“Ye were supposed to be abed.”
Sybella paused. “Aye, but I wanted to see the man who tried to kill me.”
“He is a MacLeod, but he will nae speak. ’Tis only a matter of time before he does. Once he confirms his orders, I will deal with the MacLeod.”
“Ye are keeping the man in the dungeon, but ye donna keep him guarded below?” she asked as John and his men returned to the bailey.
“He cannae escape. When my father built the Rock of the Raven, he made certain there was nay means of escape for any prisoner. Ye are safe, Ella.”
“I am relieved to hear it.”
Alex noticed the tremor in her voice. “Come inside. Ye have had enough excitement for one day.” He placed his arm around her shoulder and guided her into the great hall.
MacGregor was already there, speaking with Rosalia and Aunt Iseabail. Upon Alex and Sybella’s approach, Rosalia walked over to Sybella and embraced her. “Ye must be so relieved that the man was caught. At least ye nay longer have to fear,” said Rosalia, giving Sybella a compassionate smile.
“Aye. And I must thank ye, Laird MacGregor, for all ye have done to assist my husband.”
MacGregor nodded. “Ciaran. And there is nay need for thanks. Your husband did the same for Rosalia.” MacGregor wrapped his arm around his wife and kissed her on the cheek.
“That’s what kin are for,” said Rosalia.
Sybella smiled, but she looked tired, worn. “If ye will pray excuse me, I think I need to rest.”
“I will walk ye to your chamber,” Alex said.
“Nay, I will be fine. Truly.”
“All right, but I will be in to check on ye later, Ella.”
Alex watched Sybella take her leave and knew from her wobbly stance that her body was still sore from where he had thrown her into the wall. At least she was not permanently injured and no longer had to fear for her life. She would be well enough in a few days.
“Alexander, ye caught the man responsible for trying to harm your wife. Your father would be proud. I am somewhat surprised it was the MacLeod’s doing. We’ve always had trouble with the MacKenzies, and now it seems that we have a new enemy among us,” said Aunt Iseabail.
“Some of my men traveled to Lewis to support the MacKenzie’s efforts. The MacLeod will be dealt with.”
“I should hope so after he tried to harm your wife.”
“Pray excuse me,” Alex said to her.
He needed to clear his head. He walked to his chamber and poured some water into the bowl. He washed his hands and then bent over and splashed water over his face. As he reached for the drying cloth, he sighed. Something had unsettled him, and he could not quite place his finger on it. It would come to him eventually. Thoughts like this always did.
He tossed the cloth on the bedside table and approached the adjoining door. He lightly tapped on the door and opened it quietly in case his wife slept.
“I’m awake, Alex.”
He walked through the door and closed it behind him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gave Sybella a smile. “How do ye fare?”
“My body aches, but I’m sure I will be fine.”
“Would ye like me to order a bath for ye? The water may help to soothe the soreness ye feel.”
She reached out and touched his arm. “Nay, but if ye donna mind, I shall sup in my chamber this eve and seek my bed early.”
He smoothed her hair. “I donna mind. ’Tis probably best for ye. Is there anything else I can do for ye?”
“Nay, I only wish to rest.”
“Then I will leave ye be.” Alex stood and kissed Sybella on the top of the head. “Ye can sleep well this eve, knowing ye are safe. Donna hesitate to call upon me if ye need anything—anything at all.”
“Thank ye. I will.”
Alex walked out into the hall and closed the door. Sybella would rest, and she would feel better with each passing day. As soon as he spotted the arrow, his first thought had been of his wife. At that moment, he realized that Sybella meant more to him than he had been admitting, even to himself. He’d known from the beginning that there was something special about the lass.
He briefly wondered how John fared with the MacLeod’s whelp in the dungeon and knew there was only one way to find out.
Sybella waited until the darkened hours of the night. She threw on her black cloak and walked out into the hall, softly closing the door behind her. With the main torches extinguished, she could easily keep to the shadows and find her way to the dungeon. The guards would be watching the wall, not concerned with anyone inside the castle. At least, that was her hope.
Fortunately, Alex had left her alone and she had gotten just enough rest to see to the task at hand. Even though her ribs still pained her, nothing would keep her from her purpose. Once she had seen the man in the bailey, her thoughts became more puzzled by the moment. She needed answers. She needed to know why.
She had taken a step forward when she spotted a guard who sat against the wall. Damn. She quickly backed up. When the man let out a snort, she realized he slept. Surely she could sneak by him unnoticed. She proceeded cautiously toward him but had to walk quickly to not be spotted by other men who might be wandering about. She cast the man a hastened glance, and even in the shadows of the night, she thought the man looked like Ian.
If Alex found out that Ian had neglected his duties yet again, he would…She wasn’t exactly sure what he’d do, but she knew that Ian’s fate would not be pleasant. Yet she silently thanked the guard who slumbered because his lack of attention definitely worked in her favor.
Sybella descended the stairs to the dungeon. Her heart was beating fast, and she had to stop briefly to rest against the darkened wall. She took a deep breath, realizing that she had made it this far. It was too late to turn back now.
When she reached the last step to the dungeon, she stopped. There was an eerie chill that hung in the air, sending a shiver down her spine. She lit the candle she had confiscated from her bedchamber and illuminated the unsavory pit of hell. Some kind of unidentifiable muck lay upon the ground. Sybella held the candle in one hand and hefted her cloak with the other. There was no time to study where her feet placed her. Frankly, she didn’t want to know. Her senses were overwhelmed with the smell of sweat, blood, and only the gods knew what else.
Heavy stone walls and iron bars lined what she could only refer to as a center path. She inched her way to the first door and held the candle between the bars. She waited a moment until the flickering light stilled. She felt somewhat relieved that the cramped quarters were empty.
As Sybella made her way to the second door, she gasped when some kind of vermin ran over her boot. Her entire body stiffened in shock, and it was virtually impossible to steady her erratic pulse. She had no trouble hunting animals, but for some reason, rats unnerved her. There was no time to be fainthearted. With an unsteady hand, she again lifted the candle between the bars, this time to see shackles lining the wall. She couldn’t help but cringe. When she heard a moan, she quickly walked to the next door and raised the candle.
She jumped.
White eyes stared back at her from a blood-smeared face. The archer sat shackled to the wall, and blood also covered most of his kilt. The putrid stench from within the chamber smelled of unwashed bodies, urine, and decay.
Sybella stood momentarily speechless and resisted the urge to gag.
“Who are ye?” she whispered through the bars. The man merely smiled and displayed empty spaces where his teeth should have been. No doubt Alex’s guard had removed them.
“Why have ye come here, Lady Sybella? This is nay place for a lady.”