Page 80 of The Winter Laird

“Sir, look here! I’m with Odhran. He is one of my guardsmen, and he will be enough until the others can catch up. Open the gate!”

Something in her voice must have tipped the gatekeeper off, that she truly was heading into an emergency, and he reluctantly opened the gate and lowered the drawbridge. She hurried through and turned toward the village, but stopped when Odhran put his arm on hers.

“Nay, my lady, we must take a safer route, as it is just me to protect you. We’ll go around, through the forest,” Odhran said, casting glances around them.

“If you think that’s best,” Bri replied uncertainly. She looked over at the forest, which was covered in fresh snow from last night. “It’s getting dark. Let’s hurry.”

She followed him into a thick copse of trees, carefully picking her way over tree roots and fallen branches. After a few minutes, she looked around. She had a terrible sense of direction, but even she knew they weren’t headed toward the village. “Odhran, I think this is the wrong way!”

He caught her by the arm as she lost her footing, then righted her…but didn’t let go. “Nay, we are not.”

Her heart lodged in her throat and she tried to shake him off her arm, but he tightened his grip and drew his sword. “Do not fight, or scream.” The sword glinted in the dying light of day. “Just come with me, and I won’t have to hurt you.”

“Odhran, what are you doing?” she whispered, her voice shaking.

“By morning, your husband will be dead. I’m ensuring you get to the new laird before that happens,” he replied, dragging her deeper into the forest.

“Dead?” Her heart plummeted to her knees. All around her, night was falling fast. She had to release herself from his grasp and somehow run fast enough to get away from him. She could follow their footprints back to the castle, if she could see them.

Odhran stopped suddenly, then cocked his head. “We wait here.”

“Please, Odhran, just bring me back. I won’t tell Nioclas, I promise,” she babbled, trying to work her arm free. She was going to have a huge bruise there; his grip was overly tight. “He’ll come looking for me, you know!”

“I’ll gag you, if you don’t stop talking,” Odhran growled. “He can’t look for you if he’s dead.”

Brianagh recoiled and tried to control her breathing as they waited for whatever—or whomever—they were there to meet. Reilly was right—she really was too trusting of people. She vowed that would stop once she was free.

If she ever was freed.

“You’ve done as I’ve asked,” said a voice from her right.

Brianagh whipped her head around, and her heart started hammering.

A short, stocky man with beady eyes appeared from nowhere. His balding head shone in the moonlight, and his beard covered most of his face. Brianagh couldn’t make out his features very well, but all the hair on her neck stood up.

“Give her to me.”

“Not until I get my gold,” Odhran replied.

The man chuckled. “Your payment. Of course.” He withdrew a small bag and dropped it into Odhran’s outstretched hand. “You’ll do well in our new clan.” The man grabbed Brianagh by her other arm, and Odhran let her go.

Bile rose in her throat as she realized she’d just been sold.

“Please let me go,” she whispered. “My husband will give you anything you want, I promise!”

“Stop talking,” the man said curtly. “Odhran, the battle has started.” Odhran nodded, then turned away. The man clucked his tongue. “Pity you won’t be there to see it.” In a flash, he buried a sword into Odhran’s back. Brianagh covered her mouth and watched in horror as the snow around him turned red.

“Move,” the man commanded.

She bit her lip to keep from crying out and stumbled when he pushed her in front of him. She regained her footing, and kept moving. The bloody sword in the man’s hand left her no choice in the matter.

* * *

“We’re under attack!”Aidan exclaimed, bursting into Nioclas’s solar. “I see Kildare colors…and Burke’s.”

Nioclas swore. “I should’ve known he would ally himself with Kildare.”

Donovan skidded up to Aidan, panting. “Erin is locked in her chamber with the other women, but Brianagh left the castle.”

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