Warrior’s Redemption (27 page)

But neither was the case. Instead, she had only a head full of her aunt’s favorite words of advice.

Of course, Aunt Jean had been warning her about the old goose that wandered freely around their farm and not some Magic-wielding Scotsman who held people prisoner in his castle. But still, the caution might well apply. Both were vile, hateful creatures that bore careful handling.

Outside the entry to the hall, she lifted her chin and straightened her back, only moderately reassured by the squeeze Elesyria gave her hand before dropping her hold.

As before, the huge room was devoid of people except
for the servants waiting at either end of the table where Torquil sat.

He neither stood nor looked up when they approached to take their seats. Apparently their negotiations had reached a new adversarial level.

She only hoped the bell ringing in her imagination signaled the beginning of the next round and not an all-out disaster alarm.

“I canna help but note that you’ve no brought along the wee bags yer to hand over to me today.”

At last he chose to acknowledge their presence. Two could play that game.

Dani made a point of thanking each servant for every item that was placed on the table before she allowed herself to so much as glance Torquil’s direction.

His amused expression did not inspire her to confidence.

“I saw no point in our carting the bags back and forth. You know where they are, and surely they’ll be safe there, won’t they?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, his expression darkening as his eyes darted over her head.

“May I join you?” Christiana stood at the door, her entry blocked by the guards at either side.

“Of course,” Dani replied brightly, her words drowning out Torquil’s simultaneous response of “No.”

His not wanting the girl there was all the reason Dani needed for including her. Anything to throw her opponent off his game.

She popped up out of her chair and hurried over
to the door to reach past the guard and draw Christiana inside the room.

“Don’t be rude,” she hissed at the man, feeling almost sorry for him as he looked first to his companion and then to Torquil for guidance.

At a gesture from Torquil, the guard stepped aside and Dani led Christiana back to the table to take a seat next to hers.

“There now.” She forced herself to smile across at Torquil. “One big happy family.”

“Though neither as big nor as happy as it should be,” Elesyria murmured, digging her bread into the porridge in front of her. “Please tell me they didn’t put fish in this.”

Across from her, Torquil twisted the ring on his little finger. Her ring. And though he wore a smile, the muscle in his jaw stood rigid and there was nothing even close to pleasant in the eyes that glared in Elesyria’s direction.

“Which reminds me . . .” Dani leaned to the side, drawing his attention back to her. “While I thank you for sending my husband’s things to my room, you do realize there was nothing in those bundles that kept your side of the bargain.”

“I beg yer pardon? You wanted proof Malcolm was here. That is what I gave you.”

Even his speech sounded clipped, strained by the tension in his face.

Dani thought to push her luck once more.

“No, in exchange for my ring”—she tapped her bare ring finger—“you were to provide me proof that
my husband was alive and well. That you did not do.”

Satisfied that she’d successfully put the ball back in his court, Dani dipped her bread into the porridge and scooped a bite into her mouth, realizing too late that Elesyria had been correct about the fish.

“Yer telling me that yer no satisfied with what I’ve given so far?” Torquil leaned toward her, his eyes seeming to glow as he spoke. “I could have a body part brought to you if you like. A hand, perhaps? A foot? Whichever you prefer. It’s of no matter to me. He’s close enough that the severed appendage will still be warm when you receive it. Would that do to convince you?”

Dani dropped the bread she held between her thumb and fingers, praying she wouldn’t pass out as she felt the blood drain from her face.

“That . . . that won’t be necessary,” she stammered, fighting to regain her self-control before either the fish or the conversation brought her breakfast up. “I have perhaps been unnecessarily stubborn on this question. I concede the point to you.”

“As I thought you might,” he said, the false smile still firmly in place.

She clasped her hands in her lap to hide the tremors she could not seem to stop, and breathed through the nausea assaulting her.

Jesus. The monster had just offered to start chopping Malcolm into little pieces and now he sat there, calmly shoving that fishy oatmeal crap into his grinning face.

