Chapter 35
CRàDH PRISON - SEPTEMBER 27, 1385
F rigid sea water came over Aileen's head and set the cuts on her face and hands on fire. Gasping awake, her vision faded in and out.
"Come on, Moira. Wake up."
Her eyes closed. All she longed to do was sleep, but something hard and cold slammed into her nose; the sound of crushing bone rang in her ears and in her jaw. Red-hot pain licked up her face and caused tears to flow from her eyes. Rasping, she struggled to sit up, feeling something wet flowing like a warm stream down her neck. Vision returning, she saw Niall before her holding a horseshoe.
The metallic tang of blood flooded her mouth, and she put her fingers to her damaged face and felt it pour between her fingers onto her lap. She probed each one of her teeth, and with relief, found them all still in her mouth.
"That's right. Wake up. I have questions."
Head ringing with bells and a low whine in her ears, she looked around and saw Fingon heft a mace beside the hearth. She looked at the mace and then the Niall's horseshoe, wondering which one of them had hit her.
She moved her swollen mouth as best she could. Ask .
Another bucket of water hit her face, stinging, but the cold soothed the ache. Feeling slightly more alert, her eyes focused. A quill and paper were forced into her shaking hands.
"Where is Léonid?"
Léo? Her head was so heavy it lolled to one side, and she looked at Niall with the eye that wasn't swollen shut as she shakily wrote, Dun Ringill.
"He wasn't there this morning. Wasn't in Kylerhea. Not in Elgol. Not in Breacais. He isn't at any of the granaries."
Making a concerted effort, she forced her cheeks not to smile. Dunvegan. Thank you God, he was in Dunvegan. He was safe.
She shrugged. I don't know.
Niall circled the tiny cell and she struggled to follow him with her one good eye.
"He disappears on the night that you're caught spying?"
She shrugged again and scratched out a few words. If you say so.
Fingers twined in her knotted hair and ripped her head painfully back, and she gave a rasping cry.
"Do you take me for a fool? You were seen in his chamber. You left him one of your personal effects. According to Ardis he nearly killed Gordon for touching you."
The quill scratched across the paper in her aching fingers. You killed Gordon.
Niall gave her head a shake and growled at her. Growing tired of being rough-handed, she looked into Niall's eyes and stared him down letting all the venom she had ever felt for the man pour out of her eyes.
She moved the quill slow and steady. There was no catapult. But I would have destroyed it. As I did your siege engine. The stores. And your treasure.
"You lie."
Your caterans found pitch and arrows on Scalpay. That's how I destroyed the trebuchet and the Wolf's granary.
His eyebrow twitched.
And as for your treasure, you found blood upon a high rock?
He nodded .
She rolled up the leg of her leather trews, revealing the straight line of stitches, still pink and healing.
"What did you do with the gold?"
She inked the quill. It wasn't just twenty bags of gold. It was ten bags of the Wolf's silver too. And jewels.
Fingon's face went purple with rage.
I sailed to the island and threw the guards into the sea. Then I did the same with your treasury.
Fingon scoffed. "You overtook four men?"
It only took a shove from behind.
Niall shook his head. "Impossible."
It isn't.
Niall looked almost heartbroken. "Why would you do this to me? For Léo? For the Beithir?"
I don't know the Beithir.
"Everyone knows the Beithir. He's become legendary."
I've been in Dun Ringill for over a year.
He gave a frustrated sound. "Why, then, would you do this?"
She gave a silent chuckle. You murdered my father. You murdered my mother. You kidnapped me for your leman.
"And I never took you by force." Hurt formed in his muddy brown eyes. The man thought he was being a good person for not adding rape to his list of sins.
A plan quickly took shape in her mind. If she could stay alive for another few days, Léo and Hector might come for her. She might make it to Michaelmas.
Allowing herself to feel the throbbing in her scalp, nose, fingers, jaw, and stomach, she let tears form in her eye. I did it because you hurt me, Niall. How could you?
For a moment his face softened. "Moira…"
Fingon slapped her. "Don't listen to this hogswallop. She's taking advantage of your feelings." Taking her arm in his hands, he pulled her so close to him she could smell his sour breath. "During the attack on the Wolf's stores, Léo said he was attacked. There was a shadow on his jaw where he'd been hit. Was that your handiwork?"
Yes .
Suspicion crept back into Niall's expression any time Léo was mentioned.
She scratched her answer and grinned, knowing it was partially true. He's an interfering French toad—all the MacKinnons disgust me.
Nothing could ever make her give up her team and her mission. Her responsibility to their safety in this moment was greater than her own.
Fingon scoffed. "Why did he mistake you for a small man?"
She shrugged.
Without warning, Niall lunged at her, taking her down to the rotten rush floor. He bellowed at her, and spit hit her in her face. "You betrayed me with my brother! That's why you stayed and didn't leave when you had a chance!" He brought the horseshoe down on the crown of her head.
Stars filled her eyes and pain shot down her spine. The horseshoe came down again.
"Because of you the Wolf is ready to have me killed." The horseshoe came down again and she felt warm moisture trickle down her scalp.
"Because of you my treasury is at the bottom of the sea." He brought down the horseshoe again and she couldn't see. Oh God, help her, she couldn't see!
"Everything was going well until you came to Dun Ringill!" Again and again he hit her. His voice faded away. She couldn't hear.
Lord, I cannot see, hear, or speak. Help me, God. She felt her soul growing weak. Help me, God!
The world fell away from her and she felt herself being lifted and laid away. They were getting rid of her body. She was dying.
Somewhere, amid the dying ember of her life, she heard Léo's voice. Praying fervently in his soft French. " Dieu, interviens toi-même et sauve-moi…Agis avec puissance pour me rendre justice…Ecoute ma prière, ? Dieu, prête attention à mes paroles…"
No light penetrated her sightless eyes, but his words were close to her ear, and she could recognize them. Comfort and peace surrounded her. "Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life…"
Lord, keep him safe. Get him to Gabriel. Let him love again.
Letting go, she fell into the dark void of death.