Chapter 31

DUN RINGILL CASTLE - SEPTEMBER 25, 1385

T he sun outside the solar faded to orange and still Léo hadn't returned from Kylerhea. Gripping the arm of her chair, Moira watched as it sank toward the horizon.

Niall circled the solar, his unwashed smell making her stomach turn. "You'll do as you please, will you? Live in my keep, eat my food, and reject every advance? What were you doing in his room?"

The back of his closed fist connected with her lips and the taste of blood filled her mouth as her head jerked backward. His fists grabbed the neck of her gown and wrenched her off the chair, tearing the seams as he shook her. "Have you lain with him?"

Furious, Moira shook her head. They had been through the same questions for days. She wanted to fight back, needed to fight back against his bullying, but she knew for the sake of the mission, she couldn't.

Across the room, Ardis raised her head, both eyes blackened, nose crumpled at an unnatural angle. "Leave her alone. I know she hasn't." Fingon's fist connected again with Ardis's smashed nose and she cried out.

"Why did you tell us she did? "

Ardis shrugged, spirit not yet broken. "I don't know. I was jealous of her. I wanted Léo for myself. I wanted her to go away."

Moira winced. By admitting her jealousy, Ardis was confirming that she'd noticed a personal relationship between Léo and herself.

After Fingon had discovered the Psalter, he'd hauled Moira into Malvina's solar where Ardis waited, face bruised and swollen. By betraying Moira's illness, she had become a target herself, for they knew she held information on her comings and goings. When Fingon came to find Moira to question her about the illness, he saw her moving from her room to the garret, Psalter in hand.

He'd waited for her to come out and then picked her apart. It was a miracle the note had been lost between Léo's room and the stairs, for if it was discovered that they were in love, both Léo and she would be dead.

Punishment had been swift. For hours, Fingon tried to make her talk, but she'd only admit to the pieces of information he could know for sure. Yes, the Psalter was hers. Yes, she had given it to Léo in prison. Yes, they had shared it a few times since then. And yes, she knew the room she was in was his, she'd simply misunderstood his question when he'd asked. She only wished to return the Psalter to Léo with some marked passages.

For five days more Moira had been interrogated by Fingon, along with Isobel and Ardis. To turn attention away from Isobel she'd written out the sorry story of Gordon's attack on her and simply said he had Malvina's keys. Malvina made a show of searching for the keys and of course found that they were not where she left them when Isobel handed them over.

Niall's hand connected with Moira's ear, and it rang. "Get up and make me a drink."

Moira nodded and staggered across the room, her dagger rubbing against her thigh. If they were alone she would tear Niall's fat hide apart. Picking up the decanter, she pulled the cork and took a crystal goblet off the shelf beside the desk. Placing it down upon the mountains of papers scattering across the surface, she noticed it.

A map. The edge of Skye, Pabay Island, Cràdh Prison, and next to it, the larger island of Scalpay in the sound. A darkened square, a century of soldiers. Above the square, a single world. Catapult.

Committing the positions to memory, she replaced the cork and the decanter and returned to Niall, handing him the glass. Taking her seat again, her mind whirred. The catapult would need to be destroyed before the Michaelmas attack or they would stand no chance in succeeding.

The sun was almost touching the horizon now. Fingon stared out the window and chuckled. "No sign of Léo. Maybe he abandoned you."

He would never.

Niall scoffed, disgust dripping from his expression. "I'm sure he's on his way. Why else would he have saved her book if he didn't care for her? He won't make it on that pitiful horse." Niall crouched in front of her, his eyes bloodshot and full of anger, and something else. "Haven't I been good to you? Haven't I given you fine things, beautiful clothing? Haven't I done enough to earn your love? What haven't I given you?"

She stared at him and then pointed at her swollen lips. Freedom.

His brow furrowed. "I could lock you in your room, but I won't."

A small comfort.

The edge of the sun touched the horizon and footsteps sounded on the stairs, running. Her heart leapt.

The door burst open and Léo stared at her, then Ardis, then Fingon and Niall. His forehead glistened with sweat, his chest heaved, and murder swam in his eyes. "What have you done to them?"

Fingon shrugged. "Meted out punishment."

Niall looked at him with condemnation. "How did you make the journey on that worthless animal? Help? Hector MacLean?"

Léo shook his head and tried to move toward her, Niall getting in his way. Fingon stepped to his side, both of their backs to her.

Léo's voice was hard. "Check the lather on the animal's coat. You'll see that I galloped all the way from Heaste. It took me the distance from Kylerhea to Heaste to get him to stop bucking."

She signed behind their backs. Catapult. Scalpay Island. One century of soldiers.

His eyes caught her signs, but his face betrayed nothing.

She signed again. Tunnel. Tonight .

Fingon and Niall turned back to her. Fingon took a step closer. "It seems there has been much secret keeping going on."

Léo signed behind their backs. Isobel? Is she hurt?

She shook her head no.

"What do you mean no?" Niall's fist connected with her jaw and stars clouded her vision.

Fury streaked across Léo's expression, and she moved her thumb along her face telling him not to move. Don't.

Ardis looked between Léo and herself, at last understanding that her hand motions meant something. Léo gave her a wrathful look. She swallowed and said nothing.

Fingon dragged his fingers along the wall, following the chase of the doe around the room and stopping in front of the hearth. He skewered Léo with a look. "Ardis has confessed you weren't together the night the siege engine was destroyed. Where were you?"

"Asleep in my bed, as I've told you."

Niall squared up to him, and Léo raised his chin. "I'm not a female for you to terrify. Think before you swing at me, Niall. I've told you I was asleep in my bed. I'll admit I let Ardis cover for me, but only so I wouldn't go back to prison for something I didn't do. How would I have known about the siege engine? How would I have coordinated an attack being out of prison for only a few hours? And it must have been a coordinated effort. Who could destroy it alone?"

Niall's mouth tightened. "It was someone close to Dun Ringill."

"Perhaps it was one of the Wolf's men that let it slip."

The thought traveled the length of Niall's pasty face and across his stupid brain as if he had never considered this possibility before. He grunted. "The night of the granary fire, you were the only one to see the bowman."

"I wasn't. Gordon saw him. A short man. I also had a bruise across my face where I'd been hit fighting him. Didn't you bother to ask Gordon?"

Fingon's face contorted. "Well we can't very well ask him now, can we? Convenient."

Leo's eyes rolled. "Whose fault is that? Not mine. "

Moira took a pitiful breath. So that was that, then. Gordon was dead. God have mercy on his black soul.

Niall stroked his beard. "What about the night of the Staffa theft?"

"What about it? Gordon saw me then too. He said he confirmed it to Fingon and Malvina. Where is Malvina?"

Fingon crossed his arms. "In bed."

In bed with a headache to avoid Niall's questioning about her keys. Where she'd been for over two days.

Leo made a face. "Perhaps we should get her up."

Fingon shook his head. "Not necessary. Moira and I heard her confirm the sighting the morning after." Snake.

Niall's face pinched with frustration. "Everyone go to bed. I need time to think. We'll pick this up in the morning. No one leaves."

She rose and followed Ardis and Léo out of the room. Fingon followed close behind. "I believe I need to be sure everyone goes to their respective rooms."