With no more luck to push, all she wanted was
out of here with Malcolm in tow and all in one piece.

“Then we’ve only the exchange left to complete all our business dealings. Is he strong enough to ride? Malcolm, that is. As soon as we turn over the bags I’d appreciate having my men to assist my husband, if necessary, so that we might take our leave of your hospitality.”

That came out pretty well, all things considered. She hadn’t barfed on his table and she’d even managed not to yell anything about getting her man and getting the hell out of here.

“You needn’t concern yourself with your husband’s strength, my good woman. He will be, I can assure you, at least as strong as any of the men who ride with you.”

Beneath the table, Christiana’s foot tapped against hers.

“You look overly pale, my sister.” Christiana placed a cool hand to Dani’s forehead. “Perhaps I should escort you to the garderobe?”

“I don’t see that as necessary.”

Torquil barely had the words formed before Dani was on her feet, fingers pressed to her mouth as she nodded her agreement to Malcolm’s sister.

“It’s the porridge,” Elesyria sighed. “I knew the fish so early in the day would do it.”

With Christiana’s arm around her shoulders, Dani hurried from the room, barely noticing when the guards stepped aside without question to allow them exit from the hall.

After a series of twists and turns, they reached the curved wall leading to the garderobe, but rather than settling her stomach, the smell only made it worse.

“You need some fresh air,” Christiana said.

“No, it’s really not that bad. Or it wasn’t before we got here.”

“You need some fresh air,” Christiana repeated, more forcefully this time, taking her hand as she spoke to lead her down another series of hallways.

Their detour ended at a set of large double doors, which Dani started to open, but Christiana stopped her.

“We should be safe from being overheard here. You must leave this place soon, my sister. Another day at most and then it will be too late. Time has already passed for some of your party. I am so sorry. I didn’t know before.”

The young woman seemed to struggle for what she wanted to say next.

“I will do what I can to help, but not all of the visions have been clear. I have seen that what’s to come for you won’t be easy. Yer love for my brother will be tested and only in letting go will you hold on.”

Dani’s skepticism alarm tripped on full alert. This was the young woman whom Patrick had sworn saw glimpses of the future, and yet she spoke like some cheesy greeting card with her
set it free and it will come back to you
line of bull.

She didn’t have time for these games.

“I appreciate that you’re trying to help. I already know that I overplayed my hand back there with your brother. But he’s back from whatever creepy edge he fell over and we’re going to end this thing. I’ll give
him whatever he wants to get Malcolm and we’ll get the hell out of this place.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Torquil has no intention of releasing you. He will place a block at every turn.”

Dani had to remind herself that this was also the young woman who was, for all intents and purposes, being held hostage by her older brother. And though the girl likely had her own issues with him, Dani wasn’t going to jeopardize Malcolm’s release by allowing Christiana to lead her down some path of rebellion.

“Look, Christiana, I understand that there’s a whole history to whatever is going on within your family and I’m sorry that things are what they are for you. But my priority is Malcolm. Torquil wants the treasure we brought and I’m going to give it to him. I do worry that, after so many days in captivity, Malcolm might not be at his best, but, like I said back there, with the help of the men who accompanied me here, we’ll take Malcolm and ride out of those gates and never darken Torquil’s path again. Your brother has already pretty much agreed on everything but the details.”

That was her new plan. She’d originally hoped to make it out with some of the MacGahan treasures in her possession, but she no longer cared anything about the silver.

“Torquil has agreed to nothing. He plays with you.
He has no intention of allowing you or yer men to ride out of here. See for yerself.”

Christiana pushed open the big doors and led the way out onto a small balcony that overlooked what appeared to be a central courtyard two stories below. Almost immediately she dropped to her knees by the railing, pulling Dani down next to her.

“There,” she whispered, pointing directly below them to a swarming crowd of men.

Two massive timbers thrust up out of the ground supporting a third timber across their top like some giant child’s swing set. Only it wasn’t play equipment dangling from the topmost pole. It was bodies. Two of them. Hanging limp and lifeless, gently rocking back and forth as if kept in motion by an invisible hand.

