Page 22 of Taken by the Ruthless Highlander (Taken by Highland Devils #6)

22

T he water on the branches did not help Morgana’s grip. Each time she jumped from one tree to another was a struggle. Although, it would have been a lot worse had Ryder not chopped off her skirt. While she moved with more freedom, the chilly air bit at her bare legs.

Her fingers slipped off the mossy branch. If she hadn’t been holding on so tightly for a second, she would have dropped right into the water. She stared down at the swirling depths. Fear stole her courage.

“Ryder!” she called out, even though she knew that there was no way he could help her.

She was suspended over the gap with only two choices—drop and pray she came out somewhere alive, or try to jump across.

“Ye’re goin’ to have to reach for the branch to yer right. It’s just a little higher—ye can get it,” Ryder called back, his steady voice quelling her terror.

“I cannae see it.”

“Then let me be yer eyes, and trust me. Just lift yer hand for about a foot or so,” Ryder urged. “Ye’ll feel the bark on the back of yer hand. Grab that branch. It’ll be the size of a horse’s leg. Dinnae doubt it, it’ll support my weight.”

“Ryder, I’m nae so…”

“Ye can do this. Ye’re my wife, are ye nae? If ye can be married to me, then this should be a walk in the park for ye. Lift yer hand like ye’re reachin’ for yer sister’s hand. That’s it, just like that,” Ryder crooned as she felt the rough bark against her hand.

Her heart sank into her stomach, and she swallowed hard. Uncertainty clawed at her as she used the branch to inch closer to the landing.

Eventually, she eased herself down branch by branch, using them as a ladder. She let out a sigh of relief as her feet touched solid ground once again.

“See?” Ryder said, beaming with pride. “I told ye, ye would make it. Now, step back so I can come over.”

Morgana watched with awe as he reached for the first branch and swung himself up like a wild man born and bred in the forest. In a whirl, Ryder jumped and climbed from one branch to another as if he were a lizard. And in a flash, he was standing by her side.

She gaped at him, trying to wrap her head around what she had just seen.

“We need to keep goin’,” he said, before he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over to the trail.

Although Morgana didn’t have a clue where they were going, there was no longer any doubt about Ryder in her mind. He was gallant, brave, strong, and protective. Everything she had ever wanted in a partner.

“The water isnae comin’ up any further,” she remarked. “From where I was when I nearly slipped, it looked like a drain of sorts.”

Ryder shook his head. “Well, I’m nae sure about ye, but I dinnae want to get sucked down to wherever that may lead. Our best bet is to get out this way. It might take a bit longer, but it’ll be safer.”

“Just get us out of here,” Morgana pleaded, her fingers curling into his shirt and he pulled back the low-hanging branches.

The trail zigged one way before zigging to another, and the constant switch was starting to make Morgana dizzy. She kept her eyes locked on Ryder, ensuring never to lose sight of him as thoughts of the horse danced at the frayed edges of her mind.

“We’re almost there,” he said, just as water gushed through a crack between the boulders.

Morgana’s heart shot from her throat to her stomach and back up again. She had had enough of the water coming from every direction. If it were up to her, she would never see another waterfall as long as she lived.

“At least the rain has stopped,” she muttered as they reached the opening of the canyon. A river was gushing over the rocks.

It stunned her just how quickly the water rose inside the canyon. She had escaped death.

Her gaze flicked to Ryder. How many times had he faced such uncertainty? Was that why he remained so calm under such pressure? The fact that he didn’t even seem to break a sweat after everything they had been through baffled her. How could a man keep his cool in such a way?

“Are ye all right?” Ryder asked, giving her a once-over.

“Aye,” she answered, nodding her head. “But I dinnae think I want to go in there again. How ye managed to never get trapped in there as a child… It’s clear ye have the hand of God on ye.”

“I highly doubt that. If I had been so blessed, I doubt my maither would have died the way she did. The world isnae what the good Lord wanted it to be. Sin is what has contaminated the world and everything in it, including me. I’m nay saint, Lady McKenzie. I pray ye never see me as one.”

“How can ye say that, when all ye seem to do is save my life?” Morgana asked, reaching for him.

With the threat gone, it was hard for her to control the emotions rioting inside her. She felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and had too much energy to sit still.

“Aye, and I must say, it’s gettin’ rather tiring. Could ye stay out of trouble for just one day? That’s all I’m askin’.”

“I wasnae the one who brought us here. As I recall, I wanted to take a stroll around the castle. That would have been safe.”

