Chapter Twenty
“Nay, I’ve not seen him,” Jemma said. “Was he supposed tae come tae the hall?”
Kieran was standing near the dais of the great hall where his wife was, but he was looking for War. He could see War’s men at the end of the table, near the hearth – the men called Monty, Alexei, and Clement – but no sign of War himself.
“Nay,” Kieran said, still looking around. “But I’d hoped he’d come here. I wanted to speak to him.”
“Why?”
Kieran looked at her. “Because he and William had words,” he said, lowering his voice. “Most of them not pleasant. I was hoping to soothe Herringthorpe somehow.”
Jemma was concerned. “God’s Bones,” she said. “Did they fight?”
“As I said, it wasn’t pleasant.”
“But why?”
Kieran sighed. “It is a long story and one I will tell you later, so please do not press me right now,” he said. “I’d like to find War. I must speak to him.”
Jemma was many things, but a pest to her stoic husband wasn’t one of them. At least, not when it mattered and, at this point, she could see by Kieran’s expression that it mattered. She’d been married to him long enough to know that.
“As ye wish,” she said reluctantly. Since she couldn’t ask him more about War, she shifted to the one thing that had been heavy on her mind for the last hour or so. “Did anyone tell ye that Argyle and Brendan have come tae Castle Questing?”
Kieran looked at her sharply. “Cord’s sons?”
“Aye.”
“What are they doing here?”
Jemma shook her head. “I dunna know,” she said.
She wagged a finger in her husband’s face.
“But I dunna trust that pair. Whenever there’s trouble or subversion, they’re in the middle of it.
Annie told me that they were leading the rebellion against Ian.
They’ve been the ones speaking out against him and telling our kin that Annie caused the battle at Etal. They’re trouble, I tell ye.”
Kieran knew that. “But why did they come?”
Jemma shrugged. “Tae speak tae Annie,” she said. “They said that Robbie sent them with a message and they wouldna tell me what it was.”
Kieran frowned. “They were speaking out against Annie, yet Robbie sent them with a message for her?” he said. “That does not sound right.”
“I’m well aware,” Jemma said. “I told them not tae move from the hall. In a room full of witnesses, they dunna dare…”
She suddenly trailed off as her gaze moved to the tables near the open hall door. As short as she was, she leapt up onto a bench so she could see better, but what she saw did not please her. Not in the least.
“Damn those fools,” she snapped. “I told them tae stay there!”
Kieran was trying to see what she saw. “Stay where?” he said. “What is amiss?”
Jemma pointed to the far end of the hall. “There,” she said. “They were sitting at the table with Annie. But they’ve gone – and so is Annie.”
Kieran and Jemma looked at each other at the same time, with the same expression. It was a moment of both realization and concern. Annaleigh was gone, Argyle and Brendan were gone…
That was not a good sign.
“Find them, Kieran,” Jemma hissed, climbing off the bench with her husband’s help. “I dunna know where they’d be, but ye must find them.”
“How long since you last saw them?”
Jemma was looking around the hall desperately to see if they might be somewhere in the vast group of men and servants.
“Not long,” she said. “Mayhap ten minutes or more?”
Kieran simply nodded and headed out of the hall.
He’d have to wait to find War because finding Annaleigh with her two unscrupulous cousins was more imperative at the moment.
Jemma’s timeline gave him a sense of context, as he was certain they couldn’t have fled the confines of Castle Questing in that time. But they could get into trouble.
What trouble, he didn’t know.
He had to find them.
Christian was just coming in the doorway as his father was walking out. Kieran grasped his son by the arm.
“Have you seen Annie?” he asked.
Christian shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “But Argyle and Brendan are here. One of the sentries told me.”
Kieran nodded quickly. “I know,” he said. “They told your mother that they had a message to deliver to Annie in private and now they’re all missing. Help me find them, Christian. Those men are not to be trusted and especially not with her.”
Christian knew that. His manner turned serious.
“But where would they go?” he said, looking around. Then he darted around the side of the hall where the walled garden was. Kieran was on his heels but they could both see the empty garden through the gate. “They’re not here. I’ll check the keep and you can check the stables.”
