Sin shook his head slowly.
“Then we want him. Now.”
Sin closed his eyes at the words he’d known Henry would speak. Facing his king without fear or remorse, he said slowly. “Then you’ll have to come through me.”
Henry scoffed and glared. “Are you mad?”
“Nay, sire. But I am in earnest.”
Henry gaped in disbelief. “You would die in his place?”
“If needs be.”
“And if he raids after your death, you will have sacrificed yourself for naught.”
“He will not raid again. I know it.”
Rage darkened Henry’s face. It was a look Sin knew all too well.
Sin summoned the last of their friendship as he spoke to his king. “I will sign a full confession of treason claiming that I was the one who raided you from the very beginning. My enemies at court will gladly believe it and you will have your Raider for public execution. All I ask is for your word of honor that you will not retaliate against the MacNeelys once I’m gone.”
“If I refuse?”
“You will lose face and I will fight you with every ounce of my ability.”
Henry’s eyes showed his respect at those words. They both knew Sin had no equal in battle. Not even Henry.
“Very well then, we proclaim you The Raider from last night.”
“Do I have your word, Henry? You will leave the MacNeelys in peace?”
“Aye, old friend. I give you my word that so long as they refrain from further attacking my people, I will leave them in peace.”
Sin nodded. Henry might be a lot of things, but he, too, was a man of his word.
“Guards,” Henry ordered, “take him.”
Sin didn’t protest as they took his arms and led him away.
His only regret was that he didn’t dare turn and look up at his wife. He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to go through with this. He wanted her more than he wanted anything else in the world.
But in his beleaguered heart, he knew this was what had to be.
Callie watched in terror as the royal guards grabbed her husband and tied his hands behind his back. “What are they doing?”
“They’re taking Sin,” Simon whispered.
Fear tore through her. “What does this mean?”
Simon refused to meet her gaze. Still, she saw the fear and pain in his eyes as he watched them put Sin on a horse while the king remounted his steed. “It means he refused to give Henry Dermot’s name.”
“Nay,” she breathed, her heart shattering. “Why would he do such a thing?”
“I have no idea.”
“Because he’s a bloody damned fool,” Lochlan snarled. “He’s planning to die in your brother’s stead.”
Callie couldn’t breathe as those words assailed her.
