Malcolm and Callum exchanged a glance. He shook his head to indicate he didn’t trust these two. He saw the contemplation flickering over Callum’s face as he glanced back at the two brothers.
“Tell me,” Callum said. “And ye have it.”
“There’s a rocky creek leading into a cave on the north side of the castle. That, in turn, will take ye up a path where there’s a postern gate. It’s no guarded. Ye can enter the keep there. The dungeon is on the south side. That’s where ye’ll find yer brother.”
And Chloe and Evie, Malcolm thought, but kept that to himself. Willam seemed not to know about the two lassies and he wanted to keep it that way.
Callum dropped two silver coins on the table and pushed them at the two brothers. “Ye have my thanks, lads. Go to Dundale. Tell Dougal I sent ye. If ye betray me or my clan, then the both of ye will be put to death.”
William swiped the silver pieces off the table and closed them in his fist. “I wouldna expect anything other than that.”
The two of them rose and walked away. Malcolm kept his gaze on their backs as they exited the inn.
“Do ye trust them?” he asked.
“No,” Callum answered honestly. His clenched fist rested on the top of the table, his knuckles leeched of color. Impatience and determination emanated off him in waves. “If he leads us into a trap, then he dies when I return to Dundale.”
His brother sounded confident he would, in fact, be returning to Dundale.
Malcolm nodded. “Aye, then. Let’s hope there is no trap waiting for us.”
***
It was a long, dark, cold walk through the passageway from the dungeon. At times, the cobblestones were slick. Other times, there was no air within the confining passage. They went up an incline, then back down. There were twists and turns leading them through the bowels of the keep. To where, neither of them knew.
Evie kept her hand tight on Chloe’s as they walked. Chloe kept the torch held aloft in front of them to light their way, but it wasn’t much light to hold back the shadows. They hadn’t spoken since leaving the dungeon cell. Chloe knew when their absence was found, the alarm would be sounded and it would be difficult to escape unnoticed.
Once step at a time, she reminded herself.
At one point, the path started to ascend, which gave Chloe hope that they were headed to higher ground. Perhaps even closer to the main floor where they’d find the great hall and, hopefully, Bruce.
Next to her, Evie emitted a faint whimper.
“Are you all right?” Chloe asked.
“I need to stop a minute,” she said.
They halted where they were. Evie released her hand and leaned against the wall, blowing out a breath. Her head thumped back against the stone as she closed her eyes.
“I’m tired,” she said.
“I know. But we have to keep going,” Chloe replied.
She lifted her head and opened her eyes to look at her. “We’ve been walking a long time and we’ve seen no hint of a way out.”
“We have to keep going,” Chloe insisted.
She waved the torch toward the passageway. The flame flickered against the sudden movement.
“I can’t walk another step,” she whined.
“You have to. I can’t leave you here. And we’re not going back. We have to get your piece of the keystone.”
“But how?” Evie asked, her voice tinged with a bit of hopelessness.
“I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure out something.”
The worry on her sister’s face made Chloe step closer to her. She reached for her, placing a hand on her arm in reassurance.
