The stillness thrummed, and his attention sharpened.
“Then they may come for him,” he said.
“Aye.” Her throat tightened. “They may.”
“Who among them?”
Violet pressed her lips together as Henry’s false smile flashed through her mind. While she technically had no reason to, she was still a bit scared of the man. His intimidating nature and the way he spoke, as if even the air itself offended him, had always kept her on her toes.
Then she thought of Lord Tolford’s cold voice and Jane’s weak fingers clinging to blue cloth. The child’s cry, real and alive, somewhere above her in this castle. She could not hand those names to Laird Moore without knowing what he would do with them.
“It doesnae matter,” she repeated.
She must have said those words enough times to raise the dead at this point, and from the look on his face, it was clear he was tired of it as well.
For the first time, a trace of temper reached his mouth. It did not make him louder, as that would have been easier.
“What was yer plan if ye reached him?” he asked in a low voice.
“Find him.”
“And after that?”
“Take him.”
“Where?”
“Away.”
“A fine plan. Did ye also intend to defeat every man between this cell and the gate with stolen linen?”
Violet’s fingers twitched. “I would have found a way.”
“Ye probably daenae ken this, lass, butwaysdaenae feed bairns. They daenae stop blades, and they definitely daenae provide names, walls, or guards.”
She stared hard at him, as if she could will him to turn into stone. “And cages do?”
His jaw tightened. “If a cage keeps wolves out, aye.”
Violet stared at him.
There had to be something about this man. It wasn’t just the height or the dark eyes or the command that made guards scatter and doors feel useless. It wasthis. He could make the very thought of imprisonment sound like mercy and stand there expecting everyone to agree with him.
“Ye must excuse me if I daenae agree with yer notion of safety, seeing as I am literally behind bars,” she hissed.
“That is becauseyebroke into me castle.”
“For a baby.”
“For a baby ye tried to remove from the only place I ken he is well guarded.”
“Guarded by strangers.”
He raised a hand. “And what do ye think ye are to him?”
Violet went rigid. “Daenae speak of me love for him as if it is a trick.”
“Nae if ye willnae even tell me yer name.”
