Page 114 of Taken By the Vicious Highlander

“I dinnae ken, to be honest.”

“So, when they failed?—”

“Me faither had me poison Lilith, seein’ how well ye two were gettin’ along. Called her a traitor to the cause.”

“But ye said ye didnae wish to kill her.”

“I didnae. I only wished to weaken her, to scare ye.”

“What about Tristan?”

“He doesnae ken about any of this. He was the match I chose for meself. I love him.”

“Ye love him?”

“Very much.”

“Well then, speakin’ of, yer intended begged for yer life”—he pointed at the spot where she stood—“right there, moments ago.”

Ariah’s head dipped, her fingers reaching for the carpet as if reaching for Tristan.

“As did Lilith,” Damon added.

Her head snapped up. “She did?”

“To me dismay, aye. She did.”

“She doesnae hate me?”

“I dinnae ken what she feels, but I ken she fought furiously for ye to keep yer head.”

“Does he?—”

Damon cut her off with a raised hand, knowing her question.Does Tristan know everything?

“Ye, Lilith, and I are the only ones who ken,” he said firmly. “It isnae our secret to tell. It is yers.”

Ariah’s hands trembled, but she nodded. “Thank ye.”

“Ye ken better than to think I did any of this for ye—or even yer intended.”

She blanched, lines creasing her face with anxiety for what was to come next. Her punishment.

“Now, I wished for Lilith to be here for this, but it’s far too early, and Gunn is annoyin’ me.”

Ariah’s hands hung lifelessly at her sides, her shoulders slumping as she very clearly tried to guess her punishment.

“He refuses to accept the terms of yer release.”

“Release?”

“Exile.”

As if she received a blow to her pregnant belly, she caved inwardly. “Exile?” she wheezed.

Brain working at a thousand miles a minute, her questions spewed into the space between them.

“He’ll leave me, right? He was born and raised here. He’d never want to leave. He’s a McCallum—he will let me go. I’ll have to tell him. He’ll wish to ken everything, right? I-I?—”