Excerpt copyright @ 2019 Kara Griffin
He waited several minutes until Irving
appeared. He looked ill, and could barely stand. Mayhap he’d imbibed too much
ale or… As Irving got closer, a foul odor permeated from him.
“Irving, give the command to let me
enter. Raise the gates.”
“Nay, so you can strike me down,
Douglas? Nay, never.”
“Open the damned gate, or you’ll lose
many men if I have to scale your walls.”
Irving straightened and was about to
give a command. Douglas shouted at him to open the gates again, but he swayed
on his feet. Irving fell backward and landed on the ground with a stringent
thud. Dirt from the ground billowed from under him. Shouts rang out as the
Dunmore Laird fell. Several soldiers ran to him and lifted his body.
Douglas called to his commander-in-arms.
“Tavish, I give my word, no Dunmore men will come to harm if you let me enter.”
Tavish agreed and gave the command to
open the gates. Douglas directed his men to wait in the courtyard, and then he
called Gil to his side. “You’ll come inside with me, Gil.”
“What’s wrong with the Dunmore?” Gil
watched him being carried away.
“Let us find out, shall we.” Douglas
entered the empty hall. There wasn’t even a servant standing idly in wait to
serve. No one, save for the three of them.
Tavish followed them inside. He called
for the serving wenches and motioned for Douglas and Gil to be seated.
“Tavish, this place looks like…” He wouldn’t
continue because the sight of the hall stifled his words. “What’s happened
here?”
“I’m gladdened you came. He’s been this
way for some time. It’s her, the she-devil. She’s done this to our clan. The
witch brought the blackness to us. I couldn’t get him to listen and send her
away.”
“Her? Do you mean Rachel?”
“Nay, the sorceress. She’s bewitched my
laird, and since doing so, she’s ruined us. She came nigh onto two years ago,
and since he’s acted strange. He’s let his duties fall, his home, and his
clan.”
Douglas’ frown intensified when he noted
the deterioration of the keep. “I’ll see to it, Tavish.”
“Aye, I’m relieved someone will help
us. We have no one to aid us now with Irving indisposed.”
“Bring this sorceress to me and I’ll
find out what’s going on.” Then he reconsidered. “Nay, show me where she is.”
Douglas and Gil were led to the oldest
part of the keep, to a tower at least a hundred years old. Several stones lay
crumbled on the floor as they walked along. A strange odor filled the air, likened
to sulfur. Gil drew his sword from his scabbard. Douglas felt cold for some
reason. He came upon a thick wooden door and opened it. Only shadowy light
filtered through the narrow slits of the stone walls. The three of them, Gil,
Tavish, and Douglas stalked into the room. Gil backed up when a bat left its
perch on the high wooden beam overhead. Tavish lit a torch and moved it around
the room.
Douglas glimpsed a figure lying on the
bed and went to find out who it was. He pulled the cover aside to find Wills
emaciated with his eyes opened, staring up at him.
“Wills.” He shook him. “Wills,” he
repeated. He thought for a moment he might be dead until Wills mumbled
incoherent words. He wasn’t in his right mind evident by his glazed stare. “Gil,
take him to an empty bedchamber and find a healer.”
Gil hefted Wills over his shoulder and
left. He couldn’t leave fast enough, as spooked as he was.
Tavish continued to search the chamber.
“Come, Moira, Laird Kerr wants to speak to you.”
“Go away. Where’s Irving? He’ll kill
you for entering my chamber.”
Douglas recognized the voice instantly.
He stared in disbelief when Tavish pulled her to a standing position. Morna
Farley stood defiantly with her chin raised and gave him looks of disdain.
Her gasp indicated she recognized him.
“You should be dead.”
“Lady Morna? Moira? What are you doing
on Dunmore land?” Realization struck when he asked the question. He knew
exactly why she was there and what she was up to. “Why would you go to such
lengths?”
“No one leaves me. Irving said he would
kill you. I made sure he had enough…” Her words trailed off when Douglas forced
her backward. She leaned against the wood of a large table that held her herbs
and potions.
“Had enough what? What did you do to
them?”
“Only what they wanted, my lord. What I
would have done for you if you hadn’t left me.” She raised her hands, looked to
the ceiling, and chanted in a strange language.
Douglas gripped her arms and jerked
them downward. The witch wouldn’t cast a spell on him. “What have you done with
my cousin’s daughter?”
“I know not of any cousin’s daughter.”
Her hands released, she tucked them behind her as she answered.
“Why did you have the McFie’s property
slaughtered?”
“Oh, aye, the McFies, that worked
rather nicely, didn’t it, Douglas? I drew you out of your keep. What a shame I
didn’t poison the arrow that struck you, an error in my judgment.”
“You are a witch from hell, Morna. Did
you kill Laird MacIver?”
“Why do you deem I killed him?”
“There were footsteps, one smaller than
the others. You were there. Did you stab him?”
“Of course I did. He accused me of
trying to harm Wills.” She laughed loudly. “I cast my spell and waited for you.
Aye, akin to a spider awaiting the fly. But you came with too many men. I would
have taken care of you then, but you left hastily. If Irving won’t kill you,
then I will. You were supposed to marry me.”
Her voice held such conviction Douglas
considered her mad. Morna pulled a large dagger from behind her back and ran at
him.
Tavish gutted her before she reached
him. Morna screamed a harrowed sound. She looked down at herself, grabbed the
sword, and yanked it out. The sword dropped to the floor with a loud clank—only
a moment before she joined it. Douglas knelt and brushed her hair from her
face. How had he ever thought to marry her? He watched her lifeless body and
got a sudden chill.
“My thanks, Tavish, she was demented. I
can’t believe what I just saw.”
“Aye, she was indeed of a black soul.
Come, let us get the hell out of here, this place gives me the willies. A
clootie resided here.”
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