“I can’t believe he’s going to force her into marriage,” Keir cried. “She’d never agree on her own.”
“But to whom?” Noah pressed. Had he completely misread her feelings? “Why didn’t she mention?—”
“Austin. It has to be Austin,” Keir spat with clear disgust.
Paige’s head snapped up at the mention of her brother, looking first at Keir then at Taran. She whispered something to Brody, who went to sit beside Emily, placing his small hand over hers.
“What about Austin?” she asked, joining them.
Keir didn’t bother to hide his revulsion. “He’s been scheming for a position of power for years, slowly working up the ranks from an outside supplier of difficult-to-obtain items to The Keeper’s most trusted assistant. The man seems to have the knack of procuring the impossible. Something The Keeper holds in high regard. Even in the beginning, despite being older than Skye, Austin tried relentlessly to court her, thinking she’d be a direct link to power, but she has continually rebuffed him in no uncertain terms.”
Noah glanced at Taran, wondering how far he’d let Keir go on about Austin before stopping him. But Taran gave Noah an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Perhaps he thought Paige needed to hear the whole truth about her brother so she could finally let go of her long-held dream that he’d eventually live up to the vows he’d made to her as a child, and they’d finally become a family again.
“After Skye’s repeated refusals,” Keir continued, “Austin made getting her father to depend on him his singular goal. Always willing to do whatever it took to get closer, gain The Keeper’s confidence. And despite Skye’s clear disdain for him, he always kept her in his sights. What easier way to eventually inherit The Keeper’s holdings than to marry his daughter?”
Noah winced as the complete picture fell into place, the weight of it hitting him like a blow to the gut. “And now, because of me, what I’ve forced Skye to see, The Keeper has agreed. And Austin wins. He plans on taking it all, Skye included.”
Nausea churned in his stomach. “No!” he cried. “I can’t allow it! Think, Keir!You say you’ve searched the entire fortress, but The Keeper admitted she’s being held somewhere. There must still be places you haven’t searched.”
“Other than the storage tunnels, no. It would be impossible to keep someone secure within them for any period of time without discovery. There’s too much traffic through them from daily workers. And The Keeper’s private rooms, of course. No one is ever allowed there. Not even Skye.”
“She has tae be somewhere,” Taran urged. “Some unused corner or…?”
Keir shook his head. “There is nowh—” A sudden look of horror twisted his face. “No! The Keeper would never allow…” He looked stricken as he let his thoughts play out. “His own daughter.There. It’s hard to imagine.”
“Where?!”Noah demanded.
Keir gave him a horrified look. “The deep cells.”
“The deep cells?” Noah echoed. “What are they? Where are they?”
Keir’s face twisted. “Ancient dungeons carved into the mountain beneath the fortress. I’d forgotten about them. But I’ve only heard about them. To my knowledge, no one has gone down there for years. I’m not even sure how safe they are. That’s why I can’t believe The Keeper would allow anyone to take Skye there. He wouldn’t do that to his own daughter. She has to be somewhere else.”
The men exchanged glances. “How do we get there?” Taran asked. “We’ll see for ourselves.”
“Aye,” Finn added. “But time is running out, so I suggest we stop discussin’ and get to it.”
“It’s a chanceI’mwilling to take,” Keir said, piercing them with a hard gaze. “But I have to ask the three of you…what happens if, or when, we find her? What then? Even if we’re successful, how do you plan to protect yourselves, let alone Skye? The Keeper will never allow her to leave here. Not with you or anyone else. And you heard him, there will be consequences if you interfere with his plans.” He glanced at Brody, still giving what comfort he could to Emily’s still form. “And the children? How will you protect them from his wrath? You’d need?—”
“An army,” Taran finished grimly. “Aye. Or a miracle,” he added, looking at Paige, silently urging her participation in their final decision.
She let her gaze linger on the two children with all her love, agony, and fear for them unmasked on her face. “We’ve needed a few miracles in the past, and we’ve been blessed with some unexpected ones. And there’s no doubt we need an enormous one right now. But we’ve never turned our backs on family. Not even Austin,” she muttered, “despite his rejection of us. Skye has become as much a part of our family as anyone in this room. She fought for us. She’s one of us. We cannot abandon her. And I’m positive if Emily could speak for herself, she’d say the same thing.”
“Me too,” Brody added, surprising them all. “You can count on me, Da. I’ll help you save EmilyandSkye.”
“Thank you.” Noah’s voice shook despite all his efforts to control it. “All of you,” he nodded at Brody to include him. “I couldn’t have deserted Skye after she risked everything, including her own safety, to help us. She stood up to her father for the truth. For Emily. For us. I refuse to leave her locked awaylike some disobedient pet.” He fought to put some steel into his voice. “I refuse to leave herat all.”
“You realize you’re talking about defying The Keeper directly,” Keir said quietly. “Despite his warning. In his own fortress. With his guards everywhere.”
“Ye dinnae need to come wi’ us,” Taran said. “Ye’ve already risked yer position to help us. If The Keeper discovers ye’ve betrayed him in this?—”
“I know what it means,” Keir all but snarled at Taran. “I told you before, my loyalties are with Skye. Her safety is all that matters. I’ve watched her grow up. Seen her isolated, controlled, kept like a caged bird, lied to. I always justified it as protection.” He swallowed hard. “But it wasn’t protection. It was possession. And she deserves better. I’m with you. Whatever it takes. However it ends.”
“Praying for that big miracle comes to mind,” Finn muttered.
“Be verra clear about the stakes,” Taran stated, glancing around the group. “We dinnae ken what we’re getting intae. We’ve no plan and no resources tae fall back on. So I ask ye all tae think carefully on what we’re about tae do. We willnae blame anyone who decides at any time no’ tae be a part o’ this.” He shifted his gaze to Finn. “Especially ye, my friend. I cannae ask ye tae put yer life on the line for something ye dinnae sign up for.”
Finn’s eyes narrowed. “But ye’ll insult me by suggesting I’m not just as invested in this as you are?” Moisture filled his eyes before he blinked it away with a scowl. “You’ve been my family since you came here, dropping out of nowhere like the rest of us. You’re all the family I’ve known sinceIcame here. And, as you mentioned, families stick together. Getting all of you, including Skye, and those wee bairns yonder to a safer time is all I care about.”
