Page 73 of Marin’s Promise

Marin tore her gaze from the rider to that of her husband. “Bran, nay.”

His mouth lifted in a lazy half smile that made her stomach twirl. “Dinna worry about me, lass. I can handle myself.” He caught her around the waist, gave her one final, searing kiss and was gone.

She spun back to the rider and found two Grahams closing in on him from either side.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs. “I’m here,” Cat shouted breathlessly.

“Stop them.” Marin indicated the Grahams.

“Aye.” Cat drew back the string of her newly fashioned bow, slightly larger than the others, and loosed her first arrow. It soared beyond the stopping point of the other arrows and continued onward, straight into the chest of the Graham on the right.

He fell from his horse and the rider lost one pursuer. Cat gave a hiss of victory and pulled another arrow from her quiver. Marin squinted in the distance. The rider did not appear in a hurry to escape them and seemed stiff, unmoving. “Wait.” Marin held up her hand.

Cat sucked in a breath. “Marin, I do not think that man is alive.”

The horse carrying the stiff rider trotted closer and the odor of rot rolled in on a breeze. Disgust knotted in Marin’s stomach and something gripped her heart. Fear.

Her father had not come home. Timothy. Geordie. So many who had not yet come home. Could it be one of them? A taunt of the worst kind?

“Arrows,” Marin said weakly. “We cannot kill the dead, but we can kill the Grahams.”

Cat gave the call and volleys of arrows sailed over the battlements, peppering the field surrounding the castle. The Grahams shoved the corpse from its horse before the castle and rode away with the empty mount.

Werrick arrows flew in earnest, no longer mindful of sparing any lives. The Grahams immediately fled and not one fell before they reached a distance out of the archer’s range.

Marin sent a message for Bran to claim the body. Mayhap there was something on this man’s person to indicate his being there. Her chest tightened. Or perhaps he was someone they might recognize.

Not Father. Not Timothy. Not Geordie. The words came in a form of a chant in her mind. Repeated over and over again until they scored her heart.

The low, scraping groan of the portcullis sounded and Bran’s men ran out under the cover of watchful archers to grab the body and draw him inside.

Marin remained with the archers until all of Bran’s men were off the grass and the portcullis had dropped closed once more.

Secure in the knowledge all was safe, she locked her heart in her throat and ran down the stone stairs to discover who the dead man was, and what secrets he held.

* * *

The man’sface had been beaten and his body mangled. His death had occurred some time ago given the gray pallor of his skin and the purplish hue of his lips. And the smell. God’s toes, the smell. Bran pushed the sleeve of his forearm to his nose and stared down at the man. Sir Richard and several of Bran’s men had dragged the poor bastard into the bailey.

The body was one of his reivers. The one sent to bring the missive to Kerr. The Grahams had caught him and had their fun with him first before finally killing him. The bailey was quiet, save the violent buzz of a cloud of black flies feasting on the rotting flesh.

Isla regarded the man. “I dinna think ye need a healer.”

“The priest has been summoned,” Drake said.

“Then I’m no’ leaving until I see the look on his face,” Isla muttered.

A choked cry sounded from behind Bran. He spun around, but it was too late. Marin stood there with her hand pressed to her mouth, her eyes wide with terror.

“Marin, dinna look.” Bran tried to stand in front of the body, to keep the worst of it from her eyes.

“My father?” She paled and reached for Bran with trembling hands.

“Nay,” he answered quickly. “One of my men.”

“It was the Grahams.” Drake braced his feet wide, as if he required extra stability in light of the horror of this death. “This was done with intent, this torture.” His lips curled and he gave a thick swallow.

Bernard appeared, his panting suggesting his haste. “I came when…” His voice trailed off and his eyes went wide.