"Good, now take yer dirk and do it. Cut yer throat and spare her."
"Let her go first," Killian said. "She's nay trouble to ye. She's passed out and she will wake up to me lifeless body next to her."
"Ye think me a fool?" Alan asked, his gaze stern and direct. "Keep this up and ye'll have her blood on yer hands."
"Daenae touch her," Killian growled. It soon became clear that the only way out of this was to do as Alan wanted. "I'll do it."
"What's that?" Alan asked, tilting his head closer to Killian. "I dinnae hear ye that well."
"I concede," Killian answered as he dropped to his knees in submission. "Just daenae hurt her."
"Ye always did have a soft spot for the weak. Now, take yer dirk and get it done."
Killian looked at the blade in his hand as his heart swelled. Out of all the lives he had claimed with his hands and his blade, he knew it would have to end with the spilling of his blood.
"How do I ken ye willnae hurt her?"
"Ye daenae," Alan answered with an impish grin. "I suppose that's just somethin' ye're goin' to have to trust me with."
34
"Do it. I want to watch the evil drain from yer veins," Alan hissed as he towered over Leah. She could hear him like thunder through the valley. She wanted to turn from him, but her body refused to respond. Leah had felt this heavy before and fought back against the daze that polluted her mind. If she was going to get out of this, she was going to need her wits.
"Yer faither was an evil man and I kenned when I saw ye, ye'd have the same deplorable way about ye. Yer faither turned ye into a killer. It's the reason he named ye the way he did, Kill Ian. Or did ye nae ken that ye were the son of the devil?"
Daenae listen to him Killian. That's nae who ye are. Ye have to ken that. Ken that I love. Please. See me. Look at me.
Leah willed Killian to glance at her just once; that was all she needed to get him to see she was alert. But would her body respond when she needed it to? That she didn't know. All shecould do was try, as Alan continued spewing vile and poison at Killian.
"Nay," Leah cried out. Her voice was raspy, but it was enough to startle Killian. He dropped the dirk from his hand. The blade rattled as it slammed into the dirt. For a moment, Leah could hear the song of the steel as it rang out.
"Leah?" Killian gasped as Alan pierced Leah's neck with his blade.
"I almost forgot ye were still here," Alan whispered into Leah's ear. His teeth grazed her lobe as he spoke, sending icy chills scattering about her body. No matter how hard she struggled against the heaviness of her limbs and the drowsiness of the drug, she found herself losing ground. "What do ye say we send ye off first? Then maybe yer lover will kill himself to join ye. I think that'll speed things along."
"Alan, please," Killian pleaded. The hurt in his voice pained Leah to hear. She wished she could help him in some way, but unless she could get Killian to bide his time to give her enough time to get the poison out of her system, it was no use. She'd need a miracle. "I gave ye me word. Just release Leah. Let her go back to her family. She wasnae even supposed to be entangled in this mess."
"Ye’re right, Killian, she wasnae. But she has become a helpful pawn to get things done. If it wasnae for yer brother's infatuation with her, she'd be dead already," Alan confessed. Leah's heart sank as she realized no matter what Killian tried to do, he wasgoing to lose. Alan had no intentions of killing her. But he needed Killian gone. Tears pooled in Leah's eyes, clouding her view of Killian. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him he was worth something to her, but the words were like boulders at the bottom of a river.
Killian.
A cool breeze brought a gentle scent that tickled Leah's nose. She found it odd to smell citrus so far from the castle where it had been growing. Yet, the deeper she breathed in, the clearer her head became. The tips of her fingers tingled and pricked as they awoke from their slumber. As Leah's body slowly came back to life, she found her heart racing with joy. Now, all she had to do was time her next move just right.
"I've lost me patience with ye," Alan said as his fingers dug into the fabric of Leah's dress. He hoisted her head up, giving her direct line of sight to Killian. Killian's head was down, the weight of the world resting on his broad shoulders. "Ye have till I count to ten."
Look up. Killian, please, look at me.
"One," Alan shouted as Leah felt the icy steel race from her sternum to her neck. Killian let out a wince as his gaze finally met Leah's. She only had one way to communicate, one thing that, if she screwed it up, would cost Killian his life and possibly hers as well.
"Two."
Keep watchin' me. Ye just keep yer eyes on me.
Leah flashed a wink. It was but a small gesture. But the spark of hope that kindled in Killian's eye filled her with excitement. Her heart pounded with such fierceness that it made Leah wonder how Alan didn't feel the energy radiating off her.
"Ye really are as stubborn as yer faither, arenae ye?" Alan growled as Leah glanced at the dirk in Killian's hand.
She wasn't certain she'd be able to pull off anything, but she was willing to try. With each passing moment, Leah gained more feeling in her limbs. It was as if her whole body itched to move.
