The Devil’s Laird by Brenda Jernigan
Chapter 18
They rode hard to Balan Castle but stopped at the edge of the forest just overlooking the castle.
“We stop here tonight,” Roderick ordered. The men and horses needed to rest while he thought about his plan to rescue Siena.
He was going to give her a piece of his mind once he made sure she was once again safe. She should have waited for him. Instead, she put herself in grave danger. Then he said a prayer that she was safe, and she wouldn’t object when he killed her father. The son of a bitch had held his son for a year. That thought made Roderick’s hands shake. The man was responsible for injustice to his clan. They needed their revenge, too.
At the first light of day, Roderick took three men with him to find the secret passage Michael told him about. The rest of his men were to circle the castle and wait for them to open the main gate. No sense in getting some of his men killed breaching the walls when it could be avoided.
Michael had given good directions for finding the wall and warning him to take a flint with him to light the torch. In no time they were running down the torchlit tunnel knocking cobwebs out of their way as they climbed the stairs to the door. Roderick shoved on the door and the chest slipped enough so that they could get into the room.
Immediately Roderick saw his son’s blanket, so this is where Michael had been held. Roderick bent over and picked up the blanket and tucked it in his belt. A cold fury seeped through his veins. The mon would pay, but for now, he needed to stay focused.
“Let us make our way to the front gate so our lads can come in an easy way.” Luckily the castle’s men were still sleeping and the guards at the gate were easily taken down with little noise.
The gate was opened, and the Scots swept into the courtyard and fanned out, but many stayed on the outside and surrounded the castle close enough to help if needed.
They were ready.
* * *
Cinge had just crawledout of his bed when he heard someone banging on his door. Blast it was early, he thought and then yelled, “Enter.” He grabbed his pants and slipped them on.
David, his first in command, rushed into the room. “Milord, there are Scots in the courtyard! Laird Scott is there also.”
“Kill them and be done with it.”
“Milord, there are at least fifty Scots out there.”
“So?”
“And a hundred more surrounding the castle. We are vastly outnumbered. Their laird said he was waiting on you.”
Cinge didn’t like hearing that small fact as he finished dressing. He grabbed his sword and made his way to the bailey. He would get rid of this Scot once and for all.
Once out there he scanned the courtyard. David hadn’t lied. The Scots were everywhere, and their laird stood in the middle, feet braced apart, looking none too happy.
“Where is my wife?” Roderick yelled.
“My daughter is not here. She left yesterday with Lord Malcolm. I doubt you will ever see her again.”
“Why is that?”
“She is taking Malcolm to the Holy Grail, and I’m sure he will kill her once she is no longer needed. My daughter is evil and has been since the day she was born.”
“Ye are talking about my wife!” Roderick was seething. His temper was held by a slim thread of discipline. “And ye call yourself her father. Ye have never been a father to the lass. The only evil I see here is yerself, but I want ye to know before ye die that this is for Siena and for daring to hold my son captive for over a year.”
Cinge’s laugh rang harshly. “How is the boy?”
Roderick exploded as he shoved his sword in the air and shouted, “No mercy!”
It was a bloodbath. Roderick’s highly trained warriors were far superior to the English soldiers. The Scots’ swords whirled through the air and arms severed from their bodies now littered the ground.
Screams filled the air as Roderick advanced on Cinge. His knights tried to help protect Cinge but Duncan and Angus took care of them.
Roderick never took his gaze off his enemy until he met him. Their swords clanged metal on metal. They moved as if they were dancing… the dance of death. Cinge’s face turned red with the effort of meeting Roderick’s superior strength.
Finally, Roderick knocked the sword out of Cinge’s hand and knocked him to his knees.
“An eye for an eye,” Roderick spat.
Cinge glared up at Roderick. “You will never find her if you kill me. You will be too late.”
“Ye will never know.” Roderick thrust his sword through Cinge’s black heart. As he withdrew his sword, he wiped the English blood off on the baron’s clothes.
At long last revenge was his and he felt the burden he’d carried for so long lift from his body. However, without Siena, he could never be completely happy. She had somehow managed to become a part of him and he needed her. But how was he going to find her?
He watched servants as they filed out into the courtyard. He made his usual speech that Balan Castle was under his control and the servants wouldn’t be hurt.
A stout woman who he assumed was the cook from her stained apron rushed over to him. “Milord, you are Lady Siena husband?”
“Aye.”
“Lady Siena gave me a message for you should you come for her.”
“And the message?”
“You must hurry. Go to Edinburgh and find the church of St. Stephens. Behind the church is a forest, and in the woods, you will find a small chapel hidden in the vines and that is where she will be if she survives.”
“What is your name, lass?”
“Elsa, milord.”
“Ye will be rewarded, Elsa, upon my return.”
“I need no reward, sire. Just save milady. She is a good person.”
“My thanks. How many men did she leave with?”
“Three, milord.”
Roderick went to find Duncan.
“I’m going after Siena,” Roderick told Duncan and his brother, Angus.
“Wait. We can send men with ye.”
“Nay. I can travel faster by myself. This is something that I must do. I will meet ye back at Black Dawn.”