Page 25 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds (Clans of Mull #3)

Maeve

Maeve grabbed onto her dearest son so tightly that he finally squeezed against her until she let up her grip. The men shoved her through a door in the cellars into a damp, dark tunnel, no one speaking. “Leave us be. Maitland! Maitland, help us. Wake up, please!”

She’d seen everyone change from vibrant conversationalists into sleepy-eyed people who fell to the ground in less than a few moments. It had happened so fast that she didn’t know what to do.

First Logan, then Dyna, and when Maitland’s eyes fluttered shut, he’d reached for her and mumbled her name just before he crumpled onto the floor. What was happening?

Then the men came rushing in from the cellars, all carrying swords and wearing masks. One man pointed, and the others grabbed whomever he pointed to. She was first and Grant was second. Lia was third.

Maeve cried and screamed until the head man slapped her and said, “The next one I hit will be the lad.” She shut up after that. They shoved her into the cellars, Lia hanging on to her gown. Lia had grabbed two extra plaids from the baskets as they’d been pushed toward the staircase. How the lass could be so wise at her age, Maeve didn’t know.

They dragged her and Lia along and shoved them into a galley ship, pushing them below deck with the rowers, probably to keep them hidden from any onlookers along the way. Within a few moments, Sandor and Tora were shoved in behind them. Maeve took one of the plaids and wrapped it around Lia and Tora, then wrapped the other one around herself and Sandor leaning against her, Grant in her lap.

Oh no, poor Dyna , Maeve thought, but said nothing and tugged the two wee ones closer.

There were already six men getting ready to row, while four in masks set to other tasks. The one in charge came over and said, “You’ll keep your mouths shut and no one will get hurt. We’ll feed you and keep you safe.”

“Where are you taking us?”

“Doesn’t matter, does it?”

Tora looked at Maeve and said, “To Ulva and then Coll.”

“Who told you that?” the man demanded, lifting Tora into the air.

Tora, unbothered by the man, pointed to her forehead and said, “I see it here. But now I can see things here too. He’s Kelvan.” She pointed to another man not far away, causing him to drop her as though she’d burned him.

The man Tora had pointed to behind him said, “She’s the seer we wanted. Leave her alone.”

The men took several steps back from them all, and Lia leaned in to whisper, “Do not worry. We’ll be saved, eventually.”

“Another aventuwe,” Tora said. “And this time, you awe with us, Sandor. We have fun.”

Sandor didn’t seem to be overly upset, so she set Grant facing the bairns so they could entertain one another. The men were busy giving orders, two other boats nearby. The one in charge got off the boat and then said, “I’ll see you in Coll.”

So, Tora had been correct. Maeve didn’t know much about Mull, only what she saw when they traveled across on arrival, but Maitland had tried to explain about the surrounding isles. One must be Coll. Ulva was where Tamsin had come from, very small, if she recalled correctly.

When the galley finally left shore, their boat headed in the opposite direction from the other two, away from Craignure. The opening to the upper deck was right next to her, so she had to take one last chance. She waited until she had a good view of Duart Castle, then handed Grant to Lia and said, “Hold him.”

Then she bolted up the stairs and leaned over the railing, screaming up toward the curtain wall where she could see men walking. “Ulva and then Coll! We’ll end up at Coll!”

Then she fell back onto the lower deck, the hand tugging her hair as ruthless as any she’d felt before. “Shut your mouth, or I’ll knock out your teeth, lass.”

She glanced up, pleased to see one person had shot out from the bushes and run to the end of the coastline as if they’d heard her. How she prayed that person had caught what she said. For now, she had to behave, or her son would never survive without her.

“Keep your mouth closed if you want to live. We don’t need you. K only wants the laddie and the faery. You’re expendable.” They didn’t realize it, but she’d never leave her wee bairn.

Never.