The Hawk: A Highland Guard Novel Read online

  By his reckoning it was close to midnight and they were nearly halfway, but the northern coast of Ireland was still a good seven miles away. His only option was to try to make it to shore, outrunning the storm before it hit full force.

  But he knew he was in for a battle. Not just to reach Ireland in time, but for their lives. It was going to take everything he had to keep the waves and rain from swamping the boat or capsizing them.

  He’d wanted a challenge, and it looked like he was going to have one. But he hadn’t wanted it this way, not with Ellie.

  A strange feeling crawled around his chest. It took him a moment to realize what it was: fear. The realization took him aback. He’d been in much worse situations and never been scared before.

  It was because of Ellie. His fear was for her. The thought of her in danger crippled him, made him feel almost … vulnerable. And he didn’t like it at all.

  Christ, what had he done? He was supposed to protect her, not put her in danger. But recriminations would come later; right now he could think about only one thing: getting them out of this alive.

  The crashing boom of thunder jolted Ellie harshly awake. “What’s happening?” she said dazedly.

  “A wee spate of bad weather, that’s all,” he assured her.

  Nothing in his voice or expression gave any hint of the danger, but he couldn’t do anything to hide the violent pitch of the boat over the waves, the howl of the wind, or the heavy rain and thunder. It was bad now, but he wasn’t going to let her know that he suspected it would get worse—much worse—before the night was through.

  He could see the worry in her eyes. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

  That she didn’t argue with him and decided to go along with his pretense told him how scared she was.

  He indicated a bucket tied to the bow. “Try to keep as much water out of the hull as possible, and hold on tight—it might get bumpy.”

  A prodigious understatement, as it turned out. The faster he went, the worse—and more dangerous—it became. He was constantly monitoring and adjusting his speed, while trying to avoid any breaking waves. He fought to harness the shifting wind with one hand, trying to keep the bow positioned into the oncoming waves, while working the rudder with the other.

  He knew he had to try to sail as long as he could. It gave him a better ability to keep the bow heading in the right direction. He could only hope that the boat and quickly rigged mast were strong enough to withstand the burgeoning power of the storm.

  But the little skiff proved to be surprisingly strong, and its flat-bottomed hull helped to keep them stable as the wind carried them over the torrential waves.

  For the next few miles, the makeshift sail held as they sailed closer to safety. He hoped. But he’d lost virtually any ability to gauge their direction. He was operating on instinct alone.

  The fight for survival dominated, but always at the back of his mind was his mission. He had to get them through this. Too much was resting on it. The timing of the attack was crucial. Months of preparation could not be wasted. A failure in one prong of the attack would leave the other vulnerable, and they would lose the element of surprise. With each day that passed, Erik knew the flicker of hope for Bruce’s cause dimmed.

  Every inch of his body burned with the effort to keep them afloat, all the while never letting Ellie know that they were only one rogue wave away from disaster and death.

  He looked at her pale face dripping with rain and felt an ache in his chest. He knew how scared she was, though she was doing her best to hide it. He’d never admired her strength more than he did at this moment. He wouldn’t ever forget the way she looked now, a tiny, waterlogged urchin, hair plastered to her face, soaking wet, trying to keep from toppling over in the gale-force winds while dutifully bailing water and watching his every move with those observant dark eyes of hers. But also with something else—trust and admiration that humbled him.

  He smiled, though amusement was the furthest thing from what he felt. “This is quite a little storm, isn’t it, tè bheag?” he shouted over the roar of the wind and rain.

  She looked at him as if he were a madman. “Just what do you consider a big storm?”

  Despite the circumstances he chuckled. “This is nothing. Did I ever tell you about the time—”

  “Erik,” she cut him off with an exasperated shout as a big gust of wind ripped across the hull. She gripped the rail of the boat until her fingers turned white. He’d tied a rope around them both, but she was so slim he worried about her blowing over. “Do you mind if I hear your story later? After this ‘little’ storm is over?”

  He shrugged carelessly. “Suit yourself, but it’s a good one.”

  “And probably gets better every time.”

  He shook his head. What a lass! Even in the midst of hell she found her sarcasm.

  But her teeth were rattling, and when another flash of lightning and crack of thunder sounded, she looked so terrified that he had to fight the urge to comfort her.

  He would give everything he had to protect her. But what if it wasn’t enough? The flash of doubt angered him. It would be enough, damn it. Luck could not have so completely deserted him.

  But when he heard a loud crack and saw the mast listing slowly to the side, he wondered if it had.

  Ellie heard the cracking sound and knew that something had just gone horribly wrong.

  “Watch out!” Erik shouted and reached for her, jerking her down as the mast, sail, and riggings flew over her head. She watched in mute horror as the sail bounced over the waves for a few moments before eventually being dragged down by the weight of the mast and riggings to disappear into the stormy sea.

  We’re doomed. Without the sail, they would be virtually helpless on the storm-tossed sea.

  Erik pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him and smoothing his hand over her sopping-wet hair. She could feel the fierce pounding of his heart, even through the layers of wool, leather, and fur.

  She gazed up at him through rain-drenched lashes, amazed by the lack of fear on his face. Unflappable even in the most terrifying of circumstances. If anything, he seemed more upset that she’d nearly gotten her head knocked by the mast than by the fact that they were now completely at the mercy of the storm.

  She tilted her head to look up at him. “Are we going to die?”

  Her eyes met his, pleading for him not to lie to her.

  He gripped her shoulders, rain pouring off of him, and gave her an emphatic shake. “We are not going to die.”

  As if to challenge his words, an enormous wave lifted the small boat high and tilted them nearly sideways before releasing them to slam back down on the hard water. He grabbed the oars, using them to keep the bow pointed into the waves, but it was clear the thin sticks of wood were no match for the current.

  “I don’t need a sail to get us to Ireland,” he boasted over the roar of the storm. “You don’t think I’m ready to give up, do you?”

  She shook her head. He would never give up. He was the best seafarer she’d ever seen. If anyone could do it, he could.

  He looked into her eyes. “I need you with me, Ellie. Can you do this?”

  She forced back the wave of panic and nodded. She wasn’t going to fall apart. She needed to be strong. “What are you going to do? You can’t row in this.”

  “I won’t need to.” He smiled, and despite the harrowing circumstances, it warmed her. “But since we lost the sail, I’m afraid I’m going to need to borrow your chemise.” He chuckled at her shocked expression. “I need to create some kind of drag to slow the boat. It will also help keep the bow pointed into the waves.”

  With the storm swirling around them, she didn’t take the time to ask any more questions. It took some effort, but he helped her sift through the layers of wet fabric to her chemise. She jumped when his wet hands connected with bare skin, but he managed to rip the linen fabric cleanly and quickly at the waist. He tied the ripped end into a knot and then m