Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

P eople cheered as one of the sentinels, a huge smile on his face, led Caleb into the village. Ula rushed to him, hugging him gently and calling out for Shade.

Quint was the only one who didn't look happy and that was because Shade hadn't gotten any sleep. Dee's delivery had taken the whole night. For a while, Shade and Ena had feared they might lose the bairn and the mum. But things turned out good and mum and son were doing well with the help of the village women looking after them and a very happy Liam as well.

"Hurry and see it done," Quint whispered through gritted teeth, he was so annoyed. "You need to sleep."

"Ayyye," Shade said on a yawn.

Quint cursed beneath his breath before he ordered, "You will sleep the day away."

"If only," Shade said and with her body aching hurried to Ula's cottage.

Quint waited outside, people avoiding him since he wore such a deep scowl. It deepened when he didn't see Dru anywhere and hadn't since yesterday when he told her to be his ears and eyes. Once he made sure his wife was tucked in bed, he intended to go look for her.

Thankfully, his wife paid heed to his command and did not take long.

"I need to make a mixture for Caleb to take, then I will seek our bed," she said.

"I will make sure of it and see that Caleb receives the mixture." Quint got annoyed when it didn't go as planned.

"The tracker found something," Nug said when he reached Quint.

Quint looked torn, his wife needing him.

"Go, I will see to the mixture and have a servant deliver it to Ula."

"And you will rest," he added.

"Aye," she said and yawned again.

Quint didn't want to leave her, but he was confident that she would rest, being too exhausted to do anything else.

Shade got herself moving as soon as her husband left her side. She could see he didn't want to leave her, and it pleased her to know how much he loved her. But right now, all she wanted to do was be done so she could seek her bed.

It took her a bit longer to reach the chieftain's quarters, her legs warning she would not last much longer. She went to the table after entering the bedchamber and got busy on the mixture. She was so tired that she wasn't careful and accidentally knocked over a small crock of crushed herbs, then she cut her finger, blood pooling on the table and mixing with the spilled crushed herbs. It resembled a mixture of blood and ash, and Shade recalled the dream she had of seeing the crosses made from blood and ash on the dead monks' brows and Brother Emmett warning her to run. Then she recalled when she and Quint were in the refectory in the abbey, and she asked him if he blessed the monks. She couldn't make out his reply, the sounds of the men breaking in interrupting it. She thought hard as she traced a cross in the blood and crushed herbs and heard it clearly.

Nay.

He had said nay, so how could Brother Peter know about the crosses on the dead monks when they were buried shortly afterwards and all the men who helped bury them refused to ever speak of the ordeal? Those in the church would have never heard of it. The only way Brother Peter could know was… if he had been there. Was he, not Asher, the one behind this whole plan?

"Sorry to intrude, but I thought I'd take a chance and see if I could visit with Chieftain Ryland. He truly should receive absolution if by chance he might not survive."

Shade turned to the door, though not before tracing the letter p in the blood and crushed herbs, to face Brother Peter.

"I will be quick," he said with a congenial smile and hurried into the room. It vanished when he approached the bed and saw it was empty. "What is this? Where is Chieftain Ryland?"

"He's not here," Shade said, moving slowly toward the door.

"Where is he?" he demanded and rushed at her, gripping her arm before she could slip out the door.

She was honest with him, there was no reason not to be. "I don't know."

Brother Peter shook his head, puzzled. "But you were tending to him."

"I never tended Chieftain Ryland. He was never here. We made it appear that he was."

"Has this all been a ruse? Did Ryland never make it home? Is he dead?"

"I don't know what happened to Chieftain Ryland, where he is, or if he is dead or alive."

"Who does?" Brother Peter asked.

"No one."

"You're coming with me and if you call out for help, you'll not only die but those around you will as well," he warned.

"But so will you," she said as if he hadn't thought it through.

"True but knowing how you pride yourself on helping people, saving lives, do you truly want innocent people to die because of you?"

"Don't you plan to kill me anyway?" she asked, fearful that was his intention.

"That has yet to be determined." He yanked a dagger from his robe and poked her lightly in the side with it. "Your husband is not the only one skilled with a dagger. Be foolish and you will feel its sting and die a slow agonizing death."

