Searching down the dark pit, she could just make out Niall, sitting on the floor with Lachlann’s head in his lap.
“I have water,” she called down to him, her heart racing.
“Easy now. The ladder is broken.”
It cracked beneath her weight, but she made it to the bottom, the heavy bucket hanging from her shoulder. “He’s had no water at all.”
She knelt next to Niall, using her hand to scoop the water into Lachlann’s mouth. His lips were parched and dry. Glancing toward the torch, she saw it remained on its side. The little bit of light came from overhead
“I need to get him something to lower his fever.”
Niall pointed out the blood at Lachlann’s side. “His wound must have reopened.”
Ethne gasped. Niall helped her to ease up the stained tunic. The sight of the angry red wound made her breath catch. “Water. It needs to be cleaned.”
Niall held the bucket while she sluiced the wound clean, then he offered her the small sack from his waist. She frowned before accepting it.
“An assortment of herbs.” Niall shrugged. “Take what ye need.”
He cradled Lachlann’s head against him to continue urging water between his lips, while Ethne squeezed the healing juices of the succulent plant around the tear.
“It had nearly healed.” Her heart continued to race, her irritation and shame mounting. “It must have been his treatment at Thomas’s hands that opened this back up. Damn him.”
She glanced at Niall and her face heated. It was her fault Lachlann was here, but she wasn’t certain how much Niall knew. It was best if they didn’t speak.
It didn’t take long for Lachlann’s skin to cool. Once he seemed to be out of danger, Niall turned his stern expression on Ethne. “Whyareye here?”
An angry rebuke. Her exhausted body slumped, her shoulders rounding with defeat. He knew! Lachlann had told Aldred what Uradech had tried to do, so of course, he would tell Niall.
“I heard him groaning,” Ethne said, unable to stop her voice from shaking.
“How?”
“There’s a hidden passage.” She scrubbed at her scalp and glanced in the direction it must be. “They all must connect.”
“So ye’ve been there for him? Ye’ve known his condition?”
She winced at Niall’s angry tone. “I just found it. I dinna know they were so close to each other…”
“Why are ye not with the others seeing to Uradech?”
Aldred called from overhead. “Niall?”
“Here!” Niall turned toward the opening then back at her. “I won’t allow ye to stop us.”
Ethne’s jaw dropped, the wind knocked out of her.
Niall’s sarcastic smile said it all. “Come now. A smart lass like ye? Are ye not here to stop us?”
Her thoughts scrambled in her head and she had a hard time answering. “I dinna know what ye’re—”
“Enough!”
Aldred’s head peered down at them. “What isshedoing there?”
“Lachlann’s too weak to get up the rungs.” Niall glared at her as he called to the other man.
The blond turned to come down the ladder. “What have they done to him? Why is he so weak?”
