Page 79 of Keepers of the Highland Crown
“Well, ’tis all in the timing, Sir Brayden, something your captain would not know about,” Holger boasted before she shook her head. Appeared all four enemies had been vanquished. She simply needed to venture with Lady Dagny, Kameron, and the shackled Sir James toward the entrance. Or perhaps she should fetch Callum and Holger into the abbey for retrieval now the traitorous knight had been captured. The sooner they completed this task, the hastier she and Callum would take leave for the stables and Sir Sean before he or whomever this shadow lord was could inflict harm…
“Kameron, he has a dagger in his boot!” Lady Dagny’s terrified voice broke her thoughts.
No!Her feet set a brisker pace before a voice summoning behind her caused her to pause. “Lady Dagny, ’tis a rather late hour for you to be about unescorted.”
Fear gripped her throat like the devil’s fingers. A guard must have circled back. In her focus upon Kam and Dagny she’d missed the guard’s steps!
“My lady, why do you not turn about?”
Dagny’s voice cried for Kam’s ears alone, “Kameron, Sir James has cut his bindings!”
To hell with the consequences! Her feet took flight before a voice yelled behind her, “Lady Dagny, halt!” The guard raced after her. Bounding around the corner,ouff, she hit a wall. No, it was the second guard who was standing there. How could she be so careless?
Her hood fell away, and both flaxen-haired giants looked down at her with a mix of curiosity and tension. “Who are you? Why are you wearing Lady Dagny’s cloak?” the guard demanded from behind while he seized her arm.
“You will pay for this, Lady Dagny,” Sir James threatened.
“Please,” Nella cried, looking up at the guard restraining her, “Lady Dagny is in grave danger, Sir James is about to harm her inside her chambers.”
“You will remain here, liar.” The newfound keeper barked the command at her viscously.
Whack! Thump.Someone fell, someone large in girth.Was it Kam or Sir James? The sound signature called to mind a hammer striking something solid. She swallowed hard. Bone. It must have struck bone.
A scream ripped through the passage from Dagny’s chambers – they all heard.
“Lady Dagny?” the guard beside her yelled then glanced at the one who gripped Nella’s arm in a vice. “Hold her here.”
“Lady Dagny,” Kam’s voice huffed from exertion, “he will harm you nae more.”
Nella sagged against the guard. Safe! The wee ones were safe. Her eyes darted at the northern guards surrounding her, well, at least from Sir James. The first guard banged on Dagny’s door.
“Release this door, my lady!”
“Not till my brother is summoned from the forest beyond!” a defiant voice shot back through the sealed entryway.
Nella smiled. Clever lady. The smile vanished when her captor’s grip tightened. “Who are you?” he hissed in her ear.
She raised her chin. “You heard Lady Dagny, not till Lord Holger Kolson has been summoned.”
Ow!A whimper met her lips when he began dragging her down the passageway roughly.
***
“You locked her away!” Nella heard Callum’s voice boom the passageway from where she was trapped in her original chamber.
“Sir Callum,” the guard who had dragged her here stammered over his reply.Huh, he must know Callum perhaps from previous negotiations at court. “The lady did not state her title nor purpose.”
“Release this door at once!” her knight ordered.
Holger’s voice sounded further away but equally as enraged. “Dagny, remove the board and open this door directly. You are unescorted and locked within a chamber with a peasant!”
“And a dead knight!” Dagny roared back for all to hear.
A fumbling by the key in her lock began. “Give me the key,” Callum snarled, and one click, the door popped open.
“Nella?” Her knight’s face, wrought with worry, appeared by torchlight as he rushed to her.
“Well,” she assured, “I am well.”
