He was succeeding. As me vision faded, I was unsure if it was truly Arran that I saw reach to grab the dagger out of the man’s side before charging through the open cell to send the dagger deep into me assailant’s neck.
He released his hold on me instantly, and I sank to me knees, desperate to catch a breath as the blood from the man’s neck continued to spray over me. I retched at the taste of his blood as it dripped into me mouth and I stepped away, no wishing to be near him as he took his last breath.
His eyes remained open, the same evil expression forever plastered on his face. Even in death, the beast beneath the man shown through.
It took me a moment to catch me breath and, by the time me head cleared, I could see Arran and a woman I’d never seen bent over the elderly man who gasped painfully at the knife wound in his side.
“Doona worry, lad. We shall get ye the care that ye need. Only hold on a moment more, and we shall find someone to tend to ye.”
I watched as the man reached out to grab Arran’s arm, preventing him from going for help. “Nay, lass. If ye leave here before the clan knows the truth, they shall murder ye on the spot. I am no long for this world, and I doona wish to be either. I see now that Tormod killed me wife before I even agreed to do as he asked. There is no place in this world for me if she is no here at me side.”
Arran shook his head, intent on helping the man. “Nay, lad. Ye shall live many years still.”
The woman to the other side shook her head interrupting him. “I’m verra sorry, but ye are wrong, sir. The old man is right. He has only a few moments left, and there is naught that we can do to help him.”
I dinna know the elder, but tears sprang up in me eyes. If he hadna arrived when he had, it would be me lying on the cell floor dead. This man had saved me life.
“Aye, I told ye, lad. I know that I am dying, and I doona wish for it to be any other way. At least help me to fix the wrong I’ve done to ye. Ye and yer lady must stay hidden until the people have heard what I have to say. Gara, will ye help me to me feet and let me lean against ye so that together we can address them? Once we have both spoken, ye will be free to live here, and I will die knowing that I dinna let the bastard win.”
I could see that Arran knew he wouldna change the old man’s mind. He rose from his knees, pulling the man up with him so that he could situate him on Gara’s shoulders. He helped them to the doorway. Sending them out on their own, he returned to me side.
“God, lass, I thought I had lost ye.”
“And I ye.” I threw meself into his arms, sobbing as he reached to wipe the blood from me face.
A sudden hush outside the dungeon, told us that our saviors now had the attention of the crowd. Hand in hand we moved to the doorway and hid in the shadows as we watched them inform the crowd of all Tormod’s evildoings.
The clansmen were no surprised and, once the truth was known, the crowd gathered in close around the gardener, no longer in anger but to comfort their friend as he took his last breaths.
Arran and I remained hidden in the shadows, leaving the village to grieve their friend and hero. Gara came to us as they led the old man away for burial. Relief etched her face, and I could tell then that she’d risked her own life for us as well, no knowing if she would come out of it alive.
“Thank ye, Gara. We owe ye a debt that we can never repay.” Arran clasped the woman’s shoulder, unsure of how to express his gratitude.
“Ye owe me nothing. I am more fortunate than I thought possible. Me conscience is now clear of the wrong I did ye, and I will return to me children when I dinna believe I would ever be able to do so. If ye follow this pathway through the dungeon, it will lead ye back into the castle where ye can clean yerselves and rest away from everyone. Now, excuse me, I have bairns that I need to gather in me arms.”
Once she was gone, we silently made our way through the dungeons, no stopping until we were inside the castle. We knew that we wouldna sleep at all. We were both eager to await the sun, for it was the only way this day would truly feel over.
Chapter 45
“Are ye sure that ye are fine with this, Arran? For if this is something that ye want, I will stand by yer side. I know that there are many dark memories in this place, but I believe that we could make new ones here.” I walked up behind him as he finished penning his letter detailing to his clansmen why he was to step down as laird.
“Aye, lass, I doona doubt that we could, but I doona wish to. This is no our home, and these people are no our people.”
“They did accept you at first, did they no?”
He twisted in his seat wrapping his arms around me as he buried his head in me breasts. “Aye, lass, they did, but they turned on me rather quickly, as well. I dinna wish to be laird to begin with. I rushed into it foolhardily because I believed that I was helping another. If only I could have seen all the trouble that decision would cause us.”