He would have to be truly skilled to know precisely where to stab her to cause such a painful death, but she was not about to take a chance. Besides, she couldn't let others die because of her. She was confident The Monk would rescue her. It would not take long for him to see that she had not kept her word to rest and once he didn't find her in their bedchamber, he would come here and hopefully find the clue she left him and understand who took her. If he was delayed, Ula would come look for her wondering what was taking her so long to prepare the mixture.

"Your cloak," he said and walked her over the bench where she had dropped it.

"Much better. It will conceal the dagger."

They walked at a normal pace through the village, Brother Peter smiling and talking to her, appearing as if they were enjoying a walk through the village. People called out greetings and smiled, though most were too busy to pay them any mind. She was disappointed but also relieved. No one would die because of her.

They entered the woods with more ease than she expected, no one taking note of them.

"Move," Brother Peter ordered, giving her a shove when they were out of sight. "I have men to meet."

"You're not a monk?" Shade asked worried her marriage to Quint was not valid.

"Worry not, your marriage is official. I am a monk but not for long. I have planned long and hard and suffered too many delays, but the time is finally here. I will finally have the power and wealth I've craved. Now shut up and keep moving."

Quint dropped down to examine the area. "Two camped here."

"And kept their campfire small to go unnoticed," Nug said. "These two must be the ones who waited for word from the culprit who wounded our sentinel."

"What word, though?" Quint asked more to himself than Nug as he stood. "What were they waiting to hear and why leave after word was received?"

"I've been watching, and I haven't spotted Dru since yesterday when you told her to take me with her when she searched those hiding spots, she mentioned to you. All signs point to her as the culprit. She is probably here spying on Clan MacLeish and passing whatever she learns to those who wait to hear word from her," Nug said with a nod to the extinguished campfire.

"I was hoping you teased me, out of friendship, but now I see how little you think of me. I may be a thief, but I thieve to survive. What's your excuse for being an arsehole?"

Nug turned to glare at Dru. "And what's your excuse for being here where the culprits camped?"

"Enough, Nug. I know Dru far better than I know you. Are you trying to shift the blame, so no one notices that you're the culprit?" Quint accused.

Anger flared on Nug's face. "How dare you accuse me. I would never betray my clan, my chieftain, my friend."

"Dru and I are friends and just as you would not betray your friend, Dru would not betray me. So, you will accuse her no more."

"Then why is she here," Nug demanded.

"To give us important information," Quint said and looked to Dru.

"I followed them. I know where they're waiting," Dru said. "Asher is with them."

"Who are they waiting for?" Nug asked.

"Sir! Sir!" Heath shouted as he ran toward them, his breath labored when he stopped in front of Quint. "Ula says something happened to Shade that when she went to see what was keeping her, she found the bedchamber empty, and the letter p traced into a mixture of blood and crushed herbs."

"Brother Peter," Quint and Dru said in unison.

"Aye," Heath said. "The last anyone saw of Shade was her walking with Brother Peter through the village."

"He's taking her to meet up with Asher," Dru said, "and no doubt they are going to prepare a trap for you, Quint."

"Gather warriors, Heath," Quint said, and he turned, raising his fist to deliver a hard blow to Nug's jaw and knocking him off his feet. "Don't ever accuse Dru of betrayal again or the next time—" He rested his hand on the handle of one of his daggers. He turned to Dru. "Asher is about to get a surprise visit from us, and we will be ready when Brother Peter arrives with my wife."

Dru stepped aside with a nod for Quint to join her. "Don't you want to find Shade first?"

"She faces no harm until she arrives where Asher waits, and we'll get there first and be waiting for her and Brother Peter."

"Are you sure about that?" Dru asked, "Or is it that your thirst for revenge is close to being quenched that makes you forsake your wife so you can capture Asher?"

"Watch what you accuse me of, Dru?' Quint warned.

"Don't be blind like Nug and fail to see the truth in front of you," Dru said and walked away.

Shade shook her head. "So, all the killing is for greed and power. How does brutally killing eight monks bring you power?" she asked, wanting to learn what she could before she attempted an escape. Even if it wasn't successful, it would give Quint time to find her before Brother Peter took her too far away from the village.