Kieran nodded. “Hurry, lad,” he said, slapping an affectionate hand on his son’s shoulder. “If they’re not in the stables, I’ll head to the knights’ quarters.”
“Right,” Christian said. “What do you want me to do if I find them?”
Kieran cocked an unhappy eyebrow. “Get those two bastards away from Annie and out to the gatehouse,” he said. “I do not want that pair running loose until I find out why they’ve come. They would not tell your mother, but by damn, they’re going to tell me. Or else.”
Christian knew what “or else” meant. His father had very creative ways of interrogation. He was already running off towards the keep as Kieran headed off to the stables.
As usual, the compound of Castle Questing was lit up with dozens of torches against the night sky.
William made sure that the entire great wall was lit up as well as the inner wall that divided the small inner ward from the outer ward.
That meant light was cast everywhere, almost as bright as daylight sometimes, and Kieran could see the stables in the distance.
The stables had its own yard, tucked up against the northwest wall.
At this time of night, it was quiet because the animals had been secured for the night long ago and, usually, there was a servant who kept an eye on them throughout the night.
That servant had been known to spend most of the night in the hall, however, only venturing out to the stables on occasion.
William kept him on because his knowledge of horses was excellent, so they tolerated his propensity to dally in the hall during the night.
As Kieran approached the stables, he didn’t see the servant, but he wasn’t surprised.
Everything seemed quiet at the stables for the most part, with only one door open of the two big, double doors at the entry.
It was for ventilation at this time of year.
He was about thirty feet away, just entering the yard, when Annaleigh suddenly appeared in the open door with Brendan on her back.
In truth, the man tackled her and she crashed into the door jamb, smacking her head and landing in a heap. Brendan landed on top of her.
Startled, Kieran began to run.
“Release her!” he boomed. “Brendan, let her go immediately!”
Panicked, Brendan looked up to see Kieran barreling into the yard. He grabbed Annaleigh by the arm, yanking her up and against him, as Argyle suddenly appeared and put the blade of a dagger right against her chest.
“Stop or she dies!” he shouted.
Kieran came to a halt so quickly that he skidded in the dirt.
He was about ten feet away now, frozen in place, as Brendan hauled Annaleigh up against him and her head rolled back.
It was then that Kieran could see the blood all over the left side of her face, dripping down onto the swell of her pale bosom even as he watched.
But Argyle’s blade never moved from her chest.
“You’ll never leave here alive if you do not release her,” Kieran growled. “She’s hurt, Argyle. Give her to me.”
Argyle had blood dripping from his nose. He was nervous and trapped, a bad combination. He wiped at his nose with his free hand, smearing blood on his face, before daring to look at Annaleigh in his brother’s grasp.
The woman had blood all over the left side of her face.
“Nay,” he said, wiping at the blood coming out of his nose again. “She’s going back with us tae Langton. We came for her and we’re going tae take her. Get out of the way.”
“I will not.”
“Get out of the way or I’ll kill her!”
Kieran didn’t move. “If you kill her, then I will make sure you are executed in the most painful way possible,” he said, his dark eyes glittering.
“Make no mistake; you will not leave here alive. I will filet the flesh from your body. I will cut the meat from your ribs and break each rib in turn. You will feel every cut, every stab, every broken bone. And then I will start on your brother. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
Argyle did. He was terrified of the massive English knight and he knew the man meant every word.
Men like Kieran Hage had shaped a nation.
He’d been present at battles between Scots and English, killing Scots, having no regard for their lives or safety.
He’d married a Scotswoman, but that had been long ago.
Jemma Hage was English now. Though she was Argyle’s aunt, he never considered her Scots.
Like her husband, she was the enemy.
Argyle’s grip on the dirk tightened.
“If yer threat is sincere, then I’ll cut the lass right now,” he said. “I’ll cut her in front of ye. I’ll make her suffer if ye dunna get out of my way.”
Still, Kieran didn’t move. “Tell me why you want her.”
“What’s that?”
