Page 18 of Promises to Keep

I was deposited on the couch with a glass of go-go juice to replenish my vitamins.

Magnus sat across from me. “Tell me what happened?”

I pulled my phone from my bag and passed it to him. He said, “Remind me yer code?”

My head on the back of the couch, I said, “So modern of you to evenknowthere’s a code. Our wedding date: seven, two, twenty-seventeen.”

He typed for a second then sniffed the phone. “Yer phone smells like yer...”

My eyes went wide. “Magnus! I’ll have you know, like aspy, I had to smuggle the intel out in my underwear.”

His brow went up.

I said, “Just be aware if you take weapons or phones or anything into the museum you’ll possibly be frisked and—”

Magnus laughed, “I will hae tae put them in m’underwear?”

“Exactly, it’s a thing — a thingspiesdo.”

“Nae if they are properly wearin’ a kilt.” He sniffed again and grinned. “I think I will need tae carry yer phone with me for the photos — its prior proximity tae yer gardens will be all I will think about.”

Hayley laughed.

I said, “We have a great manyotherthings to think about.”

“I winna use it as a distraction, mo reul-iuil, but as a focus, I promise.” He added, “So this is a photo of the grounds, and there is...?”

He turned the phone so I could explain. “That blurry person in the top corner is Agnie.”

He nodded and scrolled through photos. “Did ye see Lady Mairead?”

“Yes, we talked to her, and saw her taken away, we even, I hate to say it, spoke to Agnie.”

“Och nae, ye could hae been killed.”

“She wasn’t really interested in me and Hayley, not right now. I got the distinct impression she just wanted to make Lady Mairead fucking crazy. Do you agree, Hayley?”

Hayley was curled up under Fraoch’s arm. “Yep, she destroyed paintings and a sculpture, she seemed to delight in making Lady Mairead miserable. Then she took her away.”

I said, “She said to tell you that you’re next, Magnus, and that she wants to destroy our whole family.”

Fraoch asked, “Och nae, she is malevolent, did ye discover where she took Lady Mairead?”

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t.”

Hayley said, “She had that dude with her, what was his name... Ian?”

Magnus said, “Ian... m’cousin, Ian? Shews she is losin’ that she had tae make an alliance with Ian the Troublesome, thelastperson I intended tae accept a challenge from — he has the least claim tae the throne, the least ability, and the least strength. Theycannabe serious.”

“Well, he’s her henchman now.”

“Did she hae guards with her?”

I looked at him seriously, “At least ten men. Probably more. You can’t just waltz in there, they’ll have you in shackles in a second.”

He brushed off his knee. “Twill be fine, we will go get Lady Mairead, I will be safe. James and Quentin will remain here tae guard the house while we are gone.”

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