It must be some war games practice with dummies. That had to be it. They were simply stuffed dummies, which would explain everything right down to the bags covering their heads.

But it didn’t explain their legs. Dummies would not have those bare, lifeless legs.

Words very nearly failed Dani.

“Who are they?” She couldn’t make herself do more whisper as she gripped Christiana’s hand.

“Can you no tell from here?”

“No, I—”

The crowd ebbed and parted as a third man was dragged to the gallows. His hands were bound behind him and a rag tied over his mouth to muffle his screams, but in the moments before the bag was dropped over his head, his face was unmistakable.

“Eymer?”

For a moment it was as if her brain and her body were completely disconnected, the parts of her at odds over what she saw.

If that was Eymer, the other two had to be Guy and Hamund!

“We have to go get Torquil. He can stop this.” Surely he didn’t know what his men did.

“He’ll no stop it, Danielle. He ordered it.”

Then she would have to stop it. When she attempted to stand, Christiana held her down, throwing her body over Dani’s and holding a hand over Dani’s mouth.

“Shhh. Listen and think! There’s naught that you can do. It’s too late for them, but no for you. You must no let on to Torquil that you’ve seen this. If he realizes that you ken what he’s done, you and yer friend Elesyria, and likely Malcolm as well, will be swinging alongside yer men. Do you hear what I’m saying to you?”

Dani nodded her head to acknowledge her understanding, waiting for the tears choking her throat to fall. As if some dam had formed deep inside, they would not come.

“They did nothing wrong,” she managed when Christiana moved her hand. “They were good men with families who loved them. Why would he—?”

“He named them traitors because they followed Malcolm, but in truth he did it because he can,” Christiana said flatly. “Because he wants to. Because he takes pleasure in the suffering of others. We must hasten
to return to the dining hall. We’ve already been gone overly long. We will explain to Torquil that you’ve been ill, aye? That and nothing more. Dinna fail me on this point, my sister.”

Dani allowed Christiana to help her to her feet and lead her back into the castle. She followed the young woman blindly, her mind filled with the horror of what she’d seen.

How would she ever explain to Jeanne what had happened to her husband? Or to Hamund’s daughter? How would she ever wipe those memories from her mind or the guilt she felt from her soul?

As they rounded the corner closest to the garderobe, she rushed inside and dropped to her knees in front of the drafty hole to empty the contents of her stomach, heaving again and again, long after there was nothing left to come up.

The horrors of the last few minutes had assured that she wouldn’t have to pretend she’d been ill.

“My lady?” A male voice, tentative and absolutely unsure.

Christiana, who had hovered at her side, lifting her hair from her shoulders, responded with a desperation in her voice that sounded absolutely credible.

“Thank Freya someone finally came to check on us. Hasten to the kitchens. Mistress Danielle has need of a cloth dipped in cool water. Hurry!”

When the young guard returned, Christiana wiped Dani’s face and helped her to her feet.

“Are you ready to go before him again?”

As ready as she could ever be.

They reentered the dining hall and Dani took her seat, keeping her eyes focused on her hands, willing them not to shake. Even with her new understanding of the monster sitting across from her, she still had to try once more.

“I apologize if my absence delayed your meal.” She forced a smile to her face and met the monster’s gaze.

“Not at all, my lady. I trust yer feeling better now?”

That he could sit so calmly at this table after what he’d done!

Bury that for now.
This was not the time to think of what had happened but instead to concentrate on what was to come. Dani lowered her hands to her lap, where she could grip them together tightly without his seeing.

“I am, thank you.” A deep breath, a brighter smile. “Shall we set a time, then? Say, noon, perhaps? I’ll deliver the bags to you and you can deliver Malcolm to me.”

She couldn’t force herself to make mention of the men who had accompanied her. That horror was too near the surface for her to be sure of her emotions.

Across from her, he twisted the ring on his finger and stared up toward the ceiling as if he considered her suggestion.