Legendary Warrior (29 page)

Reena refused to show him any fear, though her legs trembled violently. Nor would she plead for mercy. He was without care or sanity, a madman, and there was no reasoning with a madman. She stood tall and straight and with confidence the Legend would come for her: he would rescue her. She held firm to her recurring thought, giving her the courage to face her plight.

“What of your plan when you entered the keep?” she asked, knowing she gained time by keeping him in a discussion. “What did you hope to gain?”

“Beware the belly of the beast,” he said with a laughing grin.

She realized then his intentions. “You planned on kidnapping Brigid and me as soon as Magnus left to meet with you. You had no intentions of meeting with him. You not being there to welcome him would be an insult and a revelation that something was amiss and he would return—”

He interrupted to correct her. “You have it partially correct, Magnus would return to find you on his own torture rack and he would gladly surrender the map and marriage agreement to save you, thus surrendering himself. The original map would be immediately disposed of, and you would draw me one that would satisfy the king, thus making Dunhurnal land rightfully mine.”

“You altered your plan when you discovered we loved each other.”

“It was obvious to many, but it was confirmed by the men who tracked you while you mapped, they reporting back to me that you and Magnus spent a night alone in a cave. The Legend was now vulnerable and I revised my plan, as I must do again due to your curiosity. I had not expected you to deliver yourself so easily into my hands. You have made my plan much simpler and alleviated my need to spend a night in this dreadful place.”

He stepped aside, a nasty grin distorting his features and making him appear a frightening demon.

Reena kept firm control of her fear, reminding herself over and over that Magnus would come for her. Even when two of Kilkern’s men entered the cell, grabbed her, and dragged her to the torture chamber she didn’t doubt he would rescue her. She knew he would and she held firm to her belief in the man she loved.

“Chain her to the rack,” Kilkern ordered and stood to the side while the men did as instructed.

She did not fight: her efforts would have proven useless, and she would have wasted valuable energy and courage she would need to survive.

“You go willing to the rack thinking Magnus will rescue you.” Kilkern laughed. “He could not rescue his own mother, how then can he rescue you?”

She thought to remind him that Magnus’s mother was his mother as well, but it was better not to enrage an already enraged beast. Discussion with him was her only weapon—or perhaps it was her shield.

“How can you hope to leave here after you are done and not have Magnus’s men slaughter you?”

“Who will lead them once Magnus is dead? Without a leader warriors have nothing. They will pledge their allegiance to me or they will die.”

The metal wrist clamps did not fit her small wrists as they should. When Kilkern’s men stretched her arms up above her head, her wrists rubbed against the metal and continued to scrape as they fastened her to the table.

She could feel her skin being rubbed raw, and she knew it would not be long before her wrists and ankles bled. That would serve Kilkern well, for her bloody and painful condition would infuriate Magnus when he saw her.

“His men will stop you,” Reena said confidently.

He laughed. “Their leader will be dead and they will have no choice but to surrender to me.”

“Thomas will never surrender.”

“That large idiot of a warrior that Magnus calls a friend will be done away with fast enough, and his death will only hasten the cooperation of the other warriors. I will make an example of one or two of the villagers, and fear will then have them obeying me without question.”

Kilkern’s vengefulness knew no bounds. She only hoped he remained the arrogant fool he was, for his plan was doomed to fail. Brigid would make certain Magnus and Thomas knew of her whereabouts and Magnus would come for her. He would rescue her, and she clung to that thought every time Kilkern ordered his men to tighten her chains.

The torture rack was situated so that it caught the eye of anyone entering, which was Kilkern’s purpose. He expected Magnus to lose all sense and reason when he saw her lying there in pain and bleeding.

And the pain came fast and furiously, rushing through her arms and legs and flooding her with a tremendous pressure that felt as if her limbs were about to be ripped from her body.

She attempted to remain silent, not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing her suffer. Then a thought came to her.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Chapter 32

M
agnus entered the keep, his thoughts on Reena. He looked forward to talking with her this evening, sharing the evening meal and sleeping with her wrapped in his arms.

He suddenly could not wait to see her. He hurried to the stairs and climbed the steps in quick strides, promising himself he would only take a minute of her time. A hug and kiss was all he wanted and then he would leave her to map.

He knocked on her door, and when he got no response, he smiled. She was lost in her mapping as usual. He entered quietly and was surprised to see she was not at her desk or anywhere in her room.

She had mentioned mapping the dungeon, and he walked over to her table and was surprised to see that one of the candleholders that lined the edge sat on the drawing. Reena never sat a candleholder on her maps for fear of wax or flame destroying it. Whatever had made her leave it here?

He studied the map hoping it would give him a clue to her hasty departure when he noticed the metal rings in the one cell. It did not take him long to rush out of the room.

She would hear of her foolishness from him. Whatever had possessed her to go to the dungeon alone? He rushed into the great hall at the same time Thomas entered from the front doors with Brigid close behind, followed by Horace, who was barking and growling uncontrollably.

Magnus had never seen the dog so upset and so ready to attack.

