“Nay.” Miran shot forward, unable to contain her desperation much longer. Cadha refused to listen to reason. What should she do? She wouldna be able to breathe if anything happened to Kai. She loved him, wanted to marry him.Please, God. Spare him. Let our love take root. Let us have children. Forgive my stubborn pride!Tears filled her eyes but she swiped them away. There was no room for weakness. “Doona hold Kai responsible. Is a son guilty of his father’s sins?”
“Aye,” Cadha dinna hesitate to answer, “if reparations havena been made.”
Miran swallowed the bile in her throat, feeling hopeless and helpless. If she attempted to overwhelm the maid by throwing herself at her, Cadha would surely follow-through with her threat and slit the captain’s throat. And if she yelled for the guards, they’d never make it in time to save him. Nay, better to keep her talking.
“Is it wealth ye seek? I will pay whatever ye ask if ye but spare him.”
“Ye are the devil’s mistress, then. Get out or I will kill ye, too!”
“Cadha,” she said firmly. “I am still a maiden.”
The maid held her gaze and nodded. “Then I willna harm ye.”
“Ye are a Christian, and murder is forbidden.”
“I gave up on the Almighty long ago, lass. There is but life and death. Blood for blood.”
“Surely ye blame the Sutherlands, the earl. He must have known the risks of buying that silk. What other reason would he have for financing two ships with men that weren’t his own? Why risk his own neck when he could send innocent men to die in his place? If they had succeeded, all the better. But since they died, no one is the wiser about his selfish and heartless deed.”
“We know.” Cadha pressed her hand to her chest. “This whole village knows. Tis why we conquered this place—so we could rob and kill any Sutherlands travelling this way. Like a slow-bleeding wound, we find ways to make the earl suffer.”
“Petition the king. Surely he will demand restitution for yer suffering, for yer loss.”
Cadha wiped her brow and let out a long breath. “The king doesna care.”
“Let me try for ye.”
“Go, Lady Miran, unless ye wish to see him die. Let me put the captain out of his misery, for the poison has already robbed him of his voice and movement.”
Miran stared at Kai’s motionless body. His eyes were still wide open. Could he hear what they were saying? Did he know how close to death he was?Please, God.“What kind of poison is it? And why dinna more of us end up like the captain?”
“Tis a slow-acting tincture. Boils the blood and burns a man from the inside out. Even if I were to let him live, he would likely die. As for the other, perhaps the captain and ye were the only ones to eat the bread he bought. I couldna believe my good fortune when he appeared at my doorway. I knew right away why Igor had agreed to sell our bread to him—it was time to kill him.” She faced Kai again. “Tis yer time to die.”
As the maid raised her hand, Miran ripped the dirk from the sheath she kept hidden under her skirts. In one fluid motion, she threw it, the blade landing between Cadha’s shoulder blades. She uttered a gut-wrenching shriek and collapsed to the ground, dropping her own knife.
“Why?” Cadha cried out.
Miran dinna waste any time, she kicked the maid’s weapon out of reach before she knelt beside her. “I told ye I wasna a lady.”
As Cadha breathed her last, Miran closed her lifeless eyes. Somewhere deep inside, Miran felt a measure of pity for Cadha. Her life had been full of bitterness and suffering and had ended tragically. She stood then, staring at Kai.
Guards swarmed inside the tent, followed by Dedra and the other maids.
“What happened here?” Kenneth asked her.
“I-I…” Before she could answer, the world went dark.
