His words meant to comfort, but tension hardened his body. Even the horse was hesitant to continue his march forward the closer we got to the village.
“I think ye are wrong, Arran. They’ve spotted us, and some of them are now headed in our direction. Perhaps we should leave.”
“Nay, lass. I am laird of this keep now. Whatever has occurred, ’tis me duty to see to it and see that me people are taken care of. I’m sure that all they need is leadership to assist in what has occurred.”
“Aye, I’m sure ye are right.” I knew that he wasna, but I dinna wish to cause him to fear the approaching crowd any more than I knew he already did.
Slowly we approached, and as soon as I heard the words they chanted, me blood ran cold.
“Witch. Witch. Witch.” They screamed it over and over, fingers pointing at me with eyes filled with pity turned in Arran’s direction.
“What is the meaning of this? Who among ye will step forward to tell me what has happened whilst I was away?”
An elderly man standing apart from the crowd hollered out, finger extended in me direction. “That be her, the witch. We should bind them at once.”
I couldna make sense of what the man said, but I dinna miss the way he cast his eyes downward after he finished speaking, no looking up again as the crowd poured in around us. Two men stepped forward with chains, roughly dragging us off, chaining us before either of us had time to scream or protest.
Our mouths were gagged and our eyes covered as they led us away to somewhere deep below the castle. ’Twas no until we were thrown into cells that they removed our coverings, but it was too dark in the cell for me to see anything. I called out for Arran, feeling frantically around the darkness. “Arran! Arran, where are ye? What has happened?”
A voice that I had nay heard before teased me in the darkness. Malice dripped from the deep, unsettling tone, and I screamed as large hands gripped me hard by both arms.
“Arran is no here, lass, and I doona think that ye shall ever see him again.
Chapter 43
“There is no need for ye to do this, sister. Yer children need ye, and ye shall all be safe here if ye will only agree to stay.”
Gara pulled her sister into a large embrace but shook her head, resigned to the decision she knew she must make. “Nay, I canna continue to live with the wrong that I’ve done. I lied once to provide for me children, and it resulted in the death of a lass who’d seen naught but heartache her whole life. I lied once more to protect them, but I canna be the mother they deserve if I am no willing to do what is right.”
“But ye doona know for certain what Tormod plans. What do ye think ye shall be able to do to stop it?”
Gara didn’t respond right away, squatting so that she could kiss each of her three children, holding them tight as she prayed it wouldn’t be the last time she got to hold them in her arms.
“Go inside me dear ones, and be good for yer auntie whilst I am away. I love ye more than ye shall ever know.”
She waited to sob until they were inside her sister’s home, struggling to catch her breath. “I doona know what I shall do, but I know that I must try. I heard Tormod in the ale house doing his best to make the men believe that Arran killed Edana. He did no such thing, but Tormod willna rest until he has succeeded in turning me people against them. “Tis time that I share the truth with me clansmen.”
“But ye must know that he shall kill ye if ye do so.”
Gara nodded, pulling her cloak over her so that she could be on her way. “Aye, but I am no living now with the guilt tearing me into pieces. If I should die, at least me soul will be at peace knowing that I have made amends for the sin that I committed.”
“God go with ye, sister.”
Gara turned, fleeing into the night so that she would not be tempted to turn back and live as a coward. She could only hope that one day her children would know of her bravery and grow up to be the men and women she’d given her life to allow them to be.
*
Arran would not allow himself to lose her again. If he had to break his own legs and ribs to get out of his cell, he would find a way to save her. Any man that got in his way would find himself dead, clansmen or no.
He rammed his shoulder hard against the metal. If only he could get one of the bars loose, he could somehow squeeze his way out. It was so dark he could scarcely see, but a noise at the end of the hallway alerted him that he was no longer alone. He stilled instantly, patting himself down for anything he could use as a weapon.
“Sir, are ye down here? ’Tis Gara.”
He could think of no reason for her to be down here. His first thought was that she must have been one of the ones to conspire against him. He knew that she’d already lied to him at least once before. Had she lied again when she said she knew nothing else?