Agnes curled her lip. “I told you, a life for a life.”
“But not his life. My boy is innocent.” Lucy held out her hands, palms up. “Take me.”
“I think we shall all go out on the battlements for all to see, and then I will be mistress of Blackford.”
Agnes yanked Jason to his feet and backed toward the open door, dagger held so close to his unblemished skin that Lucy didn’t dare do anything to risk his safety.
Lucy followed Agnes, desperate to intervene. The battlements were still empty, the men still searching for Jason.
The storm intensified, the wind blowing their hair out behind them like some vengeful goddess of old.
Agnes held Jason in front of her. “Your son will die to pay for my mother’s death.” She cut the gag and bonds, pinching him to make Jason yelp. “Now scream for all to hear.”
Not this nonsense again. An icy calm came over Lucy. William and the men would never reach them in time, nor would they hear her scream over the storm.
There would only be one chance. Lucy ignored the wind, the rain soaking her cloak and dress as she focused on her sweet boy.
“Jason.”
“Mama. I’m scared of the bad lady.”
“Remember our game?” Lucy reached into the special pocket of her skirt. “Duck… duck…”
“Goose!' he shrieked, fear forgotten as in one swift motion he dropped to his knees.
In the second that Agnes was distracted by what had happened, Lucy threw herself at Agnes, as they both went down in a tangle of skirts, landing hard on the stone walkway.
“Run, Jason. Go fetch your father.” Lucy screamed into the storm.
As they struggled, Agnes smashed Lucy’s wrist against the parapet, making her hand tingle as she dropped the blade. It skittered across the stone into the darkness.
They kicked and punched, and Lucy wasn’t too proud to pull a hunk of that glorious auburn hair out.
The resulting shriek gave her just enough time to shove Agnes off her and get to her knees.
Lucy blocked the blow with her forearm, scrambling to gain the advantage. Finally, all that core work paid off as Lucy shoved upward, pinning Agnes against the parapet. She yankeda dagger from her boot and, with a primal scream, plunged it into Agnes’ black heart.
Agnes’ anguished wail faded into the howling storm. The young woman blinked at her. “Nicely done.”
“I told you there would be hell to pay for coming after my family.” With the last of her strength, Lucy shoved Agnes over the parapet, leaning over to watch as she plummeted down, down, down, into the raging sea, her scream swallowed by the water.
The door banged open, the sound of boots hitting stone sounded far away as Lucy stood, chest heaving from exertion and what William called the red haze of rage. She glared down at the rocks.
“You can be damn sure I won’t be planting any flowers on your grave,” Lucy snarled. “Let the fish feast on your rotten corpse.”
The hand on her arm had Lucy whirling around, the other dagger in her hand.
“Whoa. Hold, my lady.” William stood there, holding Jason with Callan by his side.
“The bad lady is gone, gone.”
“Aye, your wee mother is most fearsome.” Callan said.
Blinking against the rain, Lucy frowned when the lightning struck.
“You’re bleeding.”
Callan shrugged. “A mere scratch.”
