I didn't think — I just leapt, launching myself against his arm, but he was big and didn’t budge, as if he didn’t even register that I had done it.
For one second I thought,oh no,then his elbow came back, it caught me full against my face, a blinding pain, warm wet.
I was flung back against a cabinet, and saw nothing after that. There was yelling everywhere, and Magnus’s voice, “Help her, I am goin’ after him!”
CHAPTER 40
LADY MAIREAD
THE DUNGEON DOORS SWING OPEN
Magnus raced from the chamber with Fraoch behind him. While everyone was distracted by Kaitlyn on the ground, I put my finger in John’s face, “Ye heed me, ye did a grave injustice tae our family, inviting that man intae our home! Yer wife is clearly working with him, against ye, we can all see it, ye need tae get yer house in order. But nae this house, this house is mine, ye hae struck a deal, ye best be gone as soon as the funeral is over.”
Then I grabbed Liam by the arm. “I need ye, come with me!”
He fell intae step behind me and we raced down the corridor tae the stairwell. He went first so I could keep my hand on his shoulder for balance as we tore down the steps.
We made it tae the ground floor as a huge storm rose in the courtyard.
Liam said, “Follow me!”
He led us through the kitchen and storerooms coming out on a corridor that led tae the dungeon steps. I glanced behind me at the yard, wind whipping, a tempest raging, thunder rolling above a sky lit with lightning. Twas so loud I couldna hear anything but roar, twas as if a train were barreling down onus. I held Liam’s hand as we descended down intae the row of dungeons.
Liam grabbed the keys from a hook and told the guards tae step aside on order of the Earl’s son. He rushed up to the door of the cell, and Sean spoke from within.
“Tis ye, Liam?”
“Aye, here tae get ye out.”
“Finally, ye took yer time!”
A gust of wind blew gravel down the steps behind us.
Liam grunted, twisting the key in the lock. “We had somethin’ goin’ on.”
“Tis a storm I hear? In the castle yard?”
The heavy door swung open and Sean emerged. Liam moved tae Wilfred’s door as the ground shook from a blast.
I called, “Wilfrey, twill be just a minute!”
He asked, “Was that an earthquake?”
Liam had the key in the lock, turning it.
I said, “Nae, I think twas lightning striking a wall. Birk has stolen our vessels and is now trying tae destroy the castle.”
“Ourwalls?” Sean raced up the row of cells and climbed the steps tae look out, using his arm tae shield his eyes from the whipping wind. He was illuminated in a large blast of lightning. “It struck the roof!”
Wilfrey’s dungeon door swung open, he was free. “I wondered if ye had forgotten me.”
“Of course not, Wilfrey.” I patted his cheek. “Ye are my favorite husband I ever had.”
“How is Lizbeth, is she safe?”
“She is innocent, ye are the only scoundrel here.”
Sean looked up at the main section of the castle, and called down, “The roof is ablaze, I hae tae go help the men!” He scrambled up the steps and raced away.
