Donald took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. “All right. Get her out of here.”
“Nay.” Ailis protested. “I mean to stay.”
“Yewillcease to argue with me!” Donald grabbed her by the chin so tightly that she feared her bones would break. “I can find ways to hurt ye that willna hurt the bairn ye carry whilst ye carry it. I can also make your bairn pay the price for your sins when he is finally spawned. ‘Tis your choice.”
“Get out of here, Ailis,” Alexander ordered her. “I dinna want ye here.”
“I should stay here,” she murmured as Malcolm led her away and she gave him little resistance.
“Why?” asked Malcolm, his arm about her shoulders as he urged her back toward Leargan. “Do ye want to see his pain and death, simply lack the stomach to do it yourself?” I hadna thought ye capable of such things.”
Ailis decided she was very weary of cynical men who mistrusted her simply because she was a woman. “Oh, aye, I think ye must have thought of me in such a way, at least once or twice, or such an insulting idea would never occur to ye now.”
“My pardons. ‘Tis just that I canna see any reason for ye to want to witness his death, especially when we both ken that my cousin shall make it as slow and agonizing as he can.”
“I dinnawantto see it. ‘Twill tear my heart out piece by piece. However, Alexander should have at least one friend with him when he meets his fate.” She looked at Jaime, who had fallen into step beside her. “Do ye think ye could be there for him?”
“Aye, Mistress Ailis.” Jaime turned back to go and stand as near to Alexander as he was allowed, but still some several feet away.
The sound of the whip made her jump, and she fought back her tears. “And so it begins.”
Barra cursed and tightly clenched his hands. He crouched in the knotted thickets to the west of Leargan and had a clear view of the place where his brother was meant to die. A quick glance at Angus told him the man was as furious as he, for the mild wound Angus had suffered was not enough to make the man go white.
“There is some good to be found in this,” Angus said at last, his voice rough with emotion.
“Aye, and what might that be?”
“They are outside of Leargan. We need not try and storm that formidable keep.”
For the first time since Angus and Red Ian had arrived to report Ailis’s and Alexander’s abductions, Barra felt a stirring of real hope. His only plan had been to get to Leargan as soon as possible, so soon that the MacCordys and MacFarlanes would not be expecting him and the dozen men-at-arms he had with him. After that he had developed some vague idea of surveying Leargan, the MacCordys, and the MacFarlanes and seeing if some opportunity to save Alexander would eventually appear. He was sure it had. The number of people around Alexander was greater than the small force he had, but they were not all fighters or even armed. The only problem he could see was that Ailis was being taken back inside of the keep.
“I willna be able to grab them both,” he said and pointed toward Ailis. “Although after what she just did, perhaps that is for the best.”
“Come, lad, the lass was forced to do that. Probably threatened into taking part by that filth MacCordy.”
“Ye sound sure of that.” Barra dearly wanted to believe that, and for that reason alone he was afraid to do so.
“I am. The lass is fair sick of love for the fool. She was given no chance to say nay. Now, we had best get to the business of rescuing our laird ere we lose the chance so sweetly handed us.”
As he followed Angus back to the rest of their men, Barra required some assurances. “Do ye really believe we can succeed in freeing Alexander?”
“Aye. If we gallop out of this dark wood, screaming like banshees, we will set most of that lot of carrion racing for the safety of the keep. That will make it hard for the true fighting men of Leargan to do their best. We need but hold them at bay for a wee bit whilst we cut our laird down, and then we hie back to Rathmor.”
“Do ye think our mounts are worthy of the challenge?”
“We were but a few hours behind the MacCordys, so they have had as much rest as the mounts they shall need to chase us. Shall I tell the men what to do, or do ye wish that honor?”
“Best if ye do it, Angus,” Barra said as he swung up into the saddle. “I understand what we are to do, but I havena much experience in giving orders. Ye do and I want to be very sure that we make no mistakes.”
Barra stared in the direction of Leargan as Angus instructed their men. He heartily wished he could rescue Ailis as well, but he knew that would be impossible. That would be hard to explain to the children when he returned without their aunt. He suspected he was going to have a difficult time explaining it to Alexander, too.
Alexander clenched his teeth to halt another scream as the lash seared across his back. He needed something to bite on if he was going to continue to remain silent, but he had no intention of asking MacCordy for anything. Each time he looked up, he met Jaime’s steady gaze. He knew exactly why Jaime was there and not with Ailis, and the gesture touched him. Ailis did not want him to be alone amongst his enemies. He knew that with as much certainly as if she had told him herself.
Another sting of the whip and Alexander fought to regain his wits, to prepare for the next. He met and held Jaime’s look again. Just as he was about to thank the man for his presence, something Alexander was able to draw strength from, a sound tore through the quiet that left him stunned. The slow grin that spread over Jaime’s face told him hehadheard the MacDubh warcry, but he still found it hard to believe. He was about to be rescued.
“Ailis,” he said, finding his thin, hoarse voice difficult to recognize as his own.
“I will watch her,” Jaime said as he neatly felled the two MacCordy men guarding Alexander, allowing Barra to get in close enough to cut the bonds around Alexander’s wrists.
