His hand clenched into a fist. “I can make no such promise.”
Chapter Two
Thenextmorningandafternoon went by with still no sign of her sister. Worries eroded her conscience, and Morren tried to convince Trahern to leave. “Jilleen is just a girl,” she argued. “She shouldn’t be traveling alone. Please go and find her.”
Not yet.“ Trahern folded his arms across his chest. “I won’t leave you behind when you’re still unwell.”
Her own broken body didn’t matter. Not anymore. “I’m afraid, Trahern.” It wasn’t a lie. Her own wild fears came back to haunt her, of all the things that could happen to her sister. “You have to bring her back.”
“I’m not leaving you until you’re stronger.” He held out a plate of food, but Morren could hardly bring herself to eat any of the dried venison or the tart apples he’d brought. “Try to eat.”
Stubborn man. She forced herself to pick at a piece of the venison, even though the idea of eating didn’t appeal. The meat tasted bland, and she struggled to chew it. To change the subject, she asked, “Why did you come back to Glen Omrigh?”
“I came to avenge Ciara’s death.” His voice held the chill of a man who blamed himself for the loss.
Even if he’d been there, he could not have stopped it, Morren thought to herself. But it did no good to dwell on what could not be changed. “How did you hear of it?”
“Her brother sent word. I want to know the rest.”
She saw the grim expression on his face and held her tongue. Some things were better left unremembered.
“Tell me,” he ordered. “You were there that night, weren’t you?”
“No,” she lied. There was no reason to torment him, for it wouldn’t change Ciara’s fate.
Irritation flashed over his face. “I’ve the right to know what happened to her. We were betrothed.”
But she didn’t want to speak of it. Instead, she kept silent, meeting his gaze with her own stubbornness.
“I want to know everything,” he insisted. “And I will revisit the same upon my enemies tenfold.” The ferocity of his glare left her no doubt that he meant what he said. And he wasn’t going to let it go, either.
She sighed and lay back against the pillow. “More fighting won’t bring her back.”
“Her enemies are mine,” he insisted. “And they do not deserve to live after what they did.” His glance fell upon her, almost as if he sensed what had happened to her.
Weariness washed over her, but she acceded, “Tomorrow. Take me back to Glen Omrigh, and help me find Jilleen. Then I’ll tell you what you wish to know.”
“Tell me now,” he insisted.
“Or what?” she taunted. He could say nothing to threaten her. The worst had already happened.
Fury flashed over Trahern’s face and he strode outside, pulling the door shut behind him. After he’d gone, Morren drew her knees up. The pain had abated, though the dizziness remained. She reached for another piece of meat, forcing herself to choke it down.
You have to live, she told herself.For Jilleen.
Her hands moved to her midsection once more, and the soft, sunken skin bruised her spirits. After the massive bleeding, she didn’t know if she would ever be able to bear another child.
It didn’t matter. No man would want her after what had happened, and she had no wish to let anyone touch her.
Slowly, Morren moved her feet to the side of the bed, wondering if she had the strength to stand. She set both hands on the edge, gingerly easing herself down.
The door opened, and Trahern stopped short. “Don’t even consider it. You’re too weak.”
He moved toward her, and out of instinct, Morren shrank away, pulling herself back onto the bed.
“I won’t hurt you,” he swore. “But you’ll never make it back to Glen Omrigh if you exert yourself too soon.”
He moved over by the hearth, adding more wood to the fire. His shoulders flexed with hardly any effort at all as he arranged the oak logs into a small stack.
