“Ach, Mother. Ye are verra right, there has been much pain caused by me, but doona worry, I’m nearly done. I know that I am no long for this world. Me brothers will end me, but before they do, I shall tear one more lass from Baodan’s grasp. If ye doona wish to join her in death, then ye willna speak to me again.”
She said nothing for the moment, and I took the opportunity to step into his line of sight. “Niall, she’s not going to say anything else. It’s just me and you, okay? I guess you’re pretty angry, huh? For what I did to you?”
Nothing in me accepted that he would hurt me. I simply wouldn’t allow it. One sword other than the one Niall held in his hands lay against the fireplace. If I could get him talking, I hoped to signal to Adelle who sat closest to sword. It needed to be in one of our hands.
“Aye, lass, I am verra angry indeed and, ’tis reason enough for me to kill ye, but ’tis no why I will take great pleasure from doing so.”
“No? Then why?” Too riled up, Niall didn’t notice the footsteps that approached the doorway, and I swallowed a sigh of relief at Eoghanan’s shadow in the doorway.
His finger moved across his lips, signaling for me not to give away his presence.
“Why? Because Baodan has taken a fancy to ye, and it wouldna please me to allow him happiness.”
“Has Baodan wronged you in some way? I thought it was you who did the wrong.”
He threw his head back before scoffing at the question.
I put one hand behind my back and thrust my fingers in the direction of the sword. I had no way of knowing whether my gesture would be noticed. With Eoghanan in the doorway, I hoped it would be less necessary.
“Has he wronged me? He has, though I doona believe he would ever see it that way. Osla’s love for Baodan killed her, no me.”
“Hmm…how do you figure?”
“If she dinna love him, then she would have kept our little secret, but she insisted that we tell him. At the time, I couldna allow it. So, ye see, she gave me no choice. The fault in that lies with Baodan.”
“Gah, you are one twisted, sick, son of a bitch.” I shook my head in disgust. Eoghanan needed to step in the room soon.
“Enough!” Niall moved forward quickly stopping when the point of his sword pressed into the center of my chest. “Eoghanan, I know ye are there. I am no the fool that ye all seem to think. Come out, or I shall run her through.”
Eoghanan stepped quickly from the shadows, his face white with worry, his jaw clenched tight. “Niall, if ye hurt her, I swear I shall kill ye.”
“Ye will kill me anyway, but I will no kill her right away. I will wait until Baodan arrives. I would verra much like for him to watch her die.”
His eyes glinted with madness. “And now so must you.”
Chapter 43
With the end of his sword pressed against me, I did as he bid, stepping into him. He dropped his sword as he wrapped one arm around my waist and withdrew a dirk tucked away inside his kilt. He pressed it into the flesh of my neck, pushing hard enough to draw blood.
I was rash and stupid to have assumed that he would be unable to hurt me. He did a fine job of it now. I couldn’t die here, not like this. Not in the first place to ever feel like home, with a child possibly growing inside me.
Sobs threatened to overtake me but I knew if I did so, he would only push the blade deeper into my skin. Sound suddenly filled the hallway outside of the room, and Baodan charged inside, Eoin, Arran, and Hew with him.
In that instant I saw my own death, the pressure of the knife against my neck such that I truly believed he would draw it across me at that moment. I believe he almost did, but Baodan’s voice stopped him.
“’Tis no Mitsy that ye wish to see dead. Doona take yer hatred of me out on another. No one else need die when ’tis truly me that ye wish to see dead. Release her and ye may run yer sword through me. I willna stop ye.”
“No, Baodan, please.” The words sent the knife deeper into my neck, but I couldn’t remain silent. I couldn’t allow him to die for me.
For the first time since entering the room, he looked me in the eyes. The pain and sorrow there sent tears streaming down my face. “Mitsy, lass, I canna lose ye. If I wasna to die now and ye were killed, ’twould no be long before I would follow ye in death. The grief of losing ye would kill me.”
How could he not see that he would kill me anyway? As soon as Baodan was dead, Niall would turn his sword on me. An oath meant nothing to him. “No.” My word was only a whisper, and he paid it no mind.
“But ye are stronger than me, lass. Ye have a spirit that canna be starved. Use the rock to return to yer home once I am gone and live a life filled with all the things ye wish for.”
Niall said nothing throughout Baodan’s speech, only stared in his brother’s direction, his stare dark and unreadable.