He gently wiped her tears away, and the expression in his gaze was both fierce and tender.
‘Did you mean what you said?’she murmured.‘About wanting me to leave with you?Or was that nothing at all?’
He rested his head against her forehead.‘Were it possible, I would take you away from here, Mairead.But I have no right to take you away from the life you deserve.’
‘If I weren’t the daughter of a king, would it be different?’she asked.‘Would you want to take me with you?’
He covered her hand with his and squeezed it.‘King’s daughter or not, I would steal you away.’He lifted her palm to his mouth and kissed it.
She loved Balor and wished there was a way they could stay together.And perhaps that was the reason why she pulled him down for a kiss, pressing his body close to hers.She needed to savour whatever moments they had left.
He kissed her hard, cradling her face as he drew her to lie upon him.His hands moved down her spine, holding her body close to his.‘Before I go, remember the wayit is between us, with my hands on your skin.The way I make you feel.’
He kissed her again, his tongue sliding against hers, and she answered with her own.He broke free and murmured, ‘I’m going to find your brother and bring him back home again.It’s the only thing I can give you.’
She wanted this man with every breath in her, and it took all her courage to pull away.‘Then come back to me, Balor Ó Phelan.Swear it.’
‘On my life.’
And with that, he left the hut, filling her with the fear that she would never see him again.
* * *
In the darkness, Balor walked towards the ruined fortress, fully armed with a sword and blades hidden beneath his clothing.Although he’d come this far to gather information, he didn’t plan on fighting unless someone attacked.
Part of him wished he hadn’t left Mairead behind.But he’d given her blades of her own, and she was safe in the village.He continued walking through the darkness, listening to the sounds.As he drew closer, he wondered why he hadn’t heard anyone talking.If Liam was guarded in this place, he would expect there to be many Normans, for thetánaistewas a strong fighter.
The silence was unnerving, stretching out in an invisible threat.Had his mother been telling the truth about where Liam had been taken?Or had they moved him already?
Balor rested his hand upon his sword, and every instinct within him sharpened.He crept closer, remaining in the shadows as the moon rose high above the land.There wasn’t much light but enough to see how many men guarded the ruin.His hand tightened upon his sword when he dared risk a look inside.
But he found the fortress empty.
He let out a breath, his shoulders releasing the tension.In the darkness, he couldn’t truly see much of anything, but he kept his back to the wall as he moved silently inside.There were the remains of a fire, but when he reached towards the hearth, it had been cold for some time.So someonehadbeen there.
He continued along the edge of the wall, and as he drew close to the far corner, he found a large piece of wood with an iron ring, covering the ground.It must have been used for storing food, he guessed.But when he raised up the door, he heard a faint groan coming from inside.
They’d kept a prisoner within the earthen chamber.He didn’t know how deep it was, but he bent down and called out, ‘Is someone there?’
A coughing sound was his only answer.Balor tried again, ‘Who are you?’But the prisoner didn’t answer.
Light.He needed a torch, so he hurried back to the abandoned hearth.He gathered some of the unlit tinder and struck flint with his dagger, sparking a fire.It took some time to build it up, but eventually he made a makeshift torch from a half-burned stick of wood and a torn piece of his tunic as kindling.He brought the torch over to the pit and leaned into the darkness.
There, he saw Liam MacEgan, bound and gagged.A coldness caught him as he wondered how long thetánaistehad been kept prisoner here—and where were his captors?
‘Can you stand?’Balor asked.‘I’m here to get you out.’
But Liam’s expression was weak and glazed.It was likely the man hadn’t had enough water, which was why he lacked the strength to free himself.
Balor studied the distance and then looked around the fortress.The pit appeared deep, which would make it difficultto lift Liam up without a ladder or a way of climbing back out.But there were a number of fallen stones and also the wood from the trap door.
‘I’m going to free you,’ he swore.But as he began gathering materials, he was starting to understand what Fergus had done.He’d paid men to bring Liam here as a prisoner, to prevent him from returning to Laochre.It seemed as if his Norman captors had abandoned thetanáiste, leaving him with hardly any food or water.
Or did they intend to return soon?It was possible, but Balor wasn’t about to let Liam die.
He strained under the weight of several large stones, dropping them into the storage chamber.Then he ripped away the trap door, breaking it free of its hinges.
‘Listen to me,’ he told Liam.‘I’m going to lift you up so you can climb out.’He lowered himself into the pit and removed the man’s gag, offering him a flask of water.‘Drink this slowly.’
