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Carmag was with his wife having remained behind to see to the protection of the keep and to protect the women. Mercy and Tara sat with Dolca, keeping the twins occupied. There was no sight of Bliss and Charlotte.
“Where is Charlotte?” Bryce demanded, Odin’s head shooting up from where he lay sleeping by the hearth.
“And Bliss,” Trey said, reaching out to her in his thoughts.Where are you, Bliss? Where are you?
Bliss heard her husband and let him know that she and Charlotte were hiding just inside the woods, watching six soldiers, led by Leora, entering the secret passageway into the keep. As soon as she was certain no other soldiers followed, Charlotte and she would return to the keep.
She was anxious to get to her husband and tell him what else she had sensed, that more soldiers than they thought surrounded the place and the sentinels who had guarded the borders had been killed, while the attention of the other sentinels had been diverted by soldiers’ troop movements as the Picts made ready for an attack.
The king’s various ploys had worked well. He had made everyone look elsewhere while his spy had snuck his men into the keep.
Bliss waited impatiently with Charlotte though she wanted to run, ached to run as far as she could, but she knew it was impossible to outrun ... death.
Trey drew his sword and ran to the bottom of the stairs. His brothers were quick to follow.
“Soldiers enter through the secret passageway of the keep, Leora guides them,” Trey said, once they were all gathered there. It angered him that he had once again allowed himself to believe Leora’s lies.
“Charlotte?” Bryce asked, moving behind Trey.
“Bliss and Charlotte are making their way back to the keep and should be in the hall once we finish with this lot.”
Bryce smiled with relief. “Then let’s finish with these intruders.”
The four brothers crept along the narrow staircase, stopping abruptly when they heard footfalls from above. Trey signaled to his brothers that they would need to strike fast and hard, taking the soldiers and Leora by surprise. It didn’t matter how many there were, the MacAlpin brothers were known for their fierce fighting abilities. Few stood a chance against them when they fought side by side.
Trey nodded, making certain his brothers were ready, eager grins and nods letting him know they were not only ready but looking forward to the battle.
The brothers struck so rapidly that the six soldiers were caught off guard, and the altercation took no time at all. Within minutes, the only one left alive was Leora.
“Why?” Trey asked, his brothers nodding indicating that they wanted to know themselves.
Leora lifted her chin with pride. “King Kenneth is the rightful king and is more man than you or anyone of your brothers could ever be.”
Trey shook his head. He could not believe that he had ever loved this woman. But, then, the woman he had loved had never truly existed. “The king and his selfish ways have corrupted you.”
She laughed. “You are a fool. Old John’s daughter died while trying to free her father. It gave me good reason to return to you and have you sympathize with my plight.”
Trey fought the urge to hit her. “What have you done to Old John and Donald? You haven’t harmed them, have you?”
“I never went to them. When I spied the cottage, I convinced your inept warrior that I wished to go the rest of the way alone, and he obliged me. I took off as soon as he was out of sight and went to find the soldiers I knew would be near.” She raised her chin. “I am a favorite of the king. You would do well to return me to him.”
Bryce stepped forward. “Then let us send you back to him and see if he’ll have you now that you have failed him, and he no longer has any use for you.”
“He will welcome me back,” Leora said, smiling.
“Where does the king wait?” Bryce asked.
“Two meadows over, with more troops than you have warriors.”
Bryce laughed. “Trey was right. You still don’t understand us.”
“Is it safe to leave yet?” Charlotte asked in a whisper, her eyes alert to her surroundings.
“I’m not sure, perhaps a moment more,” Bliss said.
“This all was a ruse, wasn’t it?” Charlotte continued in a hushed tone. “King Kenneth wished to draw out the true king. No doubt he waits nearby with troops to attack.”
“He diverted attention from his true objective,” Bliss said, “but Bryce and his brothers are no fools.”
