The Hawk (Highland Guard #2)(86)

Though he knew it was implausible that his men hadn’t been found, he half expected to see Domnall wander out of the cave. Hell, right now he’d even welcome Randolph’s grousing.

But no one came to greet them.

It was eerily quiet, the heavy mist thickening the still air in a drizzly cloud.

He pulled the skiff onto shore and ordered Ellie to stay in the boat. That she didn’t protest told him she understood why.

He passed the charred remnants of a few fishing boats as he made his way up the shore. From the number of footprints in the sand, it appeared that the English had descended in force on the beach. His men would have had some warning, but against so many the battle would have been brief. He suspected they’d hidden in the cave, waiting to attack if necessary.

His suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when he found the first body at the entrance to the cave. A few feet beyond were two more. Death was nothing new to him, but the pain of losing a man never lessened.

He bit back his rage and braced himself for the worst, expecting a slaughter. But surprisingly, he didn’t find any more bodies among the scattered belongings of his crew.

What the hell had happened to them?

He walked back to the beach, the gravity of the situation hitting him full force. As much as he was worried about his men, his first concern had to be his mission. He needed to get to Ireland to meet the McQuillans, and at the moment he didn’t have men or a boat. He also couldn’t be sure when the English would be coming back, which meant he needed to leave here as soon as possible.

Ellie was watching him intently as he approached. He read the question in her eyes and told her what he’d found.

“What about the others?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“And Meg?”

“That’s where I’m going now.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“That’s not a good idea.” There was no telling what he’d find.

Ellie squared her shoulders and got that stubborn nursemaid look on her face. “I don’t need you to protect me.” Undoubtedly realizing how ridiculous that sounded in light of what they’d just been through, she amended. “Not from this.” She gave him a pleading look. “Please, Meg is my friend, too.”

He held her gaze and nodded. Meg’s house was dark as they approached, and Erik wasn’t surprised to find it empty. Hoping that she’d retreated inland when the English arrived, he suggested that they continue on to the next holding.

Meg must have seen them approach and raced out to greet them. Ellie had tears in her eyes as Meg folded her in her arms, relief that he shared.

“Thank God,” Meg said. “I thought they’d found you, too.”

“What happened?” Erik asked.

Meg told them that the ships had arrived not long after they left. She claimed there had been at least a dozen of them, and they’d circled the island. “It’s almost as if they knew you were here,” she said.

He’d reached the same conclusion.

As he suspected, Meg said there had been a warning but not enough time for the men to attempt to escape. The English had come in full force. Meg had watched from the cliff as the English searched the beach, and, eventually, as they led the men from the cave.

Erik frowned. It wasn’t like his men to surrender. Highlanders fought to the death.

Meg must have guessed his thoughts, because she said, “I saw Thomas talking with their leader.”

Randolph surrendering, now that made sense. Meg went on to explain how the soldiers had gathered up the villagers and questioned them, searching every house.

“You are all right?” he asked.

She nodded. “They didn’t harm any of us.” A puzzled look crossed her face. “The English commander wasn’t as bad as most.”

Erik was relieved but surprised. It wasn’t like the English to show such restraint, especially for harboring fugitives. “My birlinn?” he asked.

“Taken,” Meg said.

Erik’s mouth fell in a flat line. He would rather have seen it burned than captained by an Englishman.

“I need to find a ship right away.”

Meg shook her head. “There is nothing left. Not even a fishing boat. They burned them all.” She explained how the fishermen from around the island were gathered at the church in the village, devastated by the English soldiers’ cruelty in destroying their livelihoods. Erik vowed to make sure that every one of those boats was replaced. But first, he had to figure out a way to get out of here.

“They were looking for you,” Meg paused. “And the lass.”

Erik swore. He glanced at Ellie and noticed that she’d paled.

“Me?” she intoned, eyes wide.

“Not by name,” Meg assured her. “Just that Hawk was with a lass.”

His stomach dropped as the implications hit him. “How did they find out?”

Meg shook her head. “One of the men or villagers must have told them.”

Erik tried to control his anger. If the English knew about Ellie, they could use her as a weapon against him. It shocked him to realize how effective a weapon she would be. The thought of her in danger turned his blood cold.

“I don’t think they’ve given up looking for you,” Meg said. “They’ll be back.”