"Does life mean nothin' to ye?" Leah asked as she raked her fingers through her hair to untangle it. Killian flinched as she stared him down. She didn't like hurting him, but it was the only way to get him to listen.
"I'd choose yer next words carefully," Killian warned. His voice was heavy with emotion and laced with warning.
"Ye ran two men through yesterday. And that I can understand. They were foul men and deserved what they got," Leah started to explain as she braided her hair to the left and slipped her shoes on. "But ye spared one only to question him? Is that nae torture?"
"Tell me, healer, what would ye have me do? I have spies and assassins comin' out of the woodwork. I need to ken who is sendin' them and why."
"Do ye really think ye'll get one of them to talk to ye?" Leah asked as Killian tried to open the door. Leah reached her hand out, grabbing him by the arm, refusing to let him leave. "Answer me. Ye want me to answer ye? Then aye, I would have ye kill them all outright. But ye dinnae do that. Ye spared one, and now the moral thin' to do is to let the man live."
"Aye, and I have. He's alive until he has nay further purpose."
"That is cruelty."
"It is war," Killian snapped as rage flickered across his face. "Nay matter which way ye look at it. It's war. There are men hidin' in plain sight and now I have ye questionin' me moves. Ye are nae the Laird MacMillan. That title belongs to me."
"And as such, ye have the power to show mercy do ye nae?"
"Tell me, where was the mercy for me when his sword was swingin'? Had his aim been better I would have died in that alley. And ye'd be having an entirely different conversation with someone else. Nay doubt a councilman wonderin' what ye were doin' here with me. And what would ye tell them? Because ye ken they would pin me death on ye if anythin' were to of happened to me."
Leah opened her mouth and closed it quickly once more. It was clear that no matter what she said, he'd have a counter for it. Pursing her lips into a tight line, Leah marched for the door.
"I'm glad ye think so highly of me," Leah whispered as she stormed out of the room and made a beeline for the stairwell. The thumping of Killian's boots on the wooden floor irked Leah as she charged for the front door. It was petty, but she couldn't stand the thought of even looking at Killian, not after the verbal lashing he gave her.
"I'll meet ye back at the castle," Leah said over her shoulder, only to step out into the morning air to find a wagon at the ready and the cage with Killian's prized prisoner. Leah couldn't help but feel a prick of guilt and pity for the man. She barely had time to put his face to memory before Killian charged out of the front door.
"Thought ye said ye'd meet me at the castle," Killian said, his voice tainted with an arrogant pride that grated on Leah's nerves.
"And I will."
"Ye’re nae walkin' if that is what ye think ye’re about to do," Killian said as Leah made a sharp turn to dodge the wagon and start on foot down the path.
"Fine, ye want to be stubborn, be stubborn," Killian called after her. "We'll see who caves first."
"Are ye goin'?" Leah asked. "Because it looks like ye’re stallin'."
"I'm nae stallin', merely givin' ye time to reconsider."
Leah pursed her lips tight together and made a sharp right turn. She didn't have a clue where she was going or where she'd end up as long as she didn't have to have Killian on her heels the whole way.
"Ye cannae go that way," Killian called after her. "Ye'll be headin' right for the bog. Come back and I'll keep me mouth shut."
Leah paused as she noticed water licking her feet and toes. Somehow, taking just a few long strides from the trail landed her near the shallow bits of the bog. She shook her head, frustrated with the turn of events. It was bad enough she would pass Killian again, but to do so out of shame was sad.
"Last chance, ye can ride with me or ye can ride with him," Killian said, nudging his head to Vance, who was still unconscious in the cage.
"I'll meet ye at the castle," Leah repeated and started down the road.
"Ye’re as stubborn as a mule ye ken that?" Killian grumbled as the crack of the reins caught Leah's ear.
"And ye’re as mean as an ox, what's yer point?" Leah asked as the wagon rolled past her, kicking up dust and dirt in its wake. Shestumbled to the side and waited for the air to be clear. Once she could see the road clearly, Leah started down it.
As she walked back to the castle, the crisp morning air carried the sweet scent of blooming heather. Leah's heart felt weighed down by the unspoken tension between her and Killian. The fact that he refused to see her point of view rattled her. Was he truly that stubborn? She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a heavy sigh. There was no telling how long she had walked, but the sun had passed over the road and kissed the tips of the hills.
Leah's mind raced with thoughts of their argument the night before. She had never meant to hurt him, but her words had cut deep, and she knew it. She had been so caught up in her own emotions, her own fears and doubts, that she hadn't stopped to consider the impact her words would have on him.
As she approached the castle gates, Leah spotted Killian's wagon stopped at the stone archway. Filled with conflicting emotions, Leah tried not to pay any heed to Killian as she made her way down the slope to his location.
"There ye are," Killian said with a pinch of relief tainting his voice. "I was about to go lookin' for ye."
