Chapter 29
Nella ran her fingers over her neck. Was there any spark from goodness left in Keithen?
No. His eyes were a hollow darkness. The grotesque words about his late wife and bairn were his true feelings.
Any show in remorse by Keithen within their earlier discussions had been as false as their ‘friendship’.
All! It all had been for appearances only. Every look or word or gesture ever since his late sire’s death as they set forth on how a third in lands were to be seen about had been a lie.
Callum. His avid assurance that it was not her fault warmed her heart as much as the hearth she sat before. Yet the bitter taste in her mouth like she had chewed a sour apple remained. As she threw her head into her hands, the unshed tears as she walked here now washed her face.
What had she wanted to shout at Callum when he said he would come for her?
“Leave me!” she screamed at the granite wall.
How could her knight stand the sight of her if she felt ill in her own skin at how blind she had been?
If she could not forgive herself for such a witless act, how could she ever wish for Callum to?
Her shoulders shook with sobs when a crash from anger hit her like a fist to her heart. “How! How had I been so blind?” she whispered into her palms soaked by salt.
Wiping her face with her sleeve, she stared into the flames dancing about gaily like the dancers at Lady Alaina’s feast. What to do?
Give up? Crawl into a hole? All the years enduring the cruel hand of the Kingmaker’s sire had led her here.
Had it all been for naught? Now she was to suffer at the whim of the son as well? Really? Her eyes narrowed.
Absolutely.
Not.
Going.
To.
Happen!
The last tears she rubbed from her cheek with a fist. Even if she could not forgive herself nor saddle Callum with such an ‘evil charm’, the name her late sire called her many times, it didn’t mean she couldn’t work to make this right.
At least for the ones who she had placed at chance from her ill-witted ways.
Where are you, Callum? She tilted her skull more.
Whoosh. A gust whispering through the arrow slit. Screech. Owl hunting on the forest edges beyond the keep. Meow. Squeak. Cat and mouse engaged in battle down the passageway; that was fitting for all to come. Huh, no voices; odd. Keithen must have warned his warriors to remain silent.
Scratch, scratch. No, this wasn’t a rat scampering. What was that sound signature… It seemed so familiar. Ah, aye; quill upon parchment.
“This has been seen to?” There was Keithen, the wretch.
“Aye, the wine I delivered unto Perth shall be served to Alec directly before Sir Sean leaves for the abbey.” Her jaw dropped. Keithen was going to poison Alec same as those at the tavern!
Smack! Keithen must have slapped the warrior. “What have I told you?”
“Pardon,” the warrior stammered.
Scratch. Scratch. Keithen knew. He knew she was listening; they were writing instead of speaking again so she would not hear.
Giving an inward yell by frustration, she clenched her fist tighter in her lap.
Soon. Soon her Callum would come. When he does, no amount of deceit nor tactics nor greed will save you, Keithen MacMardan.
***
Click. “Have it, Captain,” Sir Brayden announced with a grin. The final door swung open, releasing the young smith who clapped Sir Brayden on the shoulder in approval.
Holger looked at Callum. “Plan?”
“Escape.” Kameron stated the obvious.
Holger rolled his one open eye. “For certain, wee shit, but there must be a bit more to it than that.”
Callum stepped between them. “Kameron, I wager you know this keep well?”
The thick torso rose. “Aye.”
“Where would they have taken my lady?”
“Most likely the highest floor. This is where all the bed chambers reside.” He pointed at the closed door with a lone torch beside it. “The stairs leading off the passageway from this tunnel. These go all the way up to the top floor.”
“Do you have a path toward the stables which is less known?”
“Aye.”
Callum looked at Holger and Brayden. “Show them both, gather the horses, and the pair of stolen smiths. Then wait for Lady Fawnella and myself before we all take our leave.”
“How?” Holger pressed.
“An opportunity shall…”
“Present,” Holger finished, rolling his good eye again.
“Aye.” Callum nodded then glanced at the shuttered doorway again. “For now, I shall stand behind the doorway. Kameron, I need you to yell for the guard. Say someone has fallen ill. Door opens and—”
“You slay the guard.” Holger gave a dark grin.
Callum shook his head. “Nae, same as the pair at Lady Alaina’s, you must curb the blood thirst, Northman. I take him as leverage for the upper floor. Everyone unto your places.”
As the three re-took their cells, Callum dashed behind where the door would swing open.
“Guard! Guard!” Kameron boomed.
The door slowly opened. Wait. Make sure it is only one guard.
