Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

K aden walked down the stairs of the castle keep with Marcus close beside him.

"She has fire in her," Marcus was whispering. "I'm nae sure she'll give up any information easily."

"Hmm." Kaden was reluctant to agree Marcus was right.

When they reached the ground floor, the guard led them to the antechamber where a young woman stood. The moment she came into view, Kaden nearly stumbled on his own feet in surprise.

She bore the similar white, blonde hair to the woman now trapped in his chamber, although this woman's tresses may have been just a touch darker. As she turned to face him and Marcus fully, wringing her hands over and over again in her nerves, those darker blue eyes could not settle. The fear was emanating off her in great waves.

"Me laird," she whispered, curtseying deeply. Her voice was nothing like the other woman's. It was much lighter.

Kaden and Marcus exchanged a knowing look.

"Stand, please," Kaden encouraged. "I dinnae like it when people fall down on bended knees tae me."

She stood, wringing her hands once more.

"I…" She began, but was clearly struggling, not knowing how to stay what she had come to say.

Kaden walked forward, dismissing the guard with a wave of his hand and a whispered thank you. Once he was gone, he gestured to two settle benches pressed into the side of the room.

"Shall we sit?" he suggested, watching as she frowned. Just like the other woman, she clearly didn't expect him to be capable of any kindness. "Ye have come looking fer yer sister, have ye nae?"

She nodded, her eyes so wide he could see the whites around the irises. She rushed to sit, though she only managed the very edge. Kaden sat opposite her, as Marcus stood to the side of them. Clearly, Marcus was wary, whereas Kaden could plainly read all the nerves and apprehensions in this woman. Marcus' arms were folded, and he never once took his eyes off the young woman.

She is nay threat tae me.

"Ye are worried about her because she has been gone so long," Kaden suggested.

"Aye."

"Ye came here together, tae enact some revenge on me."

"Aye," she whispered, looking completely terrified now. "Can ye reads minds, me laird?"

"Nay one has that power." He shook his head. "Yer sister came searching fer something, though I dinnae ken what she accuses me of, nor what she is searching fer. I hazard a guess that she is hoping tae prove me guilty of something. Am I right?" He didn't need her to answer this time. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. That was enough.

Sighing, he sat back, relaxing a little into the settle bench.

"Worry nae fer yer sister. She is quite well."

"Thank God." The woman leaned forward in relief. Despite their similarities in complexion and coloring, the women's faces were very different and this lass was younger than the one Kaden had in his chamber.

"But if ye wish me tae release her tae ye, then I have tae ken why ye are here. I need tae ken why I was attacked last night."

The lass' eyes widened again. She did not utter a word.

"We have space in the dungeons," Marcus spoke up. The lass sharply faced him, showing that despite her nerves, there was spirit in her too.

"Ye cannae make me a prisoner. I have done nothing wrong."

"Yer sister has," Kaden pointed out. "She attacked me and stole from me. So, why are ye two here?"

The lass rubbed her face hard, but she was clearly relenting, slowly giving away to the inevitable.

"And start with yer names, please," Kaden added. "I cannae keep thinking of her as the lass that attacked me."

"Promise me ye will release me sister if I tell ye who we are and why we're here."

"I can promise tae consider it. Yer sister knocked me out, she could have killed me."

"She didnae, and we both ken that if she had wanted tae murder ye, she would have. She had an opportunity already."

"Fair enough, lass. Ye convinced me. But ye shall answer all questions I have."

"Me name is Lydia, and me sister's name is Elara," she said, lowering her hands from her face.

Elara.

Kaden connected the face of the lass upstairs with the name. Nay, he was certain he had never met her, but was it possible he had heard it somewhere before?

The name suits her.

An errant idea of whispering that name in her ear entered his mind. He recalled how he had kissed the bottom of her neck in the inn the night before, then had to snap his thoughts to the here and now.

"I ken those names," Marcus said slowly. His arms unfurled from their folded position. "Lamont."

The title made everything click into place for Kaden. He sat forward sharply.

"Ye two are Laird Cassian Lamont's younger sisters," Kaden discerned.

"Aye. We are." She nodded. "And we have come tae take revenge on ye, me laird, fer the deaths of our parents."

"The fire," Marcus whispered.

Kaden's mind worked fast. He knew that his own parents were not the only ones to have died in that fire two years before. Some staff attending the inn had passed, as had other people on their way to the wedding. Cassian Lamont's parents, Laird and Lady Tavish Lamont, had also been taken in that fire.

"Wait…" Kaden moved to his feet. "Ye two think I am tae blame fer that fire? Ye think I killed yer parents?"

"We heard it," Lydia said swiftly. Her nerves were not as palpable now. He could feel the hatred in those eyes. "So many whisper it. They ken it tae be true."

"Dae they now?" Kaden said with thick wryness to his tone. "Ye think I would murder me own faither and stepmaither?"

"Ye did though, didnae ye? Only ye benefitted from their death. Only ye became laird."

Kaden stepped away from the settle benches. He looked at Marcus, panic stricken, seeing the same confusion in his friend's face.

I never wanted tae be laird in the first place. I would have sooner done away with meself than lose them from the world.

He walked away, covering his face and cursing to the sky, the fury enveloping him. Lydia must have flinched in her seat, for Marcus told her she had nothing to fear.

"Of course, I have something tae fear," she whispered. "I am in the castle of me mortal enemy. Under the roof of a kenned murderer and I must tell him all I ken if I want tae keep me sister alive."

Kaden scoffed, shaking his head.

"Ye are holding me sister. Please, take me tae her." She stood, clearly trying to return some power in the room to her.

"What was yer plan?" Kaden spun around to face her again. "What was yer plan tonight?"

"Elara accomplished most of it," she said in a rush. "It was tae break intae this castle. From here, she hoped tae find the evidence that ye ordered the burning of that inn two years ago."

"Burning? What are ye talking about?" Kaden stepped toward her in anger. "It was an accident. I was told a candle was knocked over. The fire was out of control before anyone could stop it." The words came thick and fast. "They tore tiles down and stopped the fire spreading tae other buildings, but the inn could nae be saved nor those inside. I was told it was an accident. I went tae see the innkeeper meself, who confirmed as much!"

"Then ye are wrong." Lydia shook her head. She now looked as confused as Kaden felt. "One of me braither's spies investigated the matter. It was nay accident. It was arson."

Kaden backed up. Marcus tried to take his shoulder, to calm him, but nothing could calm Kaden now. He paced up and down, such rage consuming him that he felt like he was a crackling storm. If someone said the wrong thing, he would rant at them with pure thunder in his tone.

How could I be so wrong? How could I have nae sought justice meself?

"How is this possible?" he muttered repeatedly. "They were murdered. All this time, me faither and stepmaither were murdered and I didnae ken. How is this even possible! It cannae be. I cannae be true!"

He flung himself around to face Lydia again, who flinched and actually took a small step behind Marcus, hoping to put someone between them. "There must be a mistake. Tell me that spy could have been wrong. It cannae be true."

"It is all true," Lydia said, calmly, though she was back to wringing her hands again. "The spies found nothing more out, but they discovered that a man cloaked in black was seen running from the inn that night, bearing a flame. Everyone said that the mercenary was hired by ye. It was kenned ye returned from yer travels with a mercenary." At these words, she backed up from Marcus, clearly making a good guess at who that former mercenary was. "It was arson."

"It was murder," Kaden cursed and turned his eyes up to the ceiling, as if he could look through the stone floors to the heavens themselves and see his father looking back at him.

I havenae avenged ye, Faither. I didnae even seek justice. All of that will change now.