The Rock by Monica Mccarty

Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find him easily enough.”
    Elizabeth felt the tears gathering behind her eyes as she stared up into her big brother’s handsome face. “Do you think so?”
    He pressed a kiss to her brow. “I know so. I will lead the search party myself.”
    Relieved, Elizabeth stood to the side and listened as he gave orders to his men. If Jamie said he would find him, he would. When it came to warfare, there was no one she trusted more.
    Although under the circumstances, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to make doubly sure. She waited for him to finish and drew him aside for a private word. “Are any of the Phantoms here?”
    His expression went tellingly blank. “What are you talking about?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Really, Jamie, it’s not that hard to figure out. Although I don’t know why you didn’t join, since you are always fighting with them anyway.” She rattled off the names of the men most often in his company: Gregor MacGregor, Kenneth Sutherland, Magnus MacKay, Ewen Lamont, Eoin MacLean, and Robbie Boyd. She knew Alex Seton had been a member as well, but he’d recently switched allegiance to fight with the English.
    “How the hell . . . ?” His eyes narrowed. “God damn it, Ella, you are too old to be listening at doors.” He gave her a hard look, meant to intimidate. Although impressive, it was thoroughly wasted on her.
    He stormed off without confirming or denying anything, but she was relieved to see that when he rode out of the castle less than an hour later, four of the men she’d mentioned rode with him.
    It would be all right. Her brother and Bruce’s Phantoms—or as they called themselves, the Highland Guard—would find Archie. She retreated to the room provided for her to bathe, eat something, and rest, confident that when she woke, she would be giving her young brother a scolding like he would not soon forget for scaring her so horribly.

    Elizabeth tried not to be alarmed when her brother and the other men still had not returned by the evening meal. She’d hoped to have a chance to talk to Thommy, but he hadn’t been among the two hundred or so warriors who’d gathered in the Great Hall for the light repast.
    She’d missed him the past few years, but hadn’t realized how terribly until she’d seen him. There had been a void in her life since Thom left, and now that she’d been given the chance, she was determined to put it right between them. They couldn’t go on like this. They’d been friends for too long.
    When she’d inquired of Edward Bruce where she might find him, he told her he hadn’t seen MacGowan since the men had finished the work on the tower for the day a few hours earlier. He’d shrugged indifferently and suggested he might have gone into town with some of the others. He was a popular man in town. From how Carrick said it, she took it to mean with the women.
    At that point, a man seated nearby interrupted. “He’s not in town, my lord.” He turned to her. “If you are looking for MacGowan, my lady, he was waiting to see the healer.”
    “The what ?” She didn’t realize she’d jumped to her feet until everyone turned to stare at her.
    The man—who was really more of a lad at seven or eight and ten—blushed. She suspected he was one of the earl’s squires. “I didn’t mean to alarm you, my lady. It is nothing serious.” He frowned. “MacGowan wouldn’t have been able to swing a hammer all day if his shoulder were broken.”
    Elizabeth didn’t need to hear anything more. “Where?” she demanded.
    The lad—Henry—pointed her in the direction of the apothecary, which he said was located near the kitchens on the other side of the castle garden.
    It was dark and cold out as she fled the warmth of the Hall, but she didn’t take time to fetch her cloak. The directions weren’t as easy to follow as she thought, so she was forced to stop and ask a few times, but eventually she found the right door and burst into the small