and that night in the cave.
It was soothing and he managed to peel his heavy eyelids open.
Amelie was sitting at his bedside, sewing something on her lap and did not notice that he was awake. Sunlight was streaming through the window behind her and transformed a few of her curls into golden red.
His right hand inched up to touch his shoulder and found a bandage there. Pressing on the wound, he winced at the tenderness, but at least it was healing. Damien braced his hands on the bed and began to sit up, which drew Amelie’s attention.
She dropped her sewing and came to sit on the side of his bed, reaching up to cup his cheek.
“Ye’re awake.”
“Aye,” he said, wincing at how rough and dry his throat was. “How long was I unconscious for?”
Amelie was reaching for a cup on the stand behind him and held it to his mouth. “Three days. Here, drink this.”
Cool, sweet, refreshing water slid down his throat and soothed the rawness there. He drank slowly and finished the cup, then sat back with relief. His eyes closed a bit and the memories returned of the frantic search to find Amelie and the relief he had felt when he had walked into the clearing to see her there.
Then—Ben. The traitor was holding a knife to Amelie’s neck, and pure terror marked her face.
Fighting Ben, punching him, getting that kick to his face…the knife sinking into his skin…it all darted behind his eyes in flashes.
Forcing himself to look back at Amelie, Damien spotted the thin scars on her neck, remnants of Ben’s malicious attack and he hated himself for not protecting her more.
Reaching up, he brushed his knuckles across her neck. “I’m sorry I wasnae there to protect ye.”
She caught his hands with hers and pressed the back of it to her cheek. “Ye cannae blame yerself, he took ye away and injured ye. There is nay way ye could have come and helped me, but it turned out all right, dinnae it?”
“I suppose,” Damien said, then asked. “When Ben was holdin’ ye captive, do ye ken why yer faither looked as if he were at death’s door?”
Amelie shrugged. “I daenae ken…”
“I can tell ye,” Laird Dolberry said from the doorway. Damien jolted a little at the realization that he been so caught up in Amelie that he had not heard the man coming, cane-thumps and all. He walked in closer. “The day Selvach of Ascogg came here, the lowland Laird that stole Amelie’s maither from me, he had held her the same way to kill her. I thought I was goin’ to lose me daughter the same way me wife was taken from me.”
“Faither,” Amelie stood and embraced him. “I’m sorry ye had to see it.”
He rubbed a hand over her hair and smiled kindly, “Daenae fret about it. I’m glad ye’re here because I want to speak ye. Damien, for the past three days I have been debatin’ on the best punishment for McLowe, and I’ve decided exile is too good of a punishment for him. For the crimes he committed against ye, Amelie, he will be executed.”
Moving from her father’s side, Amelie went to Damien and grasped his hand. “When?”
“In the next few days,” Laird Dolberry replied. “And that’s nae all. Damien, I saw yer actions to save Amelie, the soldiers from the northern territory told me all ye said about Ben and the plan ye had to come and steal Amelie away before Ben could have gotten to her—” his eyes then landed on Amelie who blushed and hung her head, “—sadly she had listened in on me meetin’ and then went on to involve Ben. He must have ken his time was short to get what he wanted, so he kidnapped her.”