“He started a few minutes ago and I cannot calm him down,” Brigid said. “It is so unlike him.”

Horace jumped up and down in front of Magnus, turned to run, and then jumped up in front of him again.

“He tries to tell you something,” Thomas said.

“Brigid, do you know where Reena is?” Magnus asked, though only to confirm his own thought.

“Aye, she foolishly went to the dungeons insisting she had discovered something of great importance. I told her I would inform you and Thomas as to her whereabouts as soon as you both returned.”

“Trouble,” Thomas said.

Magnus nodded. “Kilkern is in the keep.”

“What?” both Thomas and Brigid asked in unison.

Magnus detailed his opinion on the situation and Brigid grew upset.

“He will hurt her,” she said, close to tears.

“He will not have the chance.” Magnus turned to Thomas and nodded for the man to step away from Brigid so that they could talk in private. He instructed Thomas as to what was to be done, then he turned back to Brigid. “I need you to do something. Do you feel strong enough to help Reena?”

Brigid swallowed back her fear. “I often wished I had had a second chance to have helped my husband when Kilkern attacked him. I do not wish to regret not helping Reena. I will do whatever you wish of me.”

“This is what I need of you. It involves Horace,” Magnus explained, then, making certain all was understood, he hurried to the dungeon, Brigid keeping a firm hand on Horace.

Thomas took Brigid’s free hand. “I am sorry that you regret not helping your husband, but I am not sorry that you did not, for if you had helped him Kilkern would surely have killed you, and then I would have never known you. I love you, Brigid.”

“Oh, Thomas, I love you too,” she said and squeezed his hand.

He hugged her tight, then stepped away. “Now we must help Reena. Do as Magnus instructed—no more or less, understood?”

“I understand, and do not worry, Thomas. I know Magnus and you will save Reena. I will do nothing foolish. I will wait and release Horace at the signal.”

“Good, then I go save your friend and mine.”

Magnus heard the muted scream as soon as he reached the partially open door to the dungeon. It speared his stomach like a red-hot iron ready for branding; he took a quick flight down the steps, torch in hand and ready for battle. He knew it was necessary for him to remain as calm and in control of his anger as possible. Reena would only be in more danger if he allowed his anger to interfere, a difficult task knowing she suffered because of him.

His only weapon was the knife in the sheath at his side, but it mattered not, for he would kill Kilkern with his bare hands if necessary.

He rushed down past the empty prison cells and into the torture chamber, where he stopped abruptly, his eyes going immediately to Reena. Her wrists and ankles bled raw from the scraping of the metal against skin, and her slim body was drenched with the pain of being pulled in opposite directions.

“The Legend is here,” Reena said, smiling through her pain.

Kilkern did not care for her caustic warning, and with a simple pointing of his finger her chains tightened. She bit at her lip so she would not scream.

“Let her be, Peter, it is me you want,” Magnus demanded.

“Is this not what you did to my father?” Kilkern asked in anger.

“And what of your father’s actions against my mother?”

Kilkern shrugged. “She was a woman who did her duty and bore him a child. She served her purpose.”

“The purpose being Dunhurnal land,” Magnus said, remaining where he stood and glancing occasionally to Reena. When this was done he would see to tending her. He would wash away the blood, bandage her wounds, and ease her pain. He would do it himself; no one else would touch her. He alone would see to her care and make certain she healed and suffered no more,
not ever again.

“I will not debate this issue with you,
brother
,” Kilkern said on a laugh. “Dunhurnal land will be mine, and you will pay for killing my father. You will pay with your life, and if you wish to save the life of the woman you love—”

Reena ignored her pain to warn Magnus. “He plans on killing me after I map the land for him.”

Kilkern grew furious and walked over to her, grabbing hold of her mouth and squeezing it until it pained her. “You are a brave one, though foolish.”

“Get your hands off her.”

Kilkern turned to face Magnus. “It is not wise to demand of me when I can cause Reena substantial pain.” He stepped away from her. “Shall we see how much pain she can bear?”

Magnus wanted to charge at Kilkern and break his neck, but the guards would reach him before he reached Kilkern, and then Reena would suffer for his stupidity.

“Tell me what you want so this will be done,” Magnus said, hoping to divert his attention away from Reena.

“You are quick to choose death.” Kilkern shrugged. “But then it will not be a quick death.” He took another step forward. “Bring me the marriage agreement and the map of Dunhurnal land.”

“Let Reena go first.”

Kilkern laughed, his men joining in. “You must think me a fool.”

“I know you a fool. Hurt Reena once more and I will kill you.” He stepped forward, his shoulders squared, his hands fisted at his sides.

He was a formidable sight, arrogantly confident of his skills and ability to take on three men and win. And his dark clothes made him appear like an avenging dark lord of the underworld ready to defend his mate and lair.

Magnus took another step forward; Kilkern took a step back.

“Get the map and wedding agreement now, for the longer you take the longer Reena suffers,” Kilkern warned. “And bring any of your men with you and Reena dies.”

“You think I would leave the woman I love to suffer while I submit to your demands? You truly are a fool. And you were even more a fool when you invaded my keep, for now it places you on Dunhurnal property, and I have every right to defend against those who invade my land.”

