MacDougall 01 - Laiden's Daughter Read Free

out and thrust it in a second time.   She had not intended to harm him but she could take no more.   The earl lifted his head and looked at her.    The victorious grin had been replaced with a look of complete bewilderment. As he let out a long, slow breath, he said, “You whore!” then collapsed upon her.
     

Two
     
    It took every ounce of strength she had left to wriggle out from under him.   Blood oozed from his back and soaked into his shirt. Her stomach churned violently as the coppery smell of it reached her nostrils.   Her hands trembled and her mind raced as she fought hard to regain her wits. She needed to flee this room and this castle and she needed to flee it quickly.
    With trembling fingers she unbarred the door as quietly as she could and took a deep breath before carefully opening it. ‘Twas empty and dark save for the few torches that lined the walls. She tried not to look at the dead man in the bed as she grabbed her dress and left the room.   Blood rushed in her ears and her heart pounded as she made her way down the dark hallway.
    As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of a guard slumped over in a chair. She prayed him to be either passed out from too much drink or a sound sleeper, she cared not which.   Clutching her dress to her chest as if it were a shield, pain came to her ribs as she took in a deep breath of air.   She dared not breathe as she held herself to the wall and tiptoed past the guard. She prayed God would show her some mercy and would not let her encounter anyone else this night.
    Through the dark she crept quietly down the three levels of stairs as quickly as she could.    She paused at the last step to listen for sounds of life and tried to think the best way of escape.   To her left was the large gathering room that led to the kitchens. She knew that area well, for that had been the portion of the castle where she had worked since arriving less than a month ago.   To her right was the earl’s library and an area of the castle she was not at all familiar with.  
    Peering into the gathering room from the bottom step she could see many men lying about. They were passed out from too much ale and wine.   Some lay upon the massive tables while others slept upon the cold stone floor.   A few of them snored heavily, while others ground their teeth or mumbled in their drunken sleep. If she took the route she knew best, she risked stumbling on one of the drunkards and waking them.   If she went in the opposite direction, she risked getting lost in parts of the castle she did not know.
    She decided the best route to freedom was the one she knew.   But before her bare foot could touch the cold stone floor she felt a hand suddenly clamp around her mouth as an arm grabbed her around her waist.   With very little effort she was lifted off the ground and whisked down the hallway. Every muscle in her body seized with fear and unease. The blood rushing in her ears was nearly deafening.   Her chest ached with terror and her stomach churned. Freedom would not be hers this night.   She could only pray that they would be merciful and kill her quickly.
     
    ******
     
    A familiar voice whispered in her ear as he took her into the earl’s library.   “Aishlinn! Please do not scream, do not let out a sound!”   The voice was firm yet pleading.   “I’m going to set you down but do not utter a word. If you scream out I’ll not be able to help you escape.   Do you understand?” She thought she detected a slight note of fear in the man’s voice and nodded her head in agreement.
    Very slowly he sat her upon the floor of the library and loosened his grasp upon her.   She flung around to see that it had been Baltair who had grabbed her.   She was not certain yet if she should feel relieved to see him or fearful. She barely knew the man. Why would this man offer to help her?
    There was a good deal of sorrow in Baltair’s eyes when he saw her battered face.   He held his