Oh hell. Six shadows appeared! Including the one who had taken Kameron’s hammer earlier; he still had it in his grasp.
Callum spied the six backs covered in chainmail by armed enemies as Holger and Brayden’s eyes grew at the newfound development.
Wait for them to grow closer to the cells, then slam the door, surprise the guards.
Looked like Holger was going to get to satisfy that blood thirst after all.
“What is it?” the lead guard mewled at the young smith while holding up the torch he had taken off the sconce by the entry door. Kameron’s eyes had doubled at the numbers present.
“Sir Brayden has taken ill,” Kameron hollered. Brayden made a move same as if he were about to retch. The guards leapt away in a backwards action.
Callum met Holger’s stare.
Now.
Slam!
“For Nella!” Callum sounded a Gaelic battle cry.
The door shut by Callum’s fist the same moment Holger’s cell door blew open, catching the guard closest to the Northman on the temple. The iron crashed with such force the guard’s head snapped at an unnatural angle before he collapsed.
Brayden charged his low broad weight at his cell door. Bang! A guard who was reaching for his sword howled in pain when the door flew open, snapping the guard’s wrist from the low horizontal bars crashing the bone. Brayden charged with his fists.
Kameron bolted from his cell. Hell, the lad was fast. In a flash he grabbed his hammer from the stunned guard’s grasp.
Holger went for the fourth who had the torch, ripping it from the guard’s hand.
He cracked the fire over the unprepared enemy’s skull whose hair lit on fire, and he began to scream before Holger’s fist landed his jaw.
Callum raised the dagger racing at the final who darted toward Kameron, about to engage the guard who was grappling with withdrawing his sword after losing the hammer.
Crack! Kameron’s hammer flew the air same as a whip, but it was his arm which moved so quickly. The hammer landed on the guard’s hand who had been fumbling with releasing his blade.
Nella. He needed one of these guards alive for her escape. Holger snapped the fourth’s neck whose singed hair stank the air. Brayden’s throat was being choked by the good hand left on the guard whose wrist he had broken.
“Brayden!” Callum called out. The fellow knight met his glance. With a flick from his wrist, the dagger flew the air and Brayden caught it. Before Brayden swiped the blade at his foe.
Holger was battling his sword-swinging foe with the torch he had ripped off the previous enemy as the pair danced in a fight for life. Kameron was trying to lay to waste the broken-handed guard with his hammer as the guard pulled out a dagger with his good hand.
The last guard who had entered, who Callum raced at, spun around after he had tossed the dagger for Brayden’s aid. It was the double dagger guard.
Double Dagger’s eyes narrowed with a twisted grin at finding Callum unarmed.
“Sir Callum, you shall never leave this keep, and nor shall your lady.” You dare to threaten Nella?
His fingers tightened into a heavier fist at his side as the enemy taunted.
“I prefer the short blade, more cuts to be had. Will begin upon that pretty face first.”
Brayden and Kameron and Holger battled their enemies behind while Callum’s foe withdrew his dagger then charged.
Arrogant. He should have drawn the sword instead.
Double Dagger was leading with his left foot.
The enemy would swipe the dagger left as well, per the force from natural weight.
Steady. Steady. Lean low then shoulder him in the gut when he swipes the blade.
Whizz! The arrogant foe’s arm flew overhead from the left, the blade thrusting forward as anticipated.
Why bring daggers to an obvious sword fight?
Slamming his shoulder into Double Dagger’s gut, Callum took the guard’s breath at the force he unleashed.
Go for his sheathed sword. He tore the long blade from the enemy’s scabbard. Done!
Pushing the guard backward, Callum dodged right at another swipe by the foe then stood. Double Dagger’s eyes bulged when he found a sword pointed at his nose. “Drop your dagger or your nose shall join the rats upon the floor,” Callum growled. Clank.
His eyes remained locked on the enemy as things grew silent with the exception of huffing breaths behind him. Victors? “Sir Brayden?”
“Aye!”
“Lord Kolson?”
“Present.”
“Kameron?”
A hammer covered in blood being twirled by the handle appeared from the corner of his gaze. “Aye, Sir Callum, told you. Best with a hammer in hand.”
Callum kept his stare at Double Dagger. “Then be so good as to remove the third dagger strapped around this one’s ankle.
Before we take our leave.” The guard’s eyes somehow grew wider by Callum’s find.
“You shall show me where they have taken my lady, and perhaps I shall let you live if she is untouched. Move!”