Page 55 of The Torment of a Scottish Warrior
Dyna tipped her head, pacing as she watched. “Or is it a special tie to John? I think it’s just John.”
Grant found John, so the lad took the bairn into his arms and carried him down the stairs. Maitland leaned over the balcony railing and shrugged his shoulders. “What do we do with this, Maeve?”
Avelina said, “You love him. That’s all you need to do. Love him with all your soul.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Magni
“How are we going to get away?” Magni asked, leaning against Kyla after they’d been deposited in a chamber in a castle.
Lia said, “Fear not. They will come for us.”
“But they already did, and they left us behind.”
Kyla said, “Broc and Merryn took the two bairns first. You know that was the right thing to do. Broc fought four men off. He couldn’t handle eight.”
Magni jumped up from the bed, grabbing his imaginary sword and swinging it wildly. “If I had one, I would have killed Kelvan first. Then I’d go for Samuel and the other two.”
“And remember, Magni. Broc told you to run. You could have gone with them.” Lia sat on the bed and straightened her green skirt out, fluffing it just so.
“I know, but I couldn’t leave you, Lia.”
“Magni, you will promise me that if it happens again, you will run and leave me behind. You know I can handle myself.”
Magni slumped into a chair. “But you said you will always protect me. And you are my sister, Lia. I don’t have anyone except you. I lost Mama and Papa, so I’m all alone.”
“Magni, you have a grandsire, do you not?”
“He’s adopted.” Then Magni burst into tears. “And what if Grandpapa Logan dies? He got stabbed.” Then he picked up his imaginary sword again and said, “I’d like to see that bitch who stabbed my grandsire. Lia, we have to find him.”
“And you have Thane and Tamsin. Mora and Brian love you. We’ll make it through if we do as they say.”
The door opened and in came a woman. She was ugly and mean-looking. Magni didn’t like her one bit. And she wore a gown with gemstones dangling from it. It had long sleeves and she swung one at him.
“What do you think of this, laddie?”
She swung her arm until the sleeve fell back, revealing the stub she had from the injury Broc gave her, still scabbed over.
Magni screamed.
“Who did this to me?” she asked, sticking her face into his.
“I didn’t!”
“I know you didn’t. But you know his name. Tell me who did it.” She leaned down closer, and he could see she was missing two teeth on one side when she smiled. Magni frowned because he didn’t like her at all.
“I don’t know.”
She swung her arm again, and the stub landed on his shoulder.
Magni screamed again and ran into Kyla’s arms. Glenna was about to follow him, but Lia stepped in front of the mean woman, nearly tripping her.
“Little girl, stay away.”
“Leave him be.”
“Get out of my way.” Then she tried to toss her stub onto Lia’s shoulder, but the lass sidestepped her, and Glenna almost toppled forward.
