Cam thought quickly, thinking back to Drostan Lindsay and what he knew of the man. He began to work his way through the situation. “As far as Drostan knows, I’m still at The Cal,” he said. “Or mayhap he thinks I’m dead. In any case, he doesna know I’m here, with the Keith.”
“And?”
Cam was starting to think more clearly. “And, if I go tae Kirkburn Castle, I could get in. It wouldna be strange because as far as he knows, we’re still allies. I’m still the crushed smithy from Netherton and he is still my laird.”
Niall was very interested now. “What will ye do?”
Cam wished with all of his heart that Isadora was here with him, advising him, but this was something he was going to have to figure out on his own. For the first time, he didn’t have her telling him what tactics to use.
It was up to him now.
Instinct told him what to do.
“I’ll demand he release the Keith women tae me,” he said. “I’ll tell him that I heard he has Keith hostages and because the Keith destroyed Netherton, I demand my right tae have the hostages turned over tae me, but Isadora in particular.”
“And if he doesna?”
“Then I’ll offer him money. How much coinage do ye have?”
Niall sighed heavily. “We paid all we had for ye.”
Cam waved him off. “I received money when I defeated The Beast, so I’ll offer him what I have,” he said. “’Tis not much, but it’s better than nothing.”
“And if he willna sell her tae ye?”
“Then I’ll fight him for her. One way or the other, I’ll not leave Kirkburn without her. Ye have my promise.”
Niall didn’t know if he felt better or worse at that, but with very few options, he had no choice.
He wanted his daughter back.
“Dunna get yerself killed, lad,” he said. “I expect ye tae live a long life, Lion. I want my money’s worth.”
Cam patted him on the shoulder before taking Niall’s pony and heading back for Auchnacree. Niall watched him go, praying it wasn’t the last time he ever saw the man alive.
The Lion of Caledonia was about to head straight into the viper’s pit.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kirkburn Castle
Something was broken.
Isadora knew that because she could hardly breathe. Somehow, in her fight against two Lindsay warriors and then the barbarian known as The Beast, she’d cracked something in her chest.
Everything hurt.
It had been a battle all the way back to Kirkburn Castle and the only reason they’d managed to subdue her eventually was because they’d wrapped a rope around her entire body and tied both her wrists and her ankles until she couldn’t move. Someone put a gag in her mouth, some disgusting piece of cloth, but she’d spit it out and tried to bite the next man who attempted to gag her.
After that, they had stayed away from her mouth.
Now, exhausted and in pain, Isadora was lying on the floor of the vault in Kirkburn Castle where they’d dumped her when they’d returned. It smelled like rot and piss down here, and she knew there was someone in the vault with her because she could hear him breathing. It was so dark that she couldn’t see anyone, but she knew there was someone else there.
Someone in the darkness.
She didn’t know how long she lay there, silent and unmoving, before a man’s voice finally filled the void.
“Can ye hear me, lass?” he asked softly.
