Their jaws dropped in unison.
Hew returned to his cell.Now he had only to wait.
He’d made a large wager.It might not bear fruit.But if he was correct, the accomplice would be eager to act fast.Likely tonight.
As he suspected, a cloaked monk left Kildunan at nightfall, hurrying along the road as if chased by a pack of wolves.
But the beast on his scent was Hew.
Hew kept his distance.There was no need to further frighten the man.He was already headed into the trap.
The man naturally had no trouble negotiating the gates of Dunlop.After all, who would suspect a monk of foul play?The castle guards were probably used to his frequent midnight visits.To them, the prior appeared to be an exceptionally devoted man of the cloth, since he was always coming at the darkest hours to pray for suffering members of the clan.
Tonight, it was Peris who needed his prayers.And when Hew glimpsed the flash of a dagger blade in the prior’s hand, he knew how the prior meant to relieve the physician’s suffering.
He tracked the prior through the great hall to the physician’s quarters.
Hanging back in the shadows, he heard the prior pound hard on the door.After several moments and an additional heavy round of knocking, the physician opened the door.
“What have ye done?”the prior hissed.
Peris sounded like any man wakened in the middle of the night.Stuporous and irritable.“What are ye talkin’ about?And what are ye doin’ here?I thought we agreed—”
“Bloody fool!”the prior bit out, brandishing his dagger.“Did ye think I wouldn’t come after what ye did?”
“What the—”
The prior pushed his way in.
“Ye don’t mean the guildsman, do ye?”the physician rattled on.“We agreed I could hasten him along with a few extra drops of opium.’Tisn’t the first time I—”
“Not the guildsman,” the prior growled.“I don’t care about the guildsman.”
“Is it the guildsman’s jewels?I swear I put them in with the rest.”
“Och aye.Right before ye handed them o’er to Rivenloch.”
“What?”
“He brought them to Kildunan, ye halfwit.Showed them to the abbot.”
“What are ye talkin’ about?They’re right where I left—”
“Is that so?”the prior sneered.“So ye’re sayin’ yedidn’tconfess to Rivenloch and turn o’er the treasures?”
“What?”he blurted in amazement.“Why would I confess?”
“I should have known ye were a coward.Ye’ve been as twitchy as a cat for weeks now.”
“Because I’ve been sittin’ on top o’ the spoils,” the physician challenged.“Ye keep sayin’ ye’ll move it, but—”
“But since ’twas takin’ so long, ye decided to wash your hands of it.Is that it?”
“Nay.”
“Ye figured ye’d unburden your soul,” the prior said, “and throw me to the wolves.”
“I swear I don’t know what ye’re talkin’ about.”
