The Saint (Highland Guard #5)(94)

“Why not?”

Good God, he was being serious. “Being confined isn’t living, Magnus, even if it keeps me safe.”

Their eyes held. After a moment, he nodded. “Your brother and Munro will stay back with a few of the other men to protect you and the rest of the party.”

Of the roughly three score of people who made up their traveling party, there were perhaps a dozen knights and three times that many men-at-arms, the rest being attendants and household servants. They were fortunate. Normally, a king’s party would include far more of the latter, but they were traveling with a large percentage of fighting men.

“And what of the king?” she said.

“He’s staying with you.”

Helen glanced over to the Bruce, seeing an expression very similar to the one on Magnus’s face only moments before. “Does he know that?”

Magnus made a face. “Not yet.” He looked at her hopefully. “Perhaps you can think of a reason?”

“Ha!” she laughed sharply. “I’m afraid you’re on your own.”

“I’ll remember that,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. She sucked in her breath, unable to look away from the impressive display of muscle.

The air suddenly grew charged with awareness. There were so many things left unsaid. So many things left undone.

“Be careful,” she said softly.

He wanted to kiss her. She could see that he did. Perhaps he would have had they not been standing in the middle of the camp. But all he could do was unfold his arms and nod. “I will.”

He started to walk away, but then turned back to her. “Be ready, Helen. We may have need of you.”

She bit her lip, understanding. Men might be hurt. She nodded and repeated just as he had, “I will.”

She would let him do his job, and when the time came, she would do hers. But please, please keep him safe.

“I don’t like this,” MacGregor said softly.

“Neither do I,” Magnus replied.

The two men had crept on their bellies as far forward as they could on the darkened hillside from which they would launch their attack. Below them lay the forested gully where the hillside met the far edge of the loch before opening up into the Dirrie More pass, where the rest of the royal party waited.

Magnus had chosen the place to launch their attack well, using his knowledge of the terrain to put the ten men he’d brought with him at an advantage even should they be outnumbered. But if Fraser’s scouting was correct, they’d be evenly matched. The road here was narrow; once their enemies entered, they would be easily surrounded by Magnus’s men on the hillside with nowhere to run but the loch. But where were they?

“They should have been here by now. Fraser said they were only a few miles back.”

“I can’t see a damned thing,” MacGregor said. “The mist is as thick as pitch. I’d feel a hell of a lot better if Ranger were here.”

Arthur “Ranger” Campbell was prized not only for his scouting abilities, but also for his uncanny, eerie senses, which had helped them avoid more than one dire situation. And this sure as hell qualified.

Magnus had downplayed the situation to Helen, but if there was one place on their journey that he wouldn’t want to be caught with over fifty people to protect from an attack, this part of the road was it. Miles from help, deep in the heart of the mountainous countryside, they could be pinned down as easily as he hoped to pin down the men following them.

“I’d feel a hell of a lot better if the entire team were here,” Magnus agreed.

Though he’d chosen the men he’d brought with him well, they weren’t the Highland Guard. They weren’t even the ten best men he had. He couldn’t risk leaving Helen and the rest of the party inadequately protected. It was how he’d finally convinced the king—one of the best knights in Christendom—to stay behind with Sutherland and Munro. Normally, Magnus would welcome the Bruce’s sword. But Bruce was king now and needed to be protected. His role had changed, but Bruce had held the sword in his hand for too long to relish putting it aside—even for the sake of the realm. And with his queen and his only heir currently in an English prison, he had to exercise caution.

Magnus hated to divide their forces, even by a short distance, but he had no choice. This was the best chance to defuse the threat with as little damage as possible. Ironically, the very thing that had given the Highland Guard an advantage over the English was being used against him: the size and inability of the royal party to maneuver quickly. He had no doubt they would win if they came under attack, but it would be far more difficult to protect Helen and the king. This way he could ensure their safety.

“Something’s wrong,” he said, peering into the nearly impenetrable darkness and mist. “We need to check—”

A fierce war cry shattered the silent night.

Magnus swore. Leaping to his feet, he reached for his war hammer. MacGregor echoed a similar sentiment and reached for his sword—his bow would be of little use in close combat—realizing as Magnus did that their surprise attack had just gone to hell.

They were the ones under attack—from behind.

He and MacGregor raced back to the place where the other men he’d brought with him were waiting. The battle was already in full force.

On first glance Magnus wasn’t overly concerned, counting only a handful of men. But that was before he noticed four of the men-at-arms he’d brought with him on the ground. Whatever advantage they’d had in numbers had all but disappeared in the opening strokes of the attack. Still, the numbers didn’t worry him. He and MacGregor would make short work of them. They’d taken down twice—four times—this many before.