But Gaedric didn’t turn on him. The man lumbered his way to Aileas. He sank one hand in her knotted hair and yanked her away from Beala’s limp body.
Aileas screamed and clawed at Gaedric’s arm as he threw her back against the opposite wall. He clutched her by the throat and pinned her to the stones beneath the window. “Ye kilt my only son.Ourson. Ye kilt him with yer infernal plotting. Why could ye not be happy with yer lot in life?”
“Ye think I would have my clan know I gave birth to the son of a crippled simpleton?” Aileas sputtered and clawed at Gaedric’s arm with both hands. “Ye should thank the gods my wicked father allowed ye to live. I told him ye raped me after he did.”
“I loved ye.” Gaedric sobbed out a groan as his left hand joined his right around Aileas’s throat. “And now I am cursed with the blood of honorable people because I listened to ye and didna lift a hand to stop ye from yer evil ways.”
“He is going to kill her,” Trulie whispered in a horrified gasp.
“Let him,” Gray growled in response. “He has earned the right.”
Gaedric roared out another broken sob as he slammed Aileas back against the wall. She spat at him, her face blood red as she strained against the attack. She brought her boot up hard between his legs. As his grip loosened from around her throat, she dug her thumbs into his eyes.
Gaedric bellowed in pain as he staggered back, an arm clamped across his eyes and his hand clutching his crotch.
Aileas screamed and charged forward, both hands raised to attack him again.
Gray shoved Trulie back in the corner. “Stay,” he ordered. A red haze filled his senses and bloodlust pounded in his ears. He grabbed Aileas by the hair and yanked her off Gaedric. Just as she rolled to attack Gray, he pressed the point of his dirk against the folds of her double chin. “Give me one reason why I should not slit yer throat for ye.”
Aileas’s beady-eyed gaze darted from side to side as she stilled in his hands. Her gasping wheezes echoed through the chamber as she lifted her hands into the air with her fingers outstretched. “Forgive,” she finally sputtered with a heaving breath. “Forgive.”
“I beg ye, Chieftain. I beg ye ... dinna kill her.” Gaedric fell to his knees beside Gray and raised his clasped hands upward. “I beg ye let her live.”
“Knowing all she has done, ye still wish her to live?” Gray could not believe the man kneeling at his feet could be so blind.
“There are many punishments worse than death,” Trulie said from the corner. The calm serenity of her tone held Gray’s inner beast in check.
Gray yanked Aileas’s head back further and pressed the knife to her flesh until a single crimson drop of blood beaded up and trickled down the length of his blade. Aileas sucked in a hitching breath and squinted her eyes shut.
“Please, great MacKenna.” Gaedric pawed at Gray’s elbow. “’Tis not her fault. Her cruel father made her what she is. I beg ye ... I will take her to the Isle of Man. There are places there. Remote places. She will never do harm again. I swear it.”
Gray stared at his blood-stained blade. It would be so easy to slit the hag’s throat and silence her without question.
“Gray.” Trulie’s quiet plea reached him. “Listen to Gaedric. I don’t want her blood on your hands.”
Gray forced his gaze away from the knife and locked eyes with Trulie. How could she expect him to let the murderess go?
“Please,” she whispered.
“Guard.” Gray yanked Aileas around and held her at arm’s length. When his men entered the room, he shoved her toward them. “Bind her and leave her locked in this room until I give the order. She will be leaving with Gaedric as soon as he is ready for his journey.”
“Thank ye, m’lord.” Gaedric kissed the hem of Gray’s plaid before he rose and took hold of Aileas’s wrists.
Gray pulled away from Gaedric’s fawning with a single shake of his head. “I advise ye to kill the wicked harpy afore she kills ye first.”
Then he held out a hand to Trulie and led her from the room.
* * *
Trulie clutchedthe light arisaid closer around her as the wind moaned through the bailey. The blinding sun, high in the bright-blue sky brought no warmth today. Heart heavy, she watched as Gray oversaw the pair of shrouded bodies loaded into the back of the wagon. His face was cold. Expressionless. He looked years older than the first time she had set eyes on him just a few short months ago.
Gaedric sat on the wagon’s seat, the slack reins wrapped around one hand. Aileas, puffed up and silent with her wrists still bound, sat beside him. The wagon creaked as the last of the supplies were loaded around Fearghal and Beala’s remains.
Gray nodded once to Gaedric, then turned and plodded up the stone steps. Trulie’s heart ached even more. She wished there had been a way to spare him all this pain.
Gaedric clucked to the horses and slapped the reins across their backs. The wagon groaned as it shifted forward and started its last journey from MacKenna keep.
“And so it ends.” Gray sounded bone weary as they watched the wagon creak and sway across the courtyard and pass through the outer gate.
