Captivity

Sunlight pierced her eyes as they finally made it out of the tunnel. It felt like they’d been walking for days. Kai went up through the hidden door first, lifting her above ground. Alana shielded her eyes, breathing in the fresh air. A faint hint of salt blew in the wind and she knew they had to be close to the ocean.
“Come, now, we’re almost there.” He shoved the boulder back in place, hiding the tunnel into the cliff side. She looked up at the cliffs that towered above them. Kai walked ahead of her, calling for her to follow.
Her feet had never ached so badly in her life. The last time they’d traveled together there’d been horses. There was no time for that when they left. She clenched her jaw, refusing to complain. She wouldn’t burden him further. He stopped suddenly, looking back at her. “There,” he pointed into the distance.
“What?” She asked, looking for what he meant.
“That’s where we’re going.” She could hear the victory in his voice as he stared for a moment. In the break of trees she saw it; the pointed tower of a castle that stood far past the trees. Her stomach fluttered, wondering who could live there. They walked on, trudging through the woods until they hit sand.
Her jaw dropped, taking in the sight of the sea as the waves crashed on the rocks ahead, sliding onto the shore. She’d never seen the coast before, and looking into the endless water began to overwhelm her, her feet sank in the sand as she reached for Kai’s hand. He pulled her hand to his mouth, dropping a lingering kiss on her knuckles before they continued on the rocky beach. The stone castle ahead loomed over them as they drew closer, torches were being lit as the light faded in the sky and soon people could be seen walking behind the windows. Kai climbed the steps that led them to the gates before negotiating with the guards to let them through. Alana was caked in mud as the sea spray had thickened the dirt that had dusted over her over the journey. The air grew colder with each minute in the stone stairwell, making her shiver closer to Kai. He reached around to pull her beside him as they waited to enter.
Footsteps grew louder around the corner, torchlight brightened the approaching darkness. A man stopped at the gate, tossing glances between the two of them. “Campbell,” Kai said, relieved. Alana peered at the man on the other side of the gate, seeing his tall, lean frame. His black hair made his light brown eyes look fearsome in the firelight.
“MacGregor?” he asked, pulling the gate open. They shuffled through, “What is this about?” he held Kai by the shoulders, still surprised. “Who is this?” he took Alana’s hand, his warm eyes wandering over her.
“Campbell, this is my wife, Alana. I’m afraid we were attacked in a raid; we weren’t followed but we are in need of a place to stay until we figure out the next move.” Kai explained, leaving Alana to follow the men as Campbell brought them inside.
The castle was huge. Tapestries flowed down from the ceilings, paintings taller than her hung on the walls and elegant carpets were rolled out on the floors. “You there,” he snapped his fingers, startling a young girl that was carrying linens toward the stairs. “Saraphine?” he asked, trying to remember her name. “Please show my friend and his wife to a room, arrange a bath for the both of them.”
She nodded, giving a delicate smile, “Right away, m’ lord.” She took them up the stairs, pulling a set of large iron keys from her apron as they followed her. Kai held her hand, slinging the bags over his shoulder as they walked through the hall of endless doors. The girl stopped, using one of the keys to unlock the heavy wooden door and then she was gone to ready their baths. Kai set the bags on the padded trunks at the end of the large bed and kissed her. Alana moved to look out the window, seeing the waves crashing on the beach below.
Another maid rushed in without saying a word. She simply curtsied before going behind a door across the room. Others walked in carrying tubs of water before leaving with their empty buckets, only to return again until the girl gave the order to stop.
“The water’s ready,” she said after a moment, stepping out of the small room. Kai motioned for Alana to go first, turning to pull her clothes from the bag, setting them out for her as she undressed, blushing as the maid turned away. She dipped into the bath, feeling the dirt immediately falling away from her body. The extra room simply held the bathtub and a mirror that matched the one in the other room. There was a bar that hung the plush towels and a shelf that housed all of the soaps and flower petals for the bath. Under the tub was a small oven like box that held a fire which heated the water. Steam rose around her, helping her relax. She hadn’t realized just how tired she was. The maid stepped in and washed her hair, helping her out when she was ready. Alana walked out of the warm room, seeing Kai’s eyes snap to her, making her blush before him. The maid left the room, giving them privacy.
He never grew tired of seeing her like this; vulnerable and shy. Water dripped down her silky skin as she held the towel in place, tucking her wet curls behind her ear before hiding behind the partition to dry off. He shook his head, letting out an exaggerated sigh before walking into the other room to bathe.
She sat on the bed, dressed in her undergarments as she combed through her thick hair. Kai emerged from the room leaving his perfect chest bare, not bother to hold his towel around his hips. It looked like it was fall any second. Her heart raced, trying not to stare. It was as if he knew what he did to her. His dark hair dripped in slick curls pushed back from his face. His eyes bored into her as he walked closer. He leaned in to kiss her when a knock at the door interrupted them. She pulled her robe on, rushing to answer, seeing the maid Saraphine stand with her hands behind her back.
“The evening meal will be served shortly,” she said bluntly, giving a quick smile before continuing on her way. Alana shut the door, leaning against it as Kai dropped his towel, pushing against her. He covered her mouth, working the tied on her garments as best he could until she pushed away, knowing if she didn’t they would lose control.
“Later, Kai, we need to get dressed,” she held her hands square on his firm chest, peering up into his bright blue eyes.
He groaned, knowing she was right and let her pass. He took his clothes from the bed and pulled them on, seeing her do the same. She tied her dress and pinned her hair back and they were on their way.
Campbell sat at the head of the table with a young woman by his side. She was short but slender with thick auburn hair that was pinned out of her face to reveal her blue eyes. They seemed to be disagreeing on something when they walked up, taking their seats beside each other.
“This is another guest of mine, Isla. MacGregor is an old friend and his wife, Alana.” He spoke to the girl as she smiled up at them,
“Lovely to meet you,” she said simply. Alana and Kai exchanged a slight glance, noticing her British accent right away. The food was brought to them and the wine was poured into their glasses.
“You’re from England?” Alana asked, taking a sip of her wine.
Isla looked up, taking a moment before speaking as if she had to think about it. “Yes, there was an accident a while back and Roderick took me in.” she took a bite, averting her eyes from everyone.
After the meal, Alana and Kai wandered out to the terrace, overlooking the water and the hills that rolled past the shore. The salty sea wind blew through her hair when Campbell joined them with his glass of whiskey.
“She’s been through a lot the last few months. When I found her the poor girl didn’t know who she was.” He drank.
“How is that possible?” Alana asked, wrapping her shawl tighter around her.
“The mind is a tricky thing, my dear,” Campbell gave a weak smile. “Now, what’s to happen for you both?” He turned to Kai.
“Duncan is after us,” Kai’s jaw tightened and Alana couldn’t help but feel responsible for his displeasure. She turned back to the view, hearing his explanation to his friend until she couldn’t handle any more. The more that was said the more her stomach felt like it was going to give out.
“Excuse me, I must be more tired than I realized.” She smoothed her hair back, “Goodnight,” she walked through the doors, feeling Kai’s hand pull her back to him.
“Everything alright, lass?” he asked, taking her face in his hands.
“I’ll be fine, I just need some sleep, that’s all.” She looked up at him, seeing him nod as he leaned to kiss her softly, letting her go.
Her head ached as she reached their room. She turned the lanterns low, dimming the lighting as much as possible. She took her hair down, letting it fall freely behind her as she undressed, feeling intensely uncomfortable. She crawled into bed, wanting to put the night behind her as she tried to breathe evenly through her migraine.