Page 64 of Forever My Lass

In the next breath, he saw Madeline’s and Ainslie’s faces in his mind. The moment their images filled his head, a strange calmness rolled over him. It was as if his terror had become a minor nuisance that his brain had pushed into the back of his mind, so it wouldn’t stop him from doing what needed to be done.

Slogging his way through the water that was slowly inching its way up to his waist, Iain reached the portion of the cave where the light from outside was replaced by the limited illumination from the holes in the rock ceiling. His gut knotted with renewed fear as a gushing stream of water poured out of one of the larger holes and drenched his head and torso. He shuddered beneath the cold water.

“Màthair of God, move your arse, Fraser. If they don’t drown, they’ll die from the cold water.” Ahead of him, he heard a shout, and his heart slammed into his chest. “Madeline.”

His loud cry received no answer, and he knew his voice had been drowned out by the sea. Waves were now pounding against the rocks that made up the cavern’s ceiling. The noise of the sea and the cavern’s acoustics would make it difficult for Madeline to know he was behind her. With a surge of energy, Iain pushed his way quickly forward through the water, ignoring the way the currents beneath the surface fought to halt his progress.

The rope around his waist tightened then abruptly tugged him backward. Immediately, he retaliated with a hard jerk on the thick, corded hemp. Angus tugged on the rope again, this time twice, and Iain hesitated. Had the rope run out? Above his head, water streamed through two holes close together as the waves receded.

Almost as if someone else was guiding his hands, he struggled to undo the bowline knot holding the rope snug around him. Quickly shoving the end of the rope through one hole he pushed his fingers up through the second one to search for the wet hemp. The moment he found it, he pulled it down through the hole then knotted the rope off. He’d need it for Ainslie and Madeline on their way out of the cave.

Continuing forward, he listened hard for Madeline’s or Ainslie’s voices, but the North Sea was doing its best to drown out any sound. Ahead of him, he recognized the sharp right turn of the dark passageway. The ledge was just beyond it, that and the riptide pool. His heart thundered in his ears as he pushed against the water to reach the turn. A second later, Iain heard Madeline’s voice followed by Ainslie’s. Suddenly his daughter’s voice erupted in shrill screams of alarm. The horror and panic in his daughter’s voice as she repeatedly called out Madeline’s name nearly pulled every last breath from Iain’s lungs.

“Màthair of God, the riptide pool.”

Adrenalin crashed through him as he plunged through the water with the strength of a man possessed and rounded the corner of the passage to see Ainslie on the ledge he’d taken refuge on as a boy. The riptide pool had been one reason he’d been too terrified to leave the cave all those years ago.

He was certain the passage of time had made the pool even more dangerous, as the sea would have expanded the two cross tunnels of water under the one leading to the ledge, where his youngest was on her knees. Ainslie was leaning forward her hand outstretched toward a spot in the pool that was churning from Madeline’s wild thrashing to reach the surface.

“Ainslie, get away from the edge,” he ordered in a harsh, fierce tone. “She’ll pull ye in, and ye will both drown.”

His daughter jerked her head in his direction, and she began to sob. Despite his wish to reassure her, Iain knew Madeline was his first priority. He saw her bob to the surface, gasping for air before she was tugged down below the water again.

“Fuck,” he snarled at the unseen enemy trying to pull Madeline to her death.

Carefully he slid one foot at a time to the spot where he remembered the floor ended in front of the deep pool. Madeline’s hand suddenly shot up into the air close to where he was standing and slapped at the water as if searching for something to hold on to. His heart in his throat, he lunged forward and wrapped his hand around her wrist.

With a hard tug, Iain pulled Madeline toward him and up out the water. He fell backward slightly before he regained his footing on the rock floor and straightened to pull her close. Coughing hard, Madeline dragged in deep, ragged breaths as she leaned against him.

“It’s all right, mo ghràdh, ye are safe now.” At his soft words, she looked up at him wide-eyed with fear. With a gentle stroke of her cheek, he gave her a quick kiss. “I want ye tae start back.”

“No,” she said in a fierce whisper. “I’m not leaving you or Ainslie behind.”

“Damnit, Madeline. I want ye tae—”

“I’m not leaving, so you can either stand here and waste time arguing with me, or do what needs to be done to reach Ainslie.”

With a harsh oath, he jerked his head in a sharp nod and forced her to stand behind him. Across the dangerous pool of water, Iain met his daughter’s terrified gaze.

“Ainslie, I know you’re scared, lass, but ye will be fine if ye do exactly as I say.”

The girl didn’t say a word, she simply bobbed her head sharply. Moving to the opposite side of the cavern’s passageway, Iain pressed his chest to the wet wall.

“I want ye tae stand against the wall just like I’m doing, lass. Then I want ye tae slowly slide toward me until your right foot is almost on the edge of the ledge.”

With another nod, Ainslie did as he instructed, and Iain swallowed hard as he remembered how dangerous the next few minutes would be. If she slipped—he pushed the thought aside.

“That’s a good lass. The next part is going tae be difficult, but ye can do this, mo leannan. I need ye tae stretch out your hand. There should be two indentations in the wall. They’re small, like the cubbyholes in my desk.”

Ainslie began to do as he said, then suddenly retreated with a look of abject terror on her face. With a violent shake of her head, tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I cannae do it, Faither. I dinnae want tae fall into the pool.”

“I ken you’re afraid, Ainslie. But I also ken how brave ye are. Ye are even braver than your Uncle Thane, who was fearless.” Iain flicked his fingers in a gesture for her to come forward. “I will nae let go of ye, mo leannan. I love ye, and I will give my life tae keep ye safe.”

The moment his daughter’s eyes widened in surprise, Iain bit down on the inside of his cheek. He had a great deal to atone for where Ainslie was concerned.

“Come on now, my wee brave lass. I’m right here, I’ll nae let anything happen tae ye.”