A Warrior's Promise (27 page)

Bryce eased his arm from around Charlotte and took hold of her shoulders. “This is where you leave it to me now. I'll see to rescuing your da.”

“No!” she shouted so loudly that the other women stopped and turned.

Charlotte jumped up off the bench. “I've told you time and time again.” She slapped her chest. “I will not be left out of this. I started it, and I will finish it.”

“You don't want to go where I've been,” John said.

“I don't care if I have to go to hell and get my da; I will.”

“Then it's hell you're going to,” John said, shaking his head. “And it's worse than you ever imagined.”

Chapter 34

C
harlotte stood firm. There was no way she would be left out of planning her da's rescue and the rescue itself. He expected her to come for him. He was waiting for her, had left messages for her, had stayed strong knowing she was coming for him. And she would not disappoint him.

John was the one who finally said, “Let her hear what I have to say, then she'll understand why it would be wise for her to remain here.”

Bryce ran a reassuring hand down her arm. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Do you truly need to ask?”

He shook his head and kept firm hold of her arm as she climbed over the bench beside him to sit. She took his hand and locked fingers with his to remind him that they did this together as they had vowed they would. She was relieved when he smiled at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

They loved each other, and no matter what happened, nothing could change that.

“This prison is like no other; it cannot be seen,” John said.

“What do you mean?” Reeve asked.

“It is but a mound with tentacles in the earth, no more. The entrance is also the egress. One way in and one way out. Every chamber feeds off one narrow hall, and at the end is the chamber from hell.” John stopped, reaching to pour himself a tankard of ale.

His hands shook so badly that Duncan reached out and filled it for him.

He gave a grateful nod, drank, then proceeded. “The stench was so bad, I can still smell it. The screams of those being tortured still linger in my head. The cries of agony from those left to suffer in their tiny cells loiter in my nightmares.”

“Why were you taken there?” Charlotte asked, her stomach rolling at the thought that her da could be suffering horribly at this very moment.

John shook his head. “I was forging swords for the king one moment, then suddenly I was taken to this hellhole, put in a cell and left to rot, to wait—” He shook his head again. “I don't know why. One of the guards mentioned something about waiting for another prisoner to arrive, and once they were done with us, we'd do whatever the king wanted.”

“You weren't tortured?” Reeve asked.

“I was made to watch them torture others day after day as they burned the eyes out of prisoners, ripped patches of flesh off them, and . . .” He stopped, unable to detail any more or not wanting to. “They laughed, telling me my turn would come soon enough,” he continued with a nod. “I would have preferred death to what awaited me.”

“How did you escape?” Charlotte asked, more anxious than ever to free her da from hell.

“Sheer luck,” John said. “One of the guards was distracted when he returned me to my cell and forgot to lock me in as he rushed off when another guard called out frantically to him. I slipped out and closed the cell door behind me, knowing they would not come for me until the morrow. Then I went quietly and, with my back to the wall to blend with the shadows, made my way to the entrance and freedom.” He gripped tight to the tankard. “I never looked back.”

“Do you know the location of the prison?” Bryce asked.

John nodded. “I made special note of it so that I would never go near it again.”

“You can map it for us?” Reeve asked.

“I can,” John agreed. “And I will do anything to help you if you will help me find my daughter.”

“We'll help you, but first we must see to freeing Idris,” Bryce said, making no mention of the spy they sought.

“I don't know how you will ever be able to get in or out of the prison; the place is impenetrable,” John said.

“We could attack the place,” Reeve suggested.

“No,” Charlotte said, quickly rejecting the suggestion. “The guards might kill the prisoners before we can reach them.”

“She's right about that,” John agreed. “From what I saw, none would be allowed to live if the guards thought they might be made free.”

“Map the area for us,” Charlotte suggested. “Perhaps once we see it, we'll have an idea as to what to do.”

They talked over the map until supper, John having left well before that, his da tired and he wanting some rest himself. Supper was soon to be served in the hall when Duncan stretched out of his seat.

“I'm going to get Mercy,” he said. “I'll be back shortly.

