Caitlin bristled at this, but before she could respond, Lorna stepped between them.
“She knows too much,” she growled through gritted teeth. “We canna let her go.”
Caitlin felt fear creeping into her body, but she forced herself to stand tall and look Lorna in the eye. “I heard you talking,” she said, her voice steady despite her pounding heart. “I know you’re in league with Leif Snarlsson. What are you planning? What are you going to do to Kai?”
Lorna’s eyes narrowed as she sized Caitlin up. Her face softened and she looked almost regretful as she answered, “Oh dear, he’s gotten to ye, hasnae he? Ye are another one who he’s made fall in love with him.” She sidled closer. “I suspected when ye arrived that ye were yet another of Kai’s doxies. He has women strewn all over Scotland. Did ye know that? Did he say ye are special? That’s what he says to them all.” She grinned savagely. “But there has only ever been one woman Kai loves. Can ye guess who that is?”
Caitlin tried to back away but Alice had moved behind her, blocking her escape.
Lorna stepped up to her. “It’s me, Caitlin. It’s always been me. Did he tell ye that we were betrothed to be married?”
Caitlin felt as though she’d been punched in the stomach. Married? Kai had told her that he and Lorna were once lovers but he’d never said anything about marriage.
He has women strewn all over Scotland. Ye are another one who he’s made fall in love with him.
Lorna and Alice were both watching her intently for some kind of reaction. She’d be damned if she’d give them one.
“So? We all have a past. Why should Kai’s bother me?”
Lorna raised an eyebrow, laughing lightly. “Past? Ye think I am Kai’s past. Oh no, my dear. I am very much his present. He comes to my bed every night. I keep him warm—and satisfied.” Lorna smiled slyly. “Oh, he likes to wander every now and then but he always finds his way back to me. Tell me Caitlin: did he say ye are beautiful? That he canna resist ye? That’s what he says to all his whores. Anything to get them into his bed. But like I said, he always finds his way back to me.” She said the last words slowly, savoring the effect of each one on Caitlin.
She was lying. Caitlin knew she was lying. Wasn’t she? She was just saying these things to hurt. Wasn’t she? She wanted to slap the woman. She wanted to curl up in a corner and cry. She wanted to turn around and run and never look back.
She did none of those things.
Instead, she looked at Tobias, Lorna’s husband, expecting him to be outraged by his wife’s words. Instead, he seemed amused, a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
“My love,” he said. “Stop playing with your food.”
Lorna turned to him, a pout forming on her lips. “But Tobias, it’s so much fun. She’s squirming like a worm on a hook.”
Alice scowled at them all. “Enough of this. We need to deal with her. She’s a liability.”
Tobias chuckled. “What do you suggest?”
Caitlin wasn’t about to stick around to hear Alice’s suggestion. She lunged, surprising all three of them, and made a dash for the exit. She felt a hand grab at her dress but shook it off as she burst through the door, leaving Alice cursing behind her.
She sprinted, flagstones ringing beneath her feet. Blood pounded in her ears and she didn’t dare glance behind, afraid of what she might see. The stairs were just ahead! If she could just make it up to the inhabited levels of the keep—
A sharp pain exploded in the back of her head. The red spots dancing before her eyes were quickly replaced by fear as fingers closed around her bicep like an iron vice.
“Now that,” drawled Alice’s voice. “Was a stupid thing to do.”
She had a brief vision of something descending towards her face before everything went black.
