Liam took the water and was careful with it, though from the way he drank, it was clear that he’d not had water in at least a day or two.Balor reached into a fold of his cloak and passed the man a crust of bread.
‘Where is—’ Liam’s words were raw, barely more than a whisper.
‘Your family?’Balor guessed as he arranged the stones against the wall.The man nodded.
‘Your wife is safe with the queen.Your sister, Mairead, traveled with me here, and she’s in the village.I imagine your father and his men are following us.’
He tried to help Liam stand, but the man’s legs buckled under him.Balor supported his weight and then stepped on the first stone.He struggled to lift Liam, but he bracedhis leg against the second stone and used all his strength to lift thetánaisteup high to the edge of the pit.
‘Climb out,’ he commanded.‘On your hands and knees.’
Liam struggled, but his strength gave out.‘Not safe.You have to…get help.’
‘Not until I get you out first.’Balor shoved the man over the edge.Only when Liam was out of the pit did he haul himself up.
A moment later, he discovered where Liam’s captors were when a circle of torches illuminated the ruined fortress.
And Balor saw the faces of Norman soldiers staring back at him.
* * *
Mairead had followed Balor back to the fortress after he’d left.She’d been careful to keep a slight distance and had seen the Norman soldiers closing in.Her brother stood with his hands bound, appearing dizzy and weak, while Balor supported him with an arm under his shoulders.
‘You’re not taking the prince,’ one of the men said.He motioned to some of the soldiers and added, ‘He has to remain our prisoner.’
Mairead’s heart beat faster as she stared at the men in the darkness.Balor had been so close.He’d nearly helped her brother escape.
But now, with the soldiers surrounding them, she was starting to sense another truth.They were going to punish Balor for this—and she would be forced to watch.
No.She had no intention of remaining in the shadows.Not if she could help.
Mairead pulled back her hood and strode into the fortress.She stood in front of Balor and her brother, eyeing the Normans.‘You will not lay a hand on either of them.’
Their leader’s expression tightened.‘My lady, you would be wise to step away.We are following King John’s orders, and His Highness does not want you harmed.You are not part of this.’
Her breath tightened, as she suspected the king still had plans for her arranged marriage.But she ignored them and squared her shoulders.
‘My brother is your prisoner.I would say I’m very much a part of this.’She narrowed her gaze on them amid the flare of torches.‘My father and his men are on their way here now.’Though she couldn’t be certain, she hoped it wasn’t a lie.‘What do you think will happen to you, if he finds out you’ve harmed any of us?’
Balor leaned in close.In a low whisper, he said, ‘Steal a horse from the man on the edge of the others and ride north to Banslieve, Mairead.Bring back your uncle Connor and his men as reinforcements while I fight to free Liam.’
Without turning her head, she saw which rider he meant.The man wasn’t holding the reins, and he appeared distracted.There were only three horses, but if Balor could get himself and her brother to the other two, they had a chance.
A low ache caught in her stomach as she realized he meant to fight back against all of them.She turned to him and whispered back, ‘If I leave, they could kill you.There are too many.’
‘They’ll likely take us prisoner,’ he corrected.‘When I make a move, you run.Take the horse and go.’
She gave a faint nod, fear pooling within her.Though he spoke as if he believed he could succeed, part of her worried that this might be the last time she saw him alive.She traced her hand against his cheek and murmured, ‘Don’t die, Balor.’
He touched his forehead to hers and then moved her behind him as he unsheathed his sword.
He charged towards the left, and most of the men attacked him, leaving her a clean escape.Mairead raced to the horse and seized the man by his tunic, using her body weight to pull him off balance.When he tried to grab her, she slashed at him with her blade.He gripped his wounded arm, and she mounted the horse, urging it out of the fortress.
She rode hard, leaning against the mare as she turned it northward.It was the hardest thing she’d ever done, leaving Balor and Liam behind.But he was right.Their only hope was if she brought back reinforcements from Banslieve.Her cousins, Dylan and Finn MacEgan, would fight, along with her uncle Connor.
Mairead blamed herself for everything.They never should have stopped here.They should have asked for help from her cousins first and brought their own forces.And now it would be her fault if Balor died.The ache in her chest made her realize just how much he meant to her.
He was bold, rebellious, and fierce—a man who stole her breath with the slightest touch.Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to stand up to her overprotective father.
