Page 117 of Luthias

“I came alone, as you bid me,” he called out. “Release my lady now.”

“I’m here. I’m okay.” Emery came rushing toward him, hurling herself into his arms. “Don’t kill him.”

Luthias allowed himself a moment to hold her, and kissed the top of her head before he looked all over her.

“I cannae promise that.” He pushed her behind him and in a louder voice said, “Show yourself, Carack.”

A tall, hooded figure came out to stand before him, his sword also ready.

“I sent the white dove, and gave you my bond. I didnae lie.” Callum pulled back his hood and gestured at Emery. “The lady shall tell you how we’ve both been made fools.”

He had the chance to end his rival, who surely deserved it for taking his woman. No better opportunity would come to strike such a decisive blow against the Carack. He had not asked nor accepted Callum’s offer of peace, and he stood on his land. He had not broken the truce, the Carack laird had.

Even as Luthias thought all of this, and burned with the fury demanding he avenge what his lady had endured these last hours, he had to think of the clan. The killing would not end with Callum. Dozens, even hundreds of his brothers would die at the hands of the Carack when they came to seek vengeance for the death of their laird, broken truce or not.

Luthias looked at his woman. In the sweet, clear honesty of her eyes he saw his only choice. “Tell me.”

“Someone killed Lord Carack’s jewel-setter, and tried to frame you for her death by making it look as if she’d committed suicide,” she said, and then quickly related everything he had not known about Athdara Martin, the contents of the forged scroll, and how the woman had actually died. “From the dye powder and straw fragments I found under her fingernails during my examination of the body, I believe at one point she was inside this barn. She may even have been killed here. There may be evidence inside that will tell us who’s behind all this.”

“Aye, or the bastart even now hides within,” Luthias said. “I’ll take Emery back to Dun Lasair, and return to search the place with my men. I’ll send word to you of what we find.”

“We’ll search it now, together, with the lass,” Callum countered. “’Tis her eyes we need, and my clan willnae believe the word of a MacRoss.”

“He’s right,” Emery said. “You don’t know what to look for, but I do. If both of you are with me, then no one can accuse the other side of deceit. This only works if we work as a team.”

Luthias regarded the Carack laird for a long moment. “You wish me to join forces with the fack who stole you from me?”

“Aye, for someone tortured and killed my woman on your land,” Callum said. “Do we act the fools this bastart reckons us, or shall we make him pay?”

He wanted to beat the other man senseless, but instead he sheathed his sword. “We shall look first.” To Emery he said, “You stay by the door until we ken ’tis empty.”

“Wait.” Callum took out two blue coldfire orbs, and handed one to Luthias. “’Tis dark inside.”

As they went inside Luthias smelled the old, musty straw that covered the dirt floor. The fainter scents of the dyes used in the vats––sweet, earthy madder root and the sharper, green smell of dandelion flowers––still lingered in the air. The shearers and vassals who used the barn had not yet begun their work, so aside from the water troughs, kettles, coils of rope and drying racks the interior stood empty. It seemed obvious that no one had been inside the place for some time.

“The lady came to no harm at my stronghold,” Callum said as they stood inspecting the room. His stance changed, and the muscles in his arms bulged. “I give you my word.”

“’Twas a cowardly facking thing to do, using my woman to strike at me,” Luthias said, kicking aside a crate.

“Don’t do that,” Emery called from the doorway. “You could be destroying evidence.”

Callum shook his head. “Even now she issues orders to the lairds of two clans.”

Luthias glanced down and reached out to stop Callum from taking another step. “There, on the ground. Madder root powder.”

“Twas what your lady found under Athdara’s nails,” the other man muttered without bothering to look. “Do you see a water barrel?”

“No.” Long ago he’d heard a rumor about the Carack laird being so afraid of the dark that he kept his stronghold lit with torches throughout the night. Now he realized it wasn’t fear that was making him so tense. “You’ve night blindness.”

Callum swore under his breath before he said, “Aye. It afflicts only me, so scheming an attack on Dun Deigh after dark, ’twould be foolish.”

“I sink as a stone in water of any measure,” Luthias told him. As the other man gave him a surprised look, he added, “I’ve guessed your weakness. ’Tis but fair you ken my own.”

“Can I come in now?” Emery called, sounding impatient.

“Aye, my lady,” Callum said before Luthias could tell her no. “’Tis no one here.”

As soon as she joined them Luthias took hold of her hand. “You dinnae leave my side for a moment.”