Page 66 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds
O looked at Sloan. “In fact, I thought of killing you, but I could use an extra man with some strength. The lass I can sell with the bairns, but you? I’ll keep you for your brute power.”
Sloan was about to respond to him about selling people but thought better of it. He feared they might leave him behind or put a sword in his belly, and he surely did not want either.
O crossed his arms and tipped his head to the group. “Which one of you is the faery?”
Lia smiled sweetly and said, “I am. I will go with you willingly if you free the others.”
“You will grant me my wish when I am ready. And nay, I’m not letting the others go. What power does the lad have? And is it the wee one or the other one?”
He looked from Maeve to Sloan and then to Eva. The two other men snickered. Sloan was glad to see that Eva’s attacker was not one of the three men in front of them, or he would have had to use his fist on the fool. No one spoke.
“Fine. You don’t wish to answer, then I’ll find out myself.” He reached for Grant, but a flash blinded them all and his hand jerked back. “What the hell! Something burned me. It was like a bolt of lightning shot through me.”
No one said anything except Grant who giggled uncontrollably.
“You wee piece of shite. Give him to me.”
Maeve said, “Nay. Leave us be.”
O moved over next to Maeve and said, “Fine. Then I’ll take you, you whore. You two are both coming with me, then I’ll figure it out on my own.”
He touched Maeve’s arm, grabbing her, but Grant let out an urgent squeal.
O jumped back, the skin on his hand smoking from the burn. “You bitch. You burned me!”
He swung his hand up in an arc aimed at Maeve, but Sloan caught his wrist, and Lia said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The laddie burned you twice. If you touch any of us again, it will be worse. Can you not see it in the lad’s face?”
Grant scowled, his gaze locked on the man’s hand that had stopped in midair. O’s hand turned a deep red, and he shoved at Sloan, then the other two, and all three ran out the door, locking the door behind them.
“I’m never touching either one of them again. Get me the hell out,” O said. “Leave them here until we ready the boats. Then we’ll return for them.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Logan
Just past dawn the day after they’d split into groups, Logan stood on the point past Dun Ara Castle, overlooking the sea, his gaze traveling from the Isle of Coll and back to Kilchoan over and over again.
Lennox came up behind him. “I don’t understand why Sloan isn’t here. He was supposed to be part of the group guarding his own castle. Would he not wish to be on Rankin land?”
Logan said, “He would be if we’d told him what Sylvi had told us, but I told the others to keep it quiet until we got the bairns back.”
“You didn’t tell him about his own castle being under attack? Why the hell not?”
“Because he had something more important to do.”
“What could be more important than protecting his own castle?”
Logan sighed and shook his head. “You are dense sometimes, MacVey. Why did you go to MacKinnis Castle in such a hurry not long ago?”
“When I chased Meg? What the hell does that have to do with Sloan?”
“Sloan is protecting your sister.”
“Eva? Why would she need protecting when she’s at home?”
Logan arched his brow at MacVey. “Are you sure about that?”
“Hell’s ashes! She left? Where is she? I’m going after her. Hell with this watch. I’m going to kill her!”
