Page 106 of Dark Seduction

Claire cried out in horror. He would protect her this way? But as she began to protest, Aidan’s grasp on her became a tight, even cruel embrace. “Dinna speak,” he hissed at her as the guards seized Malcolm.

“My nephew lies,” Royce said calmly. “I have marked Sibylla fer the grave long ago. He thinks to protect me. I stabbed her.”

Claire gasped, her knees turning weak and useless. Royce’s actions were incredibly selfless, but selfishly she prayed he would be the one arrested now.

Malcolm turned a black look on Royce. “He thinks to protect me. Sibylla has declared war on me an’ mine. The deadly deed was done by my own hand.”

Everyone began to talk at once, in the excited tones of a crowd mesmerized by high drama.

“It was me,” Claire cried.

But in the frenzy of gossip and speculation, no one seemed to hear. Aidan jerked on her, literally dragging her from the hall. “Let me go,” Claire began furiously.

“Arrest them both,” the steward ordered, “until this matter can be decided by the king.”

Claire was disbelieving. “It was me,” she shouted loudly. “Damn it!” Looking over her shoulder, she saw that no one heard or cared to hear.

Malcolm was set on taking the fall for her.

I am sorry!

Dinna worry. I will be fine.

What will they do to you?

He did not answer her and Claire saw the guards strip him of his sword and dagger as Aidan pulled her from the hall. She found herself outside in the bailey, so sickened in her heart she was nauseated. She had lost all control—and now, Malcolm might pay a terrible price for what she had done.

Aidan let her go. “What will they do to him?” she cried.

“Could ye nay hold yer temper? Ye canna murder a lady in cold blood in front o’ witnesses!” Aidan exclaimed.

Claire hugged herself, choking on her fear. She had wanted to kill Sibylla; now she was afraid she would die.

Aidan was lurking, because he said, “Blackwood will have her healed.”

It was a double-edged sword. “So Sibylla will live to do her evil another day.”

Aidan’s eyes darkened. “Ye ferget she’s as human as ye, Claire. He’ll take her to Iona fer an exorcism.”

And suddenly her bitterness faded as she understood. “He wants to exorcize the demon.”

“She be Blackwood’s sister. She deserves a chance to live again. And he deserves the chance to try to free his sister’s soul.”

Claire could only stare. Sanity finally returned. She had wanted Sibylla to die. She had been entirely consumed with murdering her enemy, so much so that she hadn’t thought once about the fact that Sibylla was a human being. Once, she had been as normal as Claire. She began to shake, ashamed of her own violent behavior.

“And what if the exorcism fails?”

Aidan said coldly, “Blackwood will kill her.”

She inhaled, shaken all over again. Everything was spinning wildly out of control. She could no longer think—or care—about Sibylla’s fate. “I have to go back inside and tell the truth,” she pleaded. “I can’t let Malcolm be punished for what I did—or Royce, for that matter.”

“’Tis what a man does fer his woman,” Aidan said grimly. “An’ it be far too late fer regrets.”

“They can leap,” Claire finally said. “Thank God they can leap to escape if they have to!”

“If they leap they will be outlaws, an’ they will never be able to come back to this time.”

Another thought occurred. “Let’s leap back in time—back to Awe before Malcolm left! Now that we know what will happen, we can convince Malcolm to leave Sibylla alone.”