“Where might ye be goin’?” It was Jamie, guarding her bedroom door.
“I was going to…the…ehm…I wanted to….” Finally, she stopped struggling and slapped her thigh. “Jamie, are ye not curious about what Helen is saying to Logan?”
“Nae, why should I be? He will tell us tomorrow, lass.”
“I have nae doubt of that, but if Roderick is involved, I wish to know now.”
Shockingly, Jamie didn’t argue any further but beckoned her to stay close behind. When they reached the last stairwell, Jamie stood in front of her, blocking her way.
“This is as far as I bring ye.”
“Nae!” she protested. “I could have found my own way this far.”
“Och, nae I couldna let ye come doun here on yer own. Logan would skin my hide.”
“But that is nothing compared to what her brother will do.”
Elspeth spun around toward Roderick’s voice. She couldn’t make him out in the dark, just a silhouette. But it was him.
Everything happened in a blur of speed. Jamie freed his sword from where it hung on his belt and stepped in front of Elspeth.
“Ye best be here to surrender, Woodburn,” he warned, ready to fight and defend her.
“Dinna do anything foolish, Roderick,” Elspeth added to the warning. “Ye will die here today if ye do.”
Roderick sucked his teeth at her. “Ye constantly underestimate me, Ellie.”
“Logan!” she hauled off and screamed the way she had wanted to for years. Her voice echoed through the hall and hopefully through the door to the cells. “Logan, help me!”
She heard the loud clang of a cell door.
“Logan, Roderick is here!” she shouted before he opened the dungeon door.
Roderick leaped for her, but before he landed on both his feet, the door opened, and Logan appeared for an instant. He reached out, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him.
“Jaime!” she cried out, lest he be forgotten.
Ealar swept past her, his black cape flapping like wings behind him. He did not immediately attack but closed his hand on the door and pulled it shut, away from her eyes.
She thought she could hear the drumming boom of Logan’s heart beating. His cousin, and now his brother, was out there with the man who came here because of her.
They heard the sounds of sword fighting. Elspeth squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for Ealar and Jamie.
And then, before she could stop him, or mayhap she didn’t truly think it fair to stop him, Logan swung open the door and joined his brother, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Logan stepped intothe hall. His eyes immediately found Ealar and Jamie. Jamie was sitting propped against the wall, holding his side. Ealar was holding off Roderick alone and doing it well.
Logan took just a moment to admire his brother’s cunning and surefooted ‘dance of death’. He stepped around Roderick, then forward, half a step left, full turn, right two steps—
Roderick countered and jabbed, catching Ealar’s shoulder.
Logan didn’t wait around for any tricks either of them had in their pockets. He was ending this now.
Pulling his sword from its sheath, he reached Roderick and swung his blade. It sliced across Roderick’s chest, shooting blood across Logan. Without any hesitation, he finished with the length of his blade through Roderick’s throat, coming out on the other side, killing him immediately.
“Ye took everything from her,” Logan told him, pulling him close. “But I will give it all back to her. Go. Go on to hell then.”