“You will die a coward like your father,” Kilkern all but screamed.

“It is a coward who shoots another man in the back with his bow and arrow, and a coward dies a coward’s death—like your father.”

“We shall see who is the coward.” Kilkern raised his finger. “And if you take another step forward I will have my man cut off one of her fingers.”

Reena answered. “How then will I draw your map for you?”

Kilkern looked ready to kill. Magnus knew his time was limited, but by now all should be in place—he need only give the signal.

“I will enjoy watching your tongue cut out of your mouth, then you will know your place as a woman,” Kilkern said through gritted teeth.

That was enough for Magnus to hear; he looked to Reena and gave her a barely noticeable nod. Then, in a strong, resounding voice, he said, “I love you.”

She understood and waited for all hell to break loose.

It did, though far differently than she would have imagined.

Horace led the attack, racing into the room growling, his teeth bared. The large dog leaped over Reena and straight for the man who had been causing her pain, going for his throat and knocking him to the ground. Reena heard the man’s screams and Horace’s snarls. He sounded as though he was tearing the man in two.

Thomas was quick to launch himself at the other man, wrestling him to the ground.

Reena quickly looked to see if Magnus was safe, and her eyes widened in fright. Magnus and Kilkern circled each other, knives in hand, preparing to battle.

“I am going to enjoy killing you as much as my father enjoyed killing your father,” Kilkern said with a confident grin.

“It appropriately ends here, Peter. You die where your father died and by my hands.”

Kilkern laughed like a madman and beckoned Magnus with his knife. “Come, let us see who dies this day.”

Both men were skillful fighters, and Reena watched in fear as they launched themselves repeatedly at each other, both striking blows that tore garments but did not puncture the skin.

Thomas was quick to release her from her chains after knocking his opponent unconscious, and Horace kept a snarling guard over his prisoner.

Reena was in no condition to move, though Thomas assisted her in her struggle to sit up to watch the man she loved fight for his and her lives.

Kilkern did not fight fairly, though Magnus instinctively knew his every move and blocked several blows. Kilkern grew frustrated with his useless attempts and lashed out at Magnus, missing his target.

After several moments it was obvious that Magnus toyed with Kilkern, and the man’s anger grew to a rage. The more Magnus inflamed that rage, the more careless Kilkern became until it was evident that Magnus need only reach out and end the battle.

But he did not. He toyed with Kilkern like a cat with a mouse, letting him think he had a chance, then showing him he had none. He was trapped and would die when Magnus so chose.

“For my mother,” Magnus said after slicing his cheek.

Kilkern grew more enraged. “Worthless whore.”

Magnus remained in control and lashed out again, slicing his other cheek. “For my grandfather.”

Kilkern grabbed for his face, the blood smearing on his hand. He gritted his teeth and raised his weapon. “You will pay.”

With a slice of his knife so fast that Reena did not see it, Magnus cut across Kilkern’s chest.

“For Reena,” Magnus said.

Stunned, Kilkern looked down at his chest and the blood that seeped into his white shirt. For a brief moment fear raced across his face. Then his face turned bright red as though his rage boiled over, and he launched himself at Magnus, knocking Magnus’s knife from his hand.

Reena’s heart stopped beating and her breath caught, and in that brief moment Magnus grabbed Kilkern by the wrist, shook the knife loose, twisted him around, and slipped his arm around Kilkern’s neck.

“This is for my father.” He snapped Kilkern’s neck with ease and let him drop to the ground.

Magnus did not waste a second glance on the dead man; he walked directly to Reena, though he spoke to Thomas. “Get rid of the stench.”

“With pleasure,” Thomas said and turned his attention to the two prisoners.

Magnus said nothing. He gently picked up Reena and cradled her as tenderly as he could, though he knew from her pained expression it was not tender enough. He cursed beneath his breath and took her out of the dungeon and up to his bedchamber, where Brigid waited with Old Margaret.

Tears came fast to Brigid’s eyes, but Old Margaret was ready to heal when she saw Reena’s bleeding wrists and ankles.

Magnus placed Reena carefully on the bed. Before the two women could reach her side, he announced, “I will not be needing your services. I will tend to Reena myself.”

Brigid attempted to protest, but Old Margaret placed a gentle hand on her arm.

“He needs to do this, let him be.”

The two women left, promising to check on Reena later.

After locking the door and ridding himself of his shirt, Magnus returned to the bed. With a gentle touch he began to cleanse Reena’s wounds. He was grateful he had all he needed at hand, the two women having prepared well for Reena’s needs. A pitcher of fresh water, a bowl, a crock of salve and clean cloths to wrap her wounds were at his fingertips.

He would make certain she healed, seeing to her every need, helping to ease her pain and making sure she suffered no more. He was, however, not prepared for her tears. They cut at his heart.

He dropped the cloth into the bowl of water and carefully took her small hand in his. “I am so sorry, Ree, for not reaching you sooner, for you having to suffer for me. When I saw you there on the rack I thought my heart would split in two and I thought I would go mad.”