“Thank ye.”
I whispered, “Does your face hurt?”
“Aye, Mistress Lexi, as Max would say tae me, ‘Ye ought not try tae beat a man with yer face, Torin,’ I tried anyway and only succeeded in hurtin’ m’self.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Tis naething much, I will use m’agony as the power I need tae get us free and tae seek revenge. I greatly look forward tae the revenge. They frightened the princess, I will make them pay.”
“I like having my own personal avenger.”
“Ye hae me, if it takes m’last breath.”
I turned to look up at his face, it was aglow in moonlight, battered and bruised, but still handsome.
He looked down on me with a sad smile. “We ought not be alone, yet here we are once again, discoursin’ in the night. This is goin’ tae cause trouble for ye.”
“You promised to save me from trouble.”
“Aye, I did. I will, startin’ now.” He chuckled. “As soon as I get these cursed bindings off yer wrists.”
He worked quietly and then I said, “I thought of something, Torin, I was thinking about a piece of jewelry I have...”
He quietly asked, “What is it?”
“I have a… it’s a locket with a gold thread inside. Engraved on the front is a crown, and… thistles… and an ‘R’. It’s very small, made for a child, I think. It always seemed too dainty for me to wear. I often wondered what its purpose was. Mom told me it was a family heirloom.”
I adjusted my knees, which were cold and stiff from the ground. “Do you think the crown might mean some?—?”
I felt him shift.
I turned to look up at his face, his eyes had gone to the window...
38
LEXI
A SHED IN AN UNKNOWN TIME
In the window sat a cat — a cat who looked a lot like Dude.
The cat trilled.
“Dude, is that you?” As I said it, I knew — his torn ear was backlit by the moon. “Oh no, Dude, why did you come?”
He jumped down into the room and walked over as if he didn’t have a care in the world, trilling his head off.
I said, “Shhh, that monstrous ass is going to barge in here again.”
Dude put his paws on my shoulder and began kneading.
Torin petted Dude. “I told ye not tae come the other night. This is too dangerous for ye, Dude. I daena need yer help protectin’ the Princess. I hae this all under control.”
I turned to look up at his face. “Now my cat is here with us? This does not seem under your control.”
He smiled. “Och, ye canna doubt me, Princess, this is nothin’ but some adversities, I will hae us clear of this by the morn.”
I actually, oddly, felt a little bit better, our situation was still dire, but somehow seeing Dude, his familiarity, gave me comfort. I teased, “You’re callingthisjust ‘some adversities’? Weare kidnapped, beaten, and scared out of our wits, now Dude is here too. Are you sayingthiswill be easily solved?”