“I’m right here.” He surged out of the tunnel, hoisted himself to his feet and wrapped her up in his chilly embrace.
“I cannae believe you’re truly here.” She cupped his face in her hands, touched the dark circles rimming his eyes. “I’m sorry. I never meant to cause you such fear and worry.”
“Now I’ve got you back, I’m never letting you go again.”
“I shall hold you to that promise.” She drew his face to hers and—
“Fiona and I will go first.” Cedric sheathed his weapon at his wrist, picked Fiona up and lowered her into the hole then dropped down after her. The two disappeared.
“Kyla.” Ronan scooped her up and dangled her feet over the watery hole. “Are you ready to go?”
“As ready as I’ve ever be.”
“I’ll be behind you every step of the way.” He touched his lips to hers and oh, sweet heaven. One taste of the warm recesses of his mouth was all it took to cloud her senses. She swept her fingers into his hair, clutched him closer, her heartbeat a pounding mess as she kissed him with all the desperate desire she’d held at bay since their parting.
“Sorry, love.” He broke their kiss, anguish flaring in his gaze before he dropped her into the hole and icy water closed in over her head.
“I’ll get you back for that.” She sank into the darkened depths and once her feet touched the stony base, she maneuvered around in the rounded basin then kicked off toward the sea-gate.
Releasing Kyla had nearly killed Ronan. With a splash, she’d gone down then he’d given her long enough to turn around within the basin below then feet first, jumped in after her and sank. Holding and kissing his mate was all he desired, not a torturously cold swim through the murky depths of an underwater tunnel on enemy soil.
In fast pursuit, his mind connected with hers, he kicked after her, the high tide swelling and pushing against him. Not much farther. Seaweed swirled all about and he brushed Kyla’s bare feet. She too struggled to move forward against the incoming tide and he pushed against her soles and propelled her through.
Once clear of the tunnel, he clutched ahold of her around the waist and heaved them upward through the twisting current. He broke the surface, the waves crashing over them and tossing them about, the sky a welcoming blanket of black with not even a glimmer of the moon in sight.
Hands cinched on her hips, he held her above the water as she gulped in air. “Are you all right?”
“I am now that I have you c-close again.” She shivered, her teeth chattering and her long golden tresses snagged around his shoulders. He wanted to wrap the rest of her around him, only he was out of time.
“Let’s get you to the galley and warmed up.” He kicked toward the slick rocks, hoisted her up into Duncan’s waiting arms then seized the hand of one of the other warriors and got pulled out. Water sluiced to his feet as the waves batted the rocks. One of Duncan’s men bundled Fiona in a plaid and the warrior bounded across the rocks with her toward their moored vessel.
“I’ll do my best to hide your leaving.” Cedric bobbed in the rushing surf. “Travel safely.”
“Jeremiah will know they had help getting out.” He held out his hand to the man who’d brought his chosen one safely back to him. “Neither of the ladies could’ve lifted that grate propped against the wall. Should you return, it’d be to a certain death. Come with us.”
“Please, Cedric.” Kyla scrambled out of Duncan’s hold and tried to reach for Cedric too. “You must come, and that’s an order.”
“An order I wholeheartedly agree with.” Duncan swamped Kyla in a tartan and covered her from head to toe. “’Tis time for the fae to live, which includes you, Cedric.”
“Then I’ll come.” Cedric gripped Ronan’s offered hand and he heaved the warrior out.
“Glad you could join us.” He clapped the man’s shoulder, scooped Kyla from Duncan’s hold and with her bundled up in his arms, rushed across the rocks just as the moon broke free of the stormy clouds.
A horn trumpeted and the blast echoed across the bay. An arrow whizzed through the air and thunked into the slick stone at his feet. He bounded into the galley and dashed to the stern.
“Raise your shields and all oars!” Duncan bellowed as he leapt aboard, his men piling in around them.
“Put me down. You need to take cover too.” Kyla squirmed in his arms as he rolled her underneath the bench seat where Fiona had already been stashed then covered both their bodies with his.
“Stay still, both of you.” More arrows slammed into the hull, one grazing his leg as the vessel heaved over the cresting waves.
“Hamish, take out the archers!” Duncan grabbed the ropes and hoisted the sail. It caught the wind and sent them flying out of the bay.