“I am nae going to kill ye. I should, should I nae?”
“Why? Because I raised a weapon against ye?”
“Nay, lad. Because ye raised a weapon against her,” Evander responded smoothly, jerking his head in Skye’s direction.
He could not see what she was doing. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to look. A split-second was all he could spare. He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze raking the surrounding forest.
Skye stood motionless over Angus’s body, her hands hanging by her sides. Blood dripped from her fingertips, and he guessed that she’d placed her hands over Angus’s chest, trying to hold in his lifeblood.
Her stillness could easily be mistaken for inattention, but he could see how she was balancing her weight on the balls of her feet, ready to dance at a moment’s notice. Ready torun.
Angus was quiet, and Evander knew without looking that he was dead.
He’d get a good burial spot; Evander would make sure of that. Angus’s aged mother, his wife, and his two children would receive his pension, a comfortable sum that would take care of them for the rest of their lives. There’d be a legacy. He wouldn’t be forgotten, nor would the other men who’d fallen further down the road.
I made a mistake. I was too keen to get back, too keen to get Skye home. I should have traveled with all of me soldiers. Did I truly nae think that there would be consequences here? Whatever happened to Skye, we can conclude that she is still in danger. And so we are all in danger.
“Now,” Evander continued, leaning forward until the point of his sword pricked the underside of Jim’s chin. “Talk.”
“I willnae,” Jim responded through gritted teeth.
“Tell me why ye are here. Who told ye to lie in wait for me?”
“Nobody.”
“Ye are lying, son.”
Of course, I am lying,said the boy’s eyes.Did ye think I would tell ye the truth?
A moment crackled between them.
Evander stared down at Jim, who glared balefully back. Impotent fury gleamed in every line of his face.
To his surprise, Evander felt a stab of pity. Whoever Jim was, he’d been lied to. He had probably been told that Evander was a tyrant. The real question, however, was what he had been told about Skye. Was she a frail damsel in need of saving, or simply a pawn in a game he didn’t know?
“Are ye here to kill her?” He jerked his chin toward Skye and heard her draw in a sharp breath.
Had it occurred to her that somebody might want her dead?
But if they wanted her dead, why did they let her escape? Why nae kill her before? Unless they’re now afraid that she will tell the truth about what happened to her. That her memories might return.
That was a possibility.
HadSkye’s memories begun to return? Surely they must. Evander could have sworn he saw the occasional spark of recognition in her eyes, but pinning all his hopes on that would surely be dangerous.
She’ll tell me when her memories return. Will she nae?
“Daenae just lie there staring at me, boy,” Evander snapped. “Answer me.”
“Nay,” Jim said simply.
“If ye are hoping that I will admire yer bravery, forget it. Right now, I’m only pitying yer stupidity. Answer me question, and I will let ye live.”
Jim’s eyes snapped up to his. There was a glazed, distant expression on his face, a look that made Evander shiver.
Unpleasant.
“There are greater things than life, man,” Jim whispered.
