Page 94 of The Winter Laird

Looking over at the latest to join him, Nioclas sighed. Kane’s nose would never be the same and he may never walk the same again, either.

“My laird,” Kane began, looking up at the small window, “if I am to die this day, I ask a favor.”

“Of course.”

“If you are able, tell Keela that I love her.”

“You’ll be able to tell her yourself,” Nioclas replied, ignoring the pain that sliced across his ribs when he breathed too deeply. “We’ll make it through this, clansman.”

Kane shook his head. “I’ll be lucky—I’ll die a swift death by sword. You, however—he’s killing you slowly. We all know it, my laird. He’s brought in the villagers and already killed five of them for speaking out against him. He’s placed men around the gates to keep us from escaping. Any attempt is met with immediate death.” Kane shuddered. “I fear for the women most, though.”

Nioclas felt the familiar rage and the ensuing helplessness. He was chained to the wall, wrists hung above his head, feet shackled to posts in the floor. Kane had already tried to free him, but the shackles were padlocked. Nioclas’s own nose was broken from his sire’s fist, and his back was torn apart by his whip.

“My biggest mistake was to underestimate the number of men Burke gathered,” Nioclas said, venom in his voice. “He’s no doubt paying them from my coffers.”

“No doubt,” Kane agreed. “If I had just fought harder…”

“Not a good road to travel, my friend,” Nioclas said. “Be brave, and if you must die, do it as a warrior without regret.”

Kane dropped his chin to his chest. “He threatened to kill her if I didn’t put my sword down.” His tortured expression nearly broke Nioclas.

“You must protect what is yours…at all costs.”

“Forgive me,” Kane whispered.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Nioclas replied heavily. “If I were in your position, I’d have done the same. There is no shame in protecting those we love.”

They fell silent as the light from the lists filtered down the stairs through the locked gate. And, as he had every morning since Burke’s forty men overpowered him and his guard, Nioclas hoped Aidan and Brianagh were as far away from the castle as possible.

A shadow appeared from the stairs. Tensing, Kane and Nioclas watched it come closer, then silently eyed the hooded, cloaked man as he toyed with, then popped open the padlock.

He eased the gate open quietly, then stepped into the dungeon and removed the hood of his cloak—and both men stared in shock.

“Saints above, Brianagh, what are you wearing?” Nioclas choked out.

“You’ve been stuck in here for two weeks and that’s the first thing you come up with?” she asked. She rushed over to him and inspected the shackles around his wrists. “I can’t wait to tell Erin. Do you think Donovan would mind her in clothes like this?”

His gaze raked her from head to toe. From what he could see, she was dressed as a man, her leggings hugging the lines of her shapely legs. His mouth dried as she reached up to test the chains, and the cloak slipped down her shoulder as the fastening loosened.

She caught sight of his expression and she let out a laugh. “If you’re having wicked thoughts, then I have no doubt of your recovery from whatever damage Burke’s inflicted. Kane, I need your help.”

“Anything, my lady,” he said quickly, at her side in an instant.

“I need you to get on your hands and knees so I can climb onto your back, and use it as a step, I can’t reach the locks to break them,” she explained. The words were barely out of her mouth before he complied.

Stepping on him carefully, she balanced herself, then pulled a long pin from her coil of hair and went to work on Nioclas’s right wrist.

“Where did you learn such a skill?” Nioclas demanded.

Brianagh shot him a smile. “I’ll let you guess, my laird.”

“Remind me to thank her,” he replied as she freed his wrist, then started in on the other.

“Sure.” Brianagh concentrated on the lock. When it, too, popped effortlessly, she hopped off Kane and went to work on the chains at his feet. “I think Erin would be very pleased to hear you grovel.”

“I wouldn’t go quite that far,” Nioclas replied, rubbing his wrists. Pain shot to his shoulders as the blood began to flow again. “Is there a plan?”

“Yes,” she said, handing Kane a dagger from inside her cloak. “Here, you’ll need this until you can get your sword back.” To Nioclas, she said, “We weren’t sure what state we’d find you in, so you’re not exactly a part of the plans. There is someone at the top of the stairs that you won’t recognize—his name is Colin.”

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