Page 44

Alasdair

“John, wake up,” Alasdair said.

Lia patted his hand. “John, you need to wake up, lad.”

John opened his eyes and pulled on his bindings. “What the hell?”

Alasdair was glad it was a bit dark so his son wouldn’t see the expression on his father’s face after hearing him curse. His wee laddie was growing up. “John, don’t pull, or you’ll make the skin raw. We’ll get out soon enough.”

John wiggled around until he could set his eyes on his sire. “Da? You are here?”

“I am. You don’t remember?”

He stared at the ceiling for a moment. “Aye, the attack. Lia was behind me on a different horse. They hit me over the head as soon as we stopped. Were others taken or just us?”

“The three of us. I’m sure the others will be here for us sometime today, but I need to let you know that I have a plan I must follow.”

“What, Da? My sword will free us. It’s under my tunic but I’m not sure how it got there. I can feel the warmth of the hilt.”

“Lia put it there.”

John stared at Lia. “You truly have special powers too, I believe. What do you call yourself, Lia?”

“A faery. I can take different forms, but I’m here to help.”

They could hear movement near them, so Alasdair said, “Lia, they’re coming.” He nodded at her freed hands folded in her lap that she so easily manipulated in and out of the restraints.

Lia put her hands back in the looped ties and Alasdair said, “Listen, John. I have to find Kyla. You and Lia will be fine together. I’m going to do something that will lead me to Kyla.

You stay here with Lia. I doubt they’ll take you with me.

Remember that Uncle Alick will be along with two hundred Grant guards soon enough.

They’ll be along on the morrow or the next day.

Stay safe until then. Just do as you’re told and don’t argue. I promise to be back.”

“Da, don’t leave me. Please.”

There was the wee laddie he adored so much. “I have to. I’ll explain later, but I believe you can handle yourself or I wouldn’t go. Hush now, they’re coming.”

Two men came inside, broad-shouldered and carrying daggers. They stepped to the side of the door and a man entered behind them—Kelvan, if Alasdair were to guess.

“Greetings to you, Kelvan. How do you fare today?” Lia smiled at the evil man.

Kelvan reached for Lia and lifted her into the air. “How do you know my name?”

Lia giggled and said, “Because that brute next to you told me.”

Alasdair nearly snorted at the lass’s craftiness. Kelvan dropped her so quickly that she nearly fell, but she caught herself, hopping out of the way just before Kelvan swung a fist at the brute she accused of revealing the secret. She scurried back to John’s side.

Kelvan turned his attention to Alasdair. “I need all the information you have on the Grants. Why are you here?”

“Looking for Kyla. Where is she?”

“Send me the lad with the sapphire sword and I’ll release her.”

Alasdair said, “You aren’t highly intelligent, are you, K?”

Kelvan bent over to put a fist in his belly, but Alasdair quickly butted his head with his attacker’s, knocking the fool backward. He repeated, “Where is Kyla?”

Kelvan reached for Alasdair, but a blue light stopped him, the glow coming from the blade of the sword, the hilt now in John’s hand. “Leave him be.”

“The sword!” Kelvan grinned widely. “Give it to me.”

He reached for it, but Lia stopped him with the expression on her face. “Are you that foolish?”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You burned your hand before. I wouldn’t touch that sword if I were you. Any number of things could happen.”

Kelvan chuckled. “Well, as long as it doesn’t have a hundred spiders crawling all over it, I’ll be fine.”

Lia shrugged and glanced over at John with a smile.

Kelvan picked up the hilt and a hundred spiders appeared from the tip and covered him. He screamed, dropping the weapon as he tried to kill the wee crawlies covering him. “Help me, fools!” He turned to his two guards, bellowing like a banshee in the woods.

The two men tried to squash as many as they could but as quickly as they arrived, the spiders disappeared. Kelvan glanced at his arms, shocked. “How? What?”

The sapphire sword lay on the floor, still glowing. Kelvan reached for it, but when Lia spoke, he froze.

“You really are that ignorant?”

He stood up and turned away from John and Lia, back toward Alasdair. “Tell me how to hold that sword.”

“I have no idea. But I have a deal for you. Let those two go, and I can make your wife happy.”

“They won’t go anywhere unless he leaves the sapphire sword behind. And he has to teach me how to use it first.”

“But I have something that will make your wife ecstatic.”

“What?”

“Me.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Take me to Glenna and I promise you she will be pleased to see me.”

Kelvan said, “Unless you are the one who cut off her hand, she won’t be happy. And I know you aren’t the one because I remember that face.”

“But I promise you that she will be happy to see me. Take me to her and see for yourself.”

Kelvan stared at him, but then said, “Take the chains off him, men. We have our entertainment for the morning. I’ll come back for the sword later.”

The men unchained him, and Alasdair stood, handing the sword back to his son before he faced Kelvan.

“Where did the spiders go?” Kelvan asked.

Alasdair retook the sword from John’s hand and asked, “Want to try again?”

Kelvan stepped away. “Nay. Give it back to him.”

Alasdair set it back in his son’s hands, the glow again lighting up the cell.

Kelvan asked, “Who are you? Why does Glenna wish to see you?”

“Because I’m Broc, Kyla’s son.”