Page 34

Magni

“How are we going to get away?” Magni asked, leaning against Kyla after they’d been deposited in a chamber in a castle.

Lia said, “Fear not. They will come for us.”

“But they already did, and they left us behind.”

Kyla said, “Broc and Merryn took the two bairns first. You know that was the right thing to do. Broc fought four men off. He couldn’t handle eight.”

Magni jumped up from the bed, grabbing his imaginary sword and swinging it wildly. “If I had one, I would have killed Kelvan first. Then I’d go for Samuel and the other two.”

“And remember, Magni. Broc told you to run. You could have gone with them.” Lia sat on the bed and straightened her green skirt out, fluffing it just so.

“I know, but I couldn’t leave you, Lia.”

“Magni, you will promise me that if it happens again, you will run and leave me behind. You know I can handle myself.”

Magni slumped into a chair. “But you said you will always protect me. And you are my sister, Lia. I don’t have anyone except you. I lost Mama and Papa, so I’m all alone.”

“Magni, you have a grandsire, do you not?”

“He’s adopted.” Then Magni burst into tears. “And what if Grandpapa Logan dies? He got stabbed.” Then he picked up his imaginary sword again and said, “I’d like to see that bitch who stabbed my grandsire. Lia, we have to find him.”

“And you have Thane and Tamsin. Mora and Brian love you. We’ll make it through if we do as they say.”

The door opened and in came a woman. She was ugly and mean-looking. Magni didn’t like her one bit. And she wore a gown with gemstones dangling from it. It had long sleeves and she swung one at him.

“What do you think of this, laddie?”

She swung her arm until the sleeve fell back, revealing the stub she had from the injury Broc gave her, still scabbed over.

Magni screamed.

“Who did this to me?” she asked, sticking her face into his.

“I didn’t!”

“I know you didn’t. But you know his name. Tell me who did it.” She leaned down closer, and he could see she was missing two teeth on one side when she smiled. Magni frowned because he didn’t like her at all.

“I don’t know.”

She swung her arm again, and the stub landed on his shoulder.

Magni screamed again and ran into Kyla’s arms. Glenna was about to follow him, but Lia stepped in front of the mean woman, nearly tripping her.

“Little girl, stay away.”

“Leave him be.”

“Get out of my way.” Then she tried to toss her stub onto Lia’s shoulder, but the lass sidestepped her, and Glenna almost toppled forward.

“Glenna, you should stop bothering him. Look what your mean streak gained you already. If you weren’t riddled with vengeance, you wouldn’t have lost your hand to a sword. You struck first, or have you forgotten?” Lia stood with her hands folded in front of her.

“Who are you? Who told you all that?”

Kyla yelled, “Leave the bairns alone, Glenna. You want me, do you not? Well, here I am.”

Glenna whirled to face Kyla. “There she is. The queen of Clan Grant. The one who had to come and butt into my grandsire’s affairs. All because of you, he died at the hand of your sire.”

“Nay. If your father hadn’t had me beaten, my sire wouldn’t have killed him. It was the cruelty at the hands of your grandsire and his men that caused everything. Don’t be like them.” Kyla hugged Magni tight against her.

“I don’t like you,” Magni said to Glenna.

“I hate all of you. I’ll see you all dead before this is over, but not until I find out who wounded me. Who was he? I want his name.”

“I don’t know,” Magni cried. “I wasn’t here.”

“It was my son, Glenna. And I’m glad he hurt you after you stabbed an old man from behind. Are you proud of that?”

Glenna threw her head back in gales of laughter. Then she stopped suddenly and stuck her face in front of Magni’s. “Aye. I’m proud of it. And I’ll be even prouder when I finish off your clan.”

She whirled and left, slamming the door behind her. They heard her voice down the hall.

“Kelvan, get them out of here before their friends come. Hide them in the secret holding.”

Magni said, “We’re leaving again?”

Lia said, “Never fear. It’s for the best. You’ll see.”

Kyla said, “What does that mean, Lia?”

“It means the end of this nightmare is almost here. Magni, soon you will go home, and you’ll never feel like you don’t have a family again.”

Magni frowned, trying to understand what she meant, but he didn’t get to ask. They were taken out and tossed into a large cart.

He looked at his sister and said, “Here we go again, Lia.”