Surviving Scotland by Kristin Vayden Read Free Book Online Page B

down a misty road. With a backward glance, and a prayer I didn’t get caught, I rushed after him, letting the morning mist cover my tracks.
    The mist swirled around my feet as I followed a narrow path into the trees. Occasionally I’d hear a bird calling or a rustle of the wind teasing the grass, but I had lost sight of Ioan, and I heard no noise to lead me in one direction or another. The path began to disappear in the heavy grass, and I questioned my wisdom in leaving the castle’s protective walls. If my uncle found out, I’d be in more trouble than I cared to imagine. I leaned against a tree and tried to gather my bearings. As I was about to head back toward the castle, I heard a twig snap. The birds no longer called and the silence was eerie. I held my breath and hoped my heartbeat wasn’t as loud as it sounded to my own ears. A rustle of the grass alerted me that I wasn’t alone. Soon hushed voices carried across the fog and I heard a few words, but not enough to make sense of the conversation.
    The difference between Ioan’s usual banter and the way he spoke with whomever he was meeting was astounding. There was no teasing lilt or edge of humor to his voice. At first I almost didn’t recognize it, but the timbre was the same. Another man spoke, his voice deep and rich but a harsher accent to his brogue set him apart. I waited, wondering what I should do next. Did I leave before I was discovered? What was Ioan doing in the forest anyway? Yet, for all I knew, he was just doing his job and meeting with another clan on behalf of my uncle. So much of the politics of how our families worked among the other people was a mystery to me, and I cursed the memory loss once again. What would it feel like to simply know something for certain? I was lost in my own thoughts and didn’t realize the men had stopped their conversation.
    The mist was beginning to lift in the increasing light of dawn, and I realized I needed to either hide or leave if I didn’t want to be discovered. Silently, I counted to three in my head and then planned on running back to the castle, hoping I wouldn’t meet Ioan on the way. The almost indiscernible path was my only option; I didn’t want to get lost, and as I glanced about, I realized that getting lost was a real possibility. One, two , thr—
    A hand reached around and covered my mouth as an arm snaked around my belly and hauled me back against a strong chest.
    “Donna make a sound, Elle. Shhh,” Ioan whispered in my ear, and for the first time since waking from my fever, I was afraid. What if I ’ m wrong? What if he ’ s a threat to my family? Will he hurt me? But even as the thoughts flashed through my mind, I doubted their truth. As if Ioan knew my fear, his grasp gentled and turned into more of a caress, confusing me in an entirely different way. The hand over my mouth fell away, but not before his fingers traced from my jaw down to my neck and past my arm. The movement was quick, as if he was fighting between releasing me completely and holding me tighter, so he picked a middle ground. His arm, which was around my belly, released me as well, but not before his fingers traced my waist with such light pressure I almost thought I imagined it. Where was my teasing and arrogant friend? I didn’t know how to react to this Ioan. The feel of his solid body behind my own was making my thoughts become muddled, and I fought the intense desire to lean into his body farther. I shook my head and stepped away. When I turned to face him, the expression on his face was a mixture of restraint and acceptance. He was a puzzle, but rather than be confused, I found myself intrigued and gripped by a fierce desire to know what went on in his head, in his heart. I was quickly learning a truth: Ioan wasn’t all that he seemed.
    “Elle, what are ye doin’ here? Do ye want ta give yer uncle a reason ta lock ye in yer room? Or perhaps ye want him ta kill me!” Ioan fiercely whispered. Gone was the first