“I will ask Rory to let me take Ossoria in your father’s place,” he said. He did not mention the execution, but she prayed that there was still hope to save Devlin’s life.
“Imbolc is tomorrow,” she whispered. “There’s hardly any time left.” Not only for her father, but also for them. She rested her cheek against his chest, holding him tight. “I don’t know what else we can do.”
“Trust in me,” he said, framing her face. “I will need to spend time with the High King. If I get closer to my father, I may learn what can be done to save Devlin.”
She understood the unspoken words. He could not be seen with her for a time. He would have to distance himself to uncover the truth. “Do what you must, then.”
He didn’t let go of her. “There’s something you should know, Taryn.” He kissed her mouth again. “If it comes down to choosing your life or Devlin’s...I won’t be choosing his.”
She gave a nod, but inside, her feelings were breaking apart. “No matter what happens, I need to see him.” Surely then, she would see the truth in Devlin’s face. Surely her mother had lied about what had happened. Maeve’s claim, that he had been responsible for her scarring, seemed impossibly untrue.
“I will do what I can,” Killian promised. “But I need time to get close to Rory. He’ll be watching both of us. He may be glad that I am here, but he does not trust me. He’ll be wanting me to prove my loyalty to him.”
Killian touched her scarred cheek and helped her straighten her gown. “I must go now. There are guards posted outside this door. They will tell Rory every time I come to see you.”
Though it pained her, she whispered, “Then you should stay away.”
He brushed a kiss upon her cheek. “I’m not wanting to leave you at all,a mhuírnín.”
Neither did she, but she understood the game they were playing. One wrong move, and lives could be lost.
“Be safe,” she whispered, “and come to me when you can.” She suppressed the desire to tell him of her feelings for him. If anything happened to Killian, she didn’t know if she could bear it.
“I won’t fail you in this,” he swore. He kissed her one last time, and despite his reassurance, she couldn’t help but worry.
And when he left her at last, she felt the walls closing in, her time slipping away.
Chapter Twelve
“Where is she?” Maeve demanded, when Killian approached their camp. “Is my daughter alive?”
While he understood the woman’s terror at her daughter’s fate, it irked him that she would question his ability to protect Taryn.
“She is,” he said, “and I have arranged a place for her. But I will not risk her safety by bringing in more soldiers. The MacEgans may enter the grounds, for King Patrick sent these men who were willing to join the High King. But were I in your place, I would stay behind.”
Maeve quieted at that. Then her gaze passed over his new clothing, and she saw the gold ring Rory had given him. “I see you were telling the truth about being his son. I hope it means you are able to protect your wife from Rory’s cruelty.”
He didn’t bother to explain himself, for there was no reason to do so. Instead, he ordered Maeve, “You should return to Ossoria. I will keep Taryn safe.”
“No,” the older woman argued. “She will be in danger, with every moment she is here.” Her gaze fixed upon the banqueting hall, and she looked as if she wanted to speak against Rory. Then she risked a glance back towards the hillside. “No matter what my daughter has told you, I beg of you, do not free Devlin,” she begged. “Nothing good can come of it.”
“That is for Taryn to decide. Not you.” He started to turn back, but Maeve hurried forward.
“My daughter is blind to the truth. If Devlin is freed, he will only hurt her again. I will not let that happen.”
Killian resented her insinuation that he was powerless to help her. “Your daughter is under my protection now. And no man will ever hurt her, so long as I have breath in my lungs.”
It was clear that Maeve did not trust him to take care of Taryn. But more than that, she was desperate to be rid of her husband. He studied her face, wondering if Devlin had harmed her in any way. It did not seem so. But there were other ways to gain a woman’s fear and loathing.
The only way to learn those answers was to confront the man himself. Killian turned his back on the Queen, returning inside the gates. He had only recently learned that Rory was keeping Devlin chained in a small underground enclosure.
Killian crossed through the gathering space, well aware of all the eyes watching him. Although Rory had not formally acknowledged him as his son, the gift of new clothing and his own features had gathered enough attention. Even the women were casting him looks of interest. But their coy smiles revealed that their true interest was in gaining the attention of the High King’s son. They were nothing at all like Taryn of Ossoria.
He knew Rory’s reasons for keeping Taryn confined. So long as she wasn’t in chains, Killian wasn’t going to argue the point. It was safer to hold her away from the others.
He reached the space where her father was being held and ordered the guard to unlock the iron gate that kept the man imprisoned.
“My orders are not to let the prisoner visit with anyone,” the man protested.
