Page 23 of Draped in Plaid
How had he found us? How? How? How?
There was a scrape of metal. A sword being drawn. My eyes popped open and then a guard leapt out from wherever he’d been to stand at the foot of the stairs, his eyes filled with fury as he glared up at the five of us.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked, his voice a deep medieval English tone.
My mouth fell open. My knees knocked together. My fears realized.
Steven. In a suit of armor.
Why could I not be rid of him?
Behind Logan, my legs gave out and I sat down heavily on the stone stairs. Dizzy. My vision blurred. This was Steven, but not Steven. A young Steven. A medieval Steven. A Steven with a British accent.
Logan jerked around, eyes staring intently into mine as he lifted me up. I couldn’t focus. Gritted my teeth.
“Be strong,” Logan demanded under his breath. “Dinna show any sign of weakness, no matter how much ye feel it inside.”
“Steven,” I murmured, glancing over my husband’s shoulder to stare at the man who brandished his sword at us.
“Who are you? How do you know my name? Who sent you, Scottish swine? How did you get in here? How did you get past the front gates?” His angry questions fired at us one after another.
“Steven…” Shona murmured, glancing back at me, the knowledge of the guard’s identity connecting in all of my companions’ minds.
Nausea assaulted me. We were so close to finding Moira and now this. It was over. We were caught. I might as well lay down right where I stood and give up.
Steven waved his sword. “Lay down your arms and get on your knees.”
I stared at his face. Nobody listened.
I still couldn’t wrap my mind around what was happening. Steven was not British. Steven was American. A businessman. But here, this was him, now, staring back at me.
Who was the real Steven?
How had modern Steven landed in the US and found me?
I wavered on my feet. Black dots danced before my eyelids.
I was going to faint. I needed to sit back down.
“Stay strong,” Logan growled at me, feeling me slip away. His fingers slid around my upper arm, holding me steady.
“I can’t…”
“He will not beat us. He will not hurt ye,” Logan said, his voice full of confidence.
“Oh, but on the contrary, savage,” Steven seethed from below. “I very much want to hurt all of you.”