Tara entered the hall just then, and Reeve smiled at her, but she paid him no heed and, as she headed toward the kitchen, she said to Duncan, “Stay where you are. Your wife is in labor and has been for hours. We'll let you know when the babe arrives.”

Charlotte jumped up. “Can I help?”

“Have you birthed any babes?” Tara asked.

“Several.” She beamed proudly.

“Good, then go and help Mara,” Tara instructed, and disappeared into the kitchen.

Charlotte gave Bryce a quick kiss on the cheek. “Wait to discuss my da until I return.” And with that, she was gone.

Bryce looked to Duncan, who stood frozen, completely stunned by the news. Bryce nodded to Reeve, who stood, and, with a firm hand to Duncan's shoulder, eased him down on the bench.

“She didn't tell me,” Duncan said, still stunned.

“Could you have done anything?” Bryce asked.

Duncan stared at him a moment, then shook his head.

Reeve filled their tankards and raised his. “To Mercy, a strong woman who will birth a strong babe.”

Bryce raised his tankard, and Duncan joined in though he downed the whole thing and held it out to Reeve to fill again.

C
harlotte smiled at the little bundle in her arms. She was petite, with a thatch of black hair. Mara joined her, holding another bundle.

“Where she is small, her brother is large,” Mara said, grinning proudly from ear to ear. “Two grandchildren. I cannot believe it.”

“Neither can I,” said Mercy from the bed.

Tara had just finished getting her settled, clean sheets having replaced the soiled ones. The women had bathed her, combed the tangles from her hair, and slipped her into a fresh night shift. All was in ready for the new da to meet his son and daughter.

“Your delivery went surprisingly fast for two babes,” Charlotte said.

“It didn't feel that fast.” Mercy laughed. “Though I am grateful I did not linger long in labor.”

“I hope I pop babes out as easily as you,” Charlotte said, in awe of the little girl in her arms. Having been an only child, she had always longed for a brother or sister or both. It was lonely growing up without a sibling to play or tease or sleep beside.

“I was only blessed with Trey,” Mara said, swaying the babe in her arms. “But the good Lord saw fit to give me three more sons, and I love them all the same.”

“Who will go get your son Duncan?” Mercy asked.

Mara walked over to her and eased the babe into his mum's arms. “I will though I'll leave it to you to tell him the wonderful news.”

“Bring his brothers and da as well,” Mercy said. “I want everyone to share in the good news.”

Mara nodded and left the room. When she entered the hall, the men jumped up. “All of you come with me,” she ordered.

Duncan hurried alongside her. “Is Mercy all right? Do I have a son or daughter?”

Mara nodded.

“Which is it?” Reeve asked, annoyed. “A son to grow into a warrior like his da or a daughter Duncan will forever worry over?”

Mara nodded some more and stepped aside after leading them into the room.

Reeve went to his wife, Carmag to Mara, and Bryce joined Charlotte, whose joyous smile brought a smile to his face.

Duncan went to the bed, where his wife sat, a babe in each arm. “There are two?”

Mercy's smile grew ever wider. “One of each. A son and a daughter.”

Duncan collapsed to sit on the bed. “Two? You birthed two babes?”

“And quite easily,” she said proudly.

Duncan finally emerged from his fog and turned a huge grin on his family. “I have a son and a daughter.” Then he got up, gave Mercy a kiss, and cuddled beside her so that he could take one of the babes in his arm.

Congratulations rang out, and everyone filed by to get a look at the new babes before drifting off and giving the parents privacy.

C
harlotte was disappointed that her da's plight wasn't discussed any more that night. Not that she begrudged anyone the thrill of the twins being born; she simply worried that her da would suffer unspeakable torments before she could reach him.

It wasn't until she was alone with Bryce in his bedchamber that the discussion picked up again.

“Tomorrow, we'll talk and begin to plan how to rescue your da and the spy,” Bryce said.

“You believe he is being held in the same prison?” Charlotte asked.

Bryce shook his head as he removed his plaid. “In all the excitement, I forgot to tell you that we learned that the spy was taken to the secret prison.”

