“Only…” the man paused as a cough racked his chest, sending blood spewing out onto the dungeon floor. “It was only a coin.”
Arran shook his head at the runaway’s pathetic attempt to lie, this time sending his fist for the man’s jaw. He wrung out his hand as the runaway spit up a few of his teeth. “Like I said. Doona expect to see daylight until ye tell me truth.”
Chapter 36
The days following my decision to remain here passed by in a blur of hurried activity, with everyone in the castle and village rushing to make preparations for the arrival of the MacChristys and Kinnairds as well as preparing for the upcoming battle.
It was the night before the expected attack, and while both Eoin and Arran seemed confident all would be well, I found my anxiety building. They’d not seen the devastating ruins of our home, as I had. And while I knew that having two clans join us for the fight increased our chances, knowing what happened before made me uneasy and it made me wonder why there were still ruins on Mom’s side of time, if we were going to succeed in battle.
Mom had responded to my message the following morning, playing it upbeat as always, but I could see the tear stains on the parchment where she’d cried. She was happy that I was happy, but she was as heartbroken as I was at our separation from one another. We’d written back and forth over the days leading up to the battle as I did my best to assure her that the fate of the Conalls would no longer stay the same now that we had reinforcements headed our way.
I wondered how it would affect everything on the other side of history if we succeeded. I hoped that I would still be able to use the book to communicate with my mother if the castle never ended up being destroyed. If we were defeated, it didn’t really matter.
Dusk had long since crept over the castle, and with each passing hour the tension throughout the castle heightened. Both the MacChristys and the Kinnairds should have arrived at the castle by now, and, although Eoin was trying his hardest to remain calm, I could tell that my hovering, nervous energy was doing nothing to help the situation.
I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as he sat in one of the studies on the main floor staring out the window for any sign of the clans’ arrival. “Would you like me to leave you alone for a while?”
He reached up, latched onto my hand, and pulled me down onto his lap. “Aye, lass. It’s no that I doona want ye here. But there’s no need for ye to stay up so late worrying with me. I’m sure they were only delayed and will arrive sometime during the night. Go on up to bed, lass, and I’ll join ye once both clans have been settled around the castle. It will calm me to know that ye are soundly asleep.”
I knew I wouldn’t sleep until he came up to the bedchamber, but he was doing his best to politely tell me to beat it, and I didn’t blame him. Leaning in to give him a quick kiss, I turned and made my way upstairs.
*
It was well into the deepest part of the night when Arran alerted him that Ramsay’s men were almost to the castle. Eoin stood from the seat in his study and went to the castle’s entrance to greet them.
He’d expected Ramsay to burst through the doors with some elaborate tale which would explain their late arrival and have them all laughing and breaking into the ale within minutes. Instead, as Ramsay Kinnaird pushed his way into the castle’s main foyer, Eoin knew instantly something had gone terribly wrong.
Ramsay and his men, their clothes wet from the rain and splashed with mud, looked as if they’d been riding hard through the night. Their faces were panicked and frightened.
Eoin didn’t bother with greetings as he rushed to grab Laird Kinnaird, who appeared as if he was about to fall over from exhaustion.
“What is it, man? What’s happened?”
“Ach, Eoin! I’m afraid we’ve all underestimated Laird MacLyrron’s forces. We only just escaped in time. And I was forced to bring not only me men, but my daughter and all the women and children.”
Eoin blanched and suddenly felt unsteady on his feet as he took in the news. “So they doona only plan to attack us. They tried to attack yer territory as well?”
Ramsay spoke in between over-exaggerated gasping breaths. “Aye. I believe he split up his men and sent half to my keep and half to the MacChristy’s. For when we passed through Donal’s territory…” Ramsay paused as if unable to finish.
A terrifying sense of dread crept over Eoin’s heart.
“What is it, man? What did ye find at Donal’s?” Eoin ushered Ramsay over to the staircase in the center of the room, and they both collapsed onto the stone steps next to one another.