“Sure, but what’s the point? We’d just be playin’ it safe. That’s nay way to live. Ye must be bold and daring. Grab life by the horns and wield it until it bends into what ye want it to be.”

Morgana chuckled to herself as she glanced up at the horizon, hoping to spot the castle. She drew her hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the sun’s glare. Trees scattered across the horizon and nestled between the cliffs, but she spotted the towers of the castle. Relief washed over her despite the distance she knew they would have to walk.

“How long do ye think we’ve been gone?” she asked, trying to keep the worry from her tone.

Suddenly, she spotted a dark speck against the green rolling hill. Lifting a hand to her brow, Morgana tried to see if it was a friend or foe coming their way at such speed. Her heart skipped as the rider slowly came into focus baring the crest of Clan McKenzie. The smirk on her lips struggled to stay in place as more questions than answers popped into her head as she pointed to the rider. “Do ye see that? Just over the bend?”

“Looks like a councilman… ridin’ hard,” Ryder noted, his jaw flexing. “ Nathan. What is he doin’ out here? I threw him in the dungeons for a reason. So help me—when we get back to the castle, heads will roll.”

Morgana scrambled over the boulders and rough terrain, trying to keep up with him. It was clear from his stern expression and wild gaze that he was on a mission.

Without hesitation, he stepped into the field, raised his hand, and called for the rider. His loud whistle cut through the field, instantly drawing the rider’s attention.

The sight of someone coming for them thrilled Morgana far more than it should have. After all, it wasn’t like she couldn’t trust her husband. If anything, this little outing of theirs had proved they were far more connected than she would have expected.

“Who let ye out of the dungeons? Dinnae tell me it’s Cohen,” Ryder hissed as Nathan came to a sudden stop before them.

Nathan arched an eyebrow as his eyes flicked from Ryder to Morgana and back again. Heat rushed through her as his judgmental glare fell on her. It wasn’t like she had been doing anything wrong. Ryder was her husband, after all. They had every right to be alone together. But still, she couldn’t ignore the prick of uncertainty and shame.

“The castle is in an uproar. We’ve been lookin’ for ye for hours. When ye didnae return before the storm hit, everyone started searchin’,” Nathan said.

The tone of his voice grated on Morgana’s nerves. It was almost as if she could sense he was lying to them.

“Dinnae lie,” Ryder snapped. “We both ken that everyone in the castle would be thrilled to see me six feet under. So, what is the real issue?”

“Felix, Tormod, and Ronnie have returned,” Nathan revealed, pulling the reins to keep his horse from getting too antsy.

“So soon?”

“They were attacked by bandits,” Nathan explained.

Panic and terror ripped through Morgana, almost driving her into the ground.

“My braithers…” The air grew thin, almost too thin for her to breathe. She tried gulping it in, but her lungs seized and refused to expand. “Are they…”

“They live if that is what troubles ye,” Nathan answered, much to her shock.

Relief shifted to gratitude that molded into a joy she couldn’t contain.

“I have to see them. We need to get back,” she said as she turned to Ryder.

A wicked grin stretched across his lips, before he cast a glance at the black stallion and fixed Nathan with a glare.

“We need yer horse,” he declared.

He stomped forward, grabbed Nathan by the arms, and pulled him from the saddle.

“Ye cannae leave me out here,” Nathan grumbled.

Ryder ignored him as he lifted Morgana into the saddle.

Heat coursed through her as she glared at Nathan. She tilted her head and studied the man for a moment. But before she could decipher his expression, Ryder slipped into the saddle behind her.

“There’s a mare runnin’ wild around here somewhere. I’m sure she’s scared out of her wits. But if ye find her, she’s yers,” he said as he steered the horse in the direction of the castle. “Consider it compensation for lettin’ us use yer horse.”

“My Laird, would it nae be best if I rode back and brought another horse? I could even take Lady McKenzie with me,” Nathan suggested, his eyes downcast.

“And have ye murder my wife and say it was an accident? Nay thank ye,” Ryder snarled.

“It wouldnae be anythin’ less than what she had done to yer faither,” Nathan argued.

Morgana shot him a glare, before they took off for the castle. “Are ye really goin’ to leave him out there?”

“And why should I nae? It seems he has a guardian angel always pullin’ him out of trouble. It’ll do him good to trudge back. Maybe it’ll stiffen his tongue so he’ll stop spreadin’ lies.”