“That’s yers!” Oskar shouted. “Ye had it in yer hand all along!”
Eberwyn ignored him. Straightening, he unfolded the document and read it. His eyes widened as he scanned the contents and then he turned to Kai and Conall, his expression stricken.
“I dinna believe this,” he said in a pained voice. “Ye are all in on it!”
“What are ye talking about, man?” Kai snapped. “This is all some kind of misunderstanding. If ye really think Oskar is capable of—”
“Not just Oskar!” Eberwyn said, holding up the parchment. “All of ye!” The parchment was filled with small, neat writing and sealed at the bottom with the sign of a spread-winged bird of prey.
“These are orders,” Eberwyn continued. “Written in yer hand, Kai, ordering Oskar to break into this gaol and free an enemy of Alba. It bears the seal of the Order of the Osprey! That makes if official. The Order are behind this gaolbreak!”
“Have ye lost yer mind?” Kai yelled. “Of course we aren’t!”
“Guards!” Eberwyn shouted to the guardsmen, men that Oskar now recognized as Eberwyn’s personal guard. “Arrest these men for treason!”
Oskar’s stomach twisted with impotent rage. “No!” he bellowed, fighting to get free. “Ye know they had naught to do with it! It’s ye! It’s all ye! Ye are the traitor!”
The guardsmen snapped into action, surrounding his sword-brothers and brandishing their swords. Kai and Conall exchanged wide-eyed glances, their faces pale with shock.
“Eberwyn, ye must see that this doesnae make sense! We have always been loyal to Alba! This is madness!” Kai shouted.
Eberwyn shook his head. “I can no longer trust anyone, Kai. The Order of the Osprey has ordered Oskar to free a traitor. I must act in the best interests of Alba.”
Conall’s face contorted with anger. “Ye are accusingusof treason? After everything we’ve done for this land?”
“I wish I didnae have to do this, but for the safety of Alba, I must,” Eberwyn said. “Ye two will have to come with me.”
“It’s him!” Oskar screamed. “It’s Eberwyn who is the traitor! He’s got Lil—” Eberwyn smacked the hilt of his sword againstOskar’s temple, making light dance before his eyes and sending his vision blurry.
When it cleared he saw Kai and Conall being led away, their hands bound.
“On yer feet,” one of the guardsmen barked at him. They hauled Oskar up. He didn’t fight. He let them think he was beaten.
Gripping Oskar’s arms tightly, they began escorting him across the yard after Kai and Conall. He looked around desperately, trying to figure a way out of this, and spotted furtive movement in the shadows by the gate. As he watched, Alfred Brewer, accompanied by two of Eberwyn’s men posing as guardsmen, flitted through the gates and disappeared into the city.
Bastards. He would catch them before they could make their escape to one of Eberwyn’s safe houses, make Brewer admit the truth of what had happened here tonight.
With a burst of adrenaline, Oskar suddenly lunged forward, momentarily surprising his guards and breaking their grip on him. He grabbed a fallen spear, feeling the splintered surface bite into his skin. He swung it with all his might, catching one of his guards squarely in the face with the blunt end. The guard staggered back, reeling from the force of the blow, and Oskar hammered the butt end of the spear into the second man’s temple, laying him out cold.
Oskar seized his chance. He turned and ran through the gates and out into the darkened city.
Chapter 19
The streets of Edinburgh sped by in a mad blur and Lily had no idea if she was being pursued. She didn’t dare look around to check. She ran as fast as she could, her heart racing, her breath ragged and shallow. Every shadow seemed to hide an enemy, every turn a trap. She scrambled over piles of refuse, barely managed to avoid colliding with startled locals, and didn’t stop until she’d run far, far from where she’d started.