“You heard me. Tell me why you want her. What are you going to do with her?”
Argyle snorted. “If ye must know, we’re going tae use her,” he said. “The sons of Matthew Scott lead Clan Scott, but Ian has grown soft and weak.”
“What does Annie have to do with that?”
“How else are we tae convince the man he needs tae stand down?”
“You mean you would use her to coerce Ian to surrender as clan chief?”
“If he wants his daughter tae live, he’ll do as we wish.”
“So your father is behind this?”
“My da has cunning sons. He’ll appreciate us when he’s chief. We’ll rule alongside him.”
Kieran stared at him as the plan, in its entirety, was revealed. After a moment, he shook his head. “Is this your plan?” he asked. “All of this chaos with convincing your clan that Annie was responsible for the deaths of their loved ones at Etal was meant to undermine her father?”
“She served a purpose. She will continue to do so.”
Kieran sighed sharply. “This is stupid, even for you, Argyle,” he said. “Ian has the support of William and other English allies. He is the rightful chief.”
“His time is over.”
“So you have tried to turn the clan against him? Against his daughter?”
“He’s weak!” Argyle shouted.
As he said so, he jerked the blade in his hand and it nicked Annaleigh on her white shoulder.
A thin stream of red blood appeared. Kieran was coming to think that Argyle could very well nick her to pieces right in front of him.
It might not kill her, but it would be torturous and painful.
She was unconscious now but, at some point, she wouldn’t be.
And she’d be cut up from Argyle’s wicked blade.
Kieran needed help.
He’d sent his son back to the keep where Christian would be searching every nook and alcove for his errant Scottish cousins.
He didn’t expect to see Christian anytime soon.
Therefore, he needed help from the walls.
The sentries were on the walls, going about their rounds, but he hadn’t seen a soldier pass his way and the ones he could see in his periphery were too far away to notice what was transpiring in the stable yard.
Kieran was going to have to do some fast talking to free Annaleigh from her captors.
In a show of surrender, he put up his hands.
“Very well,” he said, trying to stall for time. “I can see that you mean what you say. What do you want from me?”
Argyle was still agitated. “Get out of our way.”
Kieran shook his head. “Think, man,” he said. “How do you intend to leave? On foot? Dragging an injured woman? Or are you planning on riding out of here? If so, where are your horses? How will you take Annie with you if she cannot ride?”
Argyle frowned, looking at Brendan for the first time as if his brother might have the answer. “I want horses,” Argyle said, returning his attention to Kieran. “Give me your horse.”
Again, Kieran shook his head. “Not mine,” he said. “He responds only to me. He would be useless to you. If you let me enter the stables, I’ll find you horses that you can ride.”
Argyle’s face darkened. “Nay,” he said. “Dunna come any closer.”
Kieran grunted in exasperation. “So we are to stand here all night?” he said. Then he waved his hands at Argyle in a sweeping motion. “Back away so I can come in.”
Argyle was torn. He didn’t want Kieran any closer, but he needed the horses. He had to get out of there. They could slide past Kieran, but they couldn’t slide past the entire de Wolfe army and that’s what was coming if they didn’t move quickly.
They had to get out of there.
“Pick her up,” he hissed to his brother. “Pick her up and back away.”
Brendan awkwardly picked Annaleigh up, her wounded head dangling over his left arm. Argyle began to back up with him, keeping the distance between him and Kieran.
“Come in and get us two horses,” he said. “Brendan and I are going through the postern gate. We’ll meet ye around the side. Bring the horses and if ye bring any men with ye, we’ll throw Annie down the side of the mountain that Castle Questing is perched upon.”
Kieran took a few slow steps towards the stables’ entry. “And what do you think will happen to you if you do that?”
“We’ll run off. We’ll take our chances.”
“I’ll have a thousand men looking for you. You cannot escape.”
“Mayhap not, but Annie will still be dead. Are ye going tae take that chance?”
Kieran never had a chance to answer. The next thing he realized, Argyle’s head was flying off his shoulders and blood was spraying everywhere. He saw the flash of a blade and heard Brendan scream.
Help had arrived.