Page 110 of Bride of Mist
“Sorry, lass,” Gaufrid decided, nodding to the maidservant. “Your sacrifice will be noted.”
The lass stifled a sob.
Incredulous fury sizzled through Feiyan like a molten sword plunged into icy water. She’d thought Dougal a monster. But here was the real monster of Darragh. A laird who would casually and callously let the meekest member of his clan die for him.
She had no qualms now about ending his life. No remorse. No hesitation. She should have killed them all when she had the chance. Slain the three swine when she first walked into the chamber.
Now she had no choice but to surrender her hostage. After all, she wasn’t about to murder an innocent lass.
She needed a more formidable hostage.
She released the maid and gave her a quick push out of the way. Then she faced the three brutes with her small and elegantbishou,which seemed pathetically powerless against the pair of folded steel swords they now wielded. Especially when the boar decided to disparage her weapon.
“What’s that? Your embroidery needle?” He guffawed.
The wolf looked along the sharp edge of theduandao.“Thisis a keen weapon, though,” he remarked. “Probably slice a man into neat ribbons.”
“Or a woman,” the boar said.
“We’ll see.”
“Wait,” Gaufrid said. “She knows where Dougal is.”
“So?” the boar asked. “I’m thinkin’ she killed him.”
The maidservant, cowering beside the bed, gasped.
“Maybe.” The wolf nodded. “Maybe that’s how she got his plaid.”
Gaufrid shook his head. “He’s not dead.”
“Ye don’t know that, m’laird,” the boar argued.
The wolf sneered. “She could have murdered him and left him by the side o’ the road.”
The maid let out a soft sob.
“He’s not dead, I tell ye,” Gaufrid said. “Do ye think this scrap of a—”
If stealth was Feiyan’s best asset, surprise was a close second. Before he could even finish his sentence, she sprang forward with thebishou.
She meant to press the point against Gaufrid’s throat, to hold off the others by threatening the life of their laird. They might be willing to throw away a maidservant’s life. But surely they wouldn’t sacrifice the Laird of Darragh.
Unfortunately, Gaufrid’s instinct for self-preservation was keen. With a squeak, he dodged aside. The point of thebishougrazed the side of his neck.
Knowing she had just one more chance before the Fortanachs came at her with her owndao,she drew back thebishouand prepared to try again.
Out of nowhere, something struck the back of Feiyan’s head with a thud. Shards of bright lightning shot out and rapidly faded. Time crept to a halt as the day slowly dimmed around her and a dull throbbing began in her skull. Thebishoudropped from her nerveless fingers. Stunned, she reeled sideways. The room spun as she began to collapse.
The last thing Feiyan glimpsed was the blanched face of the maidservant, still holding aloft the heavy steel chamberpot.
Then she slipped into darkness.
Chapter 28
The moment Dougal mac Darragh rode out of sight, leaving the Ayr Arms to look for Feiyan, Adam turned to Gellir.
“I don’t trust him.”