"They were pawns in my plan, they mattered not. I set the temperature to boil between Torrance and Ryland, knowing the animosity Torrance felt toward Ryland. And I readied countless mercenaries so they would be prepared to fight for Torrance when they actually fought for me. I sent Asher to gain his trust, and he did."

"Until recently when tongues spread news that the two are at odds," she said.

"Torrance went back on his word, but it matters not, Asher will see the task done or he knows he will suffer for it."

Shade stopped walking. She turned slowly, her eyes wide with sudden realization. "Good, Lord, you're the evil man Amara feared and whose child she carried."

"You are good at putting puzzle pieces together quickly. She was one of my mistresses who kept me entertained. I favored her, but I wanted no child from any of them. I have plans on who will bear me children and secure my future. I ordered her to purge herself of the child. I heard what a skilled healer you were when I stopped for a brief visit at Coggshall Abbey to decide if the abbey would fit my needs. I sent her to you. Unfortunately, I learned that after visiting you she chose not to rid herself of the bairn. She disappeared and it took me time to find her, but I did. And I made certain she would never be a problem again. I held no blame against Quint until he started killing my men, though I understand revenge. In the end, his actions settled a problem I wasn't sure how to handle. I needed the monks at the abbey gone so I could install my men there. Quint was the solution. His fierce reputation and possible madness made him the perfect pawn in my game. The mission failed. Quint was supposed to be there and die that day."

"That's why you had crosses of blood and ash placed on the monks' brows to make it seem Quint regretted killing the monks."

"You are a wise one. I planned on him being blamed for the vicious murders and made to die. However, I did not count on him turning into such a powerful, revenging madman than he had already become. Even my men fear going near him." He gave her a shove. "Keep moving, dallying will not save you or your husband."

"So, you plan to kill us both."

"It would have been done after I wed you to Quint. I was going to wait and see you both dead on your wedding night, but that fool cleric spotted me and rambled on about the dead men in the abbey which infuriated me learning that The Monk killed more of my men. Then your parents showed up when I returned with the cleric to your cottage and ended my chance of seeing the cleric dead along with you and your husband. Asher got rid of the foolish cleric for me and was beside himself with worry learning Torrance had assigned another to find his half-sister. Autumn, who names their daughter Autumn?" Brother Peter shook his head. "Autumn is the key that will secure my future. Asher will find her. I will wed her, and Torrance will meet with an unfortunate accident, leaving his sister heir to Clan Glencairn and me the new lord. I will have it all and that includes Clan MacLeish."

Shade stopped again. "You weren't fighting with Asher's man when Dru happened upon you. You were making plans with him."

"You are good. I may keep you for a while. Aye, you're right. I spotted Dru and whispered to Asher's man what to do to make it look like he would harm me. I was made aware of her from my men and learned that she has a protective instinct when it comes to the weak and unfortunate. Keep moving, the horses await us," he ordered.

That worried her. Once on horses they could gain distance, but Brother Peter talked about her and Quint both dying.

"You think to lure The Monk to his death," she said as she kept walking, though turned back to smile at him. "You'll fail. He'll kill you."

Brother Peter laughed. "I saw the love in your husband's eyes for you the day I wed you to him. I knew then that he would do anything to keep you safe, even surrender his life if necessary. And that, my dear woman, is the choice he will have to make when my message reaches him. It should have been delivered by now, ‘Come alone or your wife dies.' I believe The Monk will respond as only a loving husband would."

"You forgot one important thing," Shade said.

"What's that?"

Shade smiled. "My husband is… The Monk."

She kept her smile tempered though she wanted to laugh when she saw him shudder. He wouldn't admit it, but he was afraid of The Monk. However, The Monk was not afraid of Brother Peter.

Brother Peter may count on Quint reacting as only a loving husband would, but he failed to realize that a loving wife would not stand idly by when she knew her husband was walking into a trap. She would do everything she could to prevent it and everything she could to help Quint get the last two men who'd been the cause of Amara's death and the deaths of the monks. Quint would finally have his revenge.