She cried out, and Leona saw Murdock flinch as if he’d been struck.
“What do ye want?” Murdock gritted out.
“I already told ye. Me bride.” Ragnall’s eyes scanned the courtyard, then landed on Leona where she stood frozen on the steps. “There she is. Beautiful as ever, Cousin. Did ye miss me?”
“Go to hell,” Leona spat.
“Temper, temper.” Ragnall tsked. “Is that any way to speak to yer betrothed?”
“Ye’re nae me betrothed. Ye never were.”
“Ye were Keith’s before he died. That makes ye mine by rights.” His smile turned sharp. “And I always collect what’s owed to me.”
Behind her, Leona heard Ailis whisper urgently to Kristen, “We need to do somethin'. We need to help.”
“What can we do?” Kristen’s voice was strained. “He has Skye. If we move, if we do anythin'…”
Leona’s heart ached for them. For everyone watching this nightmare unfold, powerless to stop it. But she couldn’t think about that now. Couldn’t let herself feel the fear threatening to overwhelm her.
Nyx chose that moment to land a particularly vicious scratch across Ragnall’s cheek, her claws drawing three parallel lines of blood. He swore viciously, nearly dropping the cat, but managed to maintain his grip on both his hostages.
“Damned beast,” he muttered, blood running down his face. But there was a glimmer of respect in his eyes as he looked at the hissing feline. “Got spirit, I’ll give her that. Shame she chose the wrong side.”
“Nyx!” Skye called out, her voice breaking with tears. “Please daenae hurt her! She’s just scared!”
Despite everything, the terror, the danger, the armed men surrounding them, Skye was worried about the cat.
Leona saw Murdock’s expression crack slightly, saw the anguish flash across his face before he schooled it back to careful calm.
“I’ll make ye a deal,” Ragnall declared. “Ye give me what I came for, and I’ll release the child and her pet unharmed. Ye try anything clever, and…” He let the threat hang in the air.
“Da?” Skye’s voice was small, frightened. But there was something else in it. A determination that reminded Leona achingly of Murdock. “Da, daenae let him take Leona. I’ll be brave. I can be brave like ye taught me.”
“Oh, that’s precious,” Ragnall said with false sweetness. “Tryin' to be strong like yer faither. But sweetheart, yer faither is aboutto learn that strength doesnae matter when someone ye love is in danger.”
Murdock’s whole body went rigid. Leona could see him calculating, weighing his options, trying to find a way out of this that didn’t end with someone he loved getting hurt.
But there was no good option. Ragnall had made sure of that.
“I’ll give ye until the count of three,” Ragnall said. “Then I start breaking the child’s fingers. One. Two?—”
“Wait!” Leona cried.
She was moving before she could think, before reason could stop her, descending the steps with her spine straight and her head held high.
“Leona, nay!” Ailis grabbed for her, but Leona twisted away.
“Leona, stop!” Kristen’s voice was sharp with fear.
But Leona kept walking. Kept moving forward even as every instinct screamed at her to run. She passed Murdock without looking at him, breaking free from the way he grasped her arm when she walked next to him. She couldn’t look at him, because if she did, she’d see the anguish in his eyes and she’d lose her nerve.
She could feel his presence, though. Feel the tension radiating from him like heat from a forge. Feel the barely controlled violence that wanted to explode, to tear Ragnall apart for daring to threaten what was his.
“Well, well.” Ragnall’s voice was smug and satisfied. “The bride comes willingly. How romantic.”
Leona stopped a few feet away from him, close enough to see Skye’s tear-stained face, to hear Nyx hissing. The cat was still fighting, still refusing to submit despite being held captive.
Brave little beast.