“From who? When? Can I speak with this person?” Charlotte asked, popping up in bed, ready to jump out.

Bryce gave her a nudge back. “Tomorrow is time enough.”

“There is no time to waste,” she urged, and tried once again to get out of bed.

Bryce lowered himself over her, pinning her to the stuffed mattress with his naked body. “There is nothing that can be done tonight. Tomorrow is soon enough.”

She intended to argue until she felt him hard against her. And while she shouldn't be thinking of making love with him when her da needed her help, she knew that Bryce was right. There was no more she could do tonight.

“Seeing the babes tonight makes me think—”

“Let's have a slew of them,” she interrupted, wrapping her arms around him.

He grinned and brushed his lips teasingly across hers. “We have matters to attend to first, and, besides, will you be able to remain confined while waiting for the birth?”

“Why must I?” she asked.

“I thought you would say that,” Bryce said, shaking his head.

Her grin faded. “You talk of a future with me. Is that what you want?”

“It is what I've always wanted but wasn't sure if I could give you a future.”

“But nothing has changed. We still have our missions. We still don't know what the future may hold.”

“I've finally realized,” Bryce said, “it will always be that way. Each day begins anew. We know not what it will bring, but we do know that we have each other, that is what truly matters. So there is no reason to wait for our missions to end, for another mission will take its place. We take a chance each and every day, but not with our love, for that is something that will forever remain the same, strong and vibrant and growing more potent every day. I know not what the future holds for us; I only know that I want to spend it with you.”

She kissed him quick. “And I feel the same. I want to wake every morning to you by my side. I want to see your smiling face throughout the day, hear you bark orders I rarely obey, make love whenever our passion strikes, have lots of babes, and fall asleep in your arms every night.”

“We should start working on those babes right now,” Bryce said, and whipped the blanket out from between them.

“W
hat do you mean a week?” Charlotte asked angrily. “We can't wait a week to rescue my da. He could be suffering horrible torture right this very moment, and what do you do? You talk about getting men together and mounting an attack that will surely kill him if the torture doesn't.”

“There aren't many choices,” Reeve said.

Charlotte slammed her hands on the table in the great hall. “We go now with a few men, to lure out what guards we can, and sneak into the prison to dispose of the others one by one.”

John shook his head. “They are too well guarded. An alert would be sounded and the prisoners put in danger.”

Bryce was worried. Charlotte had grown more agitated over the last two days as they attempted to formulate a rescue plan. She was impatient and understandably so, but this had to be thought out and a sound plan implemented, or it could prove disastrous.

He allowed her to participate in the planning but in no way would he allow her to take part in the rescue. From what John had told them about the prison and the guards who took such joy in the torture, he had no intention of allowing her anywhere near the place.

He knew she'd be angry, but she would see the wisdom of his decision. At least he hoped she would.

“There's one thing no one has mentioned,” Reeve said. “How do we know for sure her da is there? Perhaps he has yet to arrive.”

“From all we have learned, that was where my da was being taken, and by now, he should be there,” she insisted.

“But we can't be certain,” Reeve argued.

“I'm certain,” Charlotte snapped, and no more was said on it.

The talking and planning continued until finally Charlotte threw her hands up in frustration and marched out of the keep, Odin on her heels.

“She's better off not being part of this,” John said.

“I know,” Bryce said, his eyes on the door closing behind her, “but she feels she owes it to her da.”

“Give her time, she'll see reason,” Duncan said.

Reeve shook his head. “She's a warrior at heart, and you can't keep a warrior from battle.

B
ryce woke up drenched with sweat, his nightmare still vivid in his mind. He immediately turned to reach for Charlotte, she having slipped from his grasp in his dream and he not able to find her. His hand touched an empty space beside him. He bolted up in bed and cast an anxious glance around the room.
Nothing.
He was the only one there. He rushed out of bed and into his clothes and went in search of her, his fear building with each step he took.

He told himself that Odin might have needed to be let out, but he could not find the dog anywhere. He was somewhat relieved since it meant she wasn't alone. But any relief was short-lived since they both managed to get into trouble together.