Free The Highlander's Sin by Eliza Knight Page B

fierce gust of wind blew, bending the grass and weeds that grew over abundantly in what had to once have been a neatly kept courtyard. Nay, he would still not change his mind.
    And he needed to secure the premises.
    Storms meant there was more of a chance someone would seek shelter here, despite any ghosts or demons. Duncan jogged down the stairs, making his way around the perimeter of the castle, not seeing any sign of an intruder nor one who might be returning. The valleys beyond looked clear of stragglers. There was a good chance they wouldn’t be bothered here.
    Duncan made his way back into the castle from the kitchen doorway, and began to carefully check every room, storage area, nook, alcove and hidden door that he knew of. By the time he’d made it to the third floor, he was confident they would spend at least the next foreseeable minutes in peace.
    Then Heather screamed.
    A bloodcurdling sound that sent every hair of his on end, and prompted him to bolt to the nearest stair, taking them three at a time, hands pressed against the crumbling stone walls as he made the circular dissent. Upon the bottom stair, he drew his sword.
    By the time Duncan made it to the great hall, Blade was in full pursuit of the intruder and Heather had managed to climb up onto the makeshift stool he’d sat on earlier, a broken chair leg in her hands as she turned in a frantic circle.
    “What the bloody hell is going on here?” Duncan roared.
    Heather blathered on, pointing with her free hand at the ground where Blade stomped with fury.
    “Speak, woman,” he ordered.
    “A…a…”
    A rat the size of a cat leapt, hissing , from beneath a pile of rotted rushes. Its front paws extended, tiny white razor claws ready to tear into flesh, but Blade was on the animal like green on grass. He stomped three times, the third time finally crunching the vicious animal beneath his hoof with a bone-chilling crack.
    “I was about to tear into ye for having screamed about a bloody rat, but that was no normal rat.”
    Heather shook her head, trembling from fear so much he could see her shake. “’Twas a demon rodent.”
    “That it was.” Duncan took wide steps over to her and gently pried the chair leg from her death-like grip. Tossing the leg away with a clatter, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her from the broken chair.
    He would have put her down, but she sank against him, wrapped her arms tight around his neck and trembled like a leaf in a storm. Duncan found himself stroking her back and whispering words of comfort in her ear.
    “’Tis all right, lass. The thing is dead.”
    “But there…there might be others.” She shuddered.
    “None that we canna handle.”
    “Dinna leave me alone again.” Heather pressed her forehead to his shoulder and drew in a few quaking breaths.
    “I will not.” It wasn’t a promise he was certain he could keep—in fact, it was one he knew he would ultimately break. “Come, now, let us get some rest. There’s a storm brewing, which will likely make our journey tomorrow all the more difficult. We’ll need our energy.”
    Heather nodded her agreement and allowed Duncan to put her on her feet. He took hold of her hands, tugging them from around his neck , and led her over to their makeshift bed, now a jumble of woolen plaids, a gown and a robe. The looks of a love nest if he’d been a stranger observing. But there were no nude bodies here, nor any lovers. And he wasn’t a stranger observing, but the man actually living through this odd sequence of events.
    “Can ye please light a fire? Or a torch or something? I d inna think I’ll be able to sleep in the dark.”
    Duncan straightened out the plaids and rolled her gown back up into a plump pillow. “Lass, if I light a fire, the smoke and light will draw in every predator on two legs within viewing distance. A torch may do the same.”
    “A candle?” Her eyes pleaded with him.
    Even now the room was becoming gr ay. The only reason it wasn’t