Wrath wormed through the man’s expression, reflected by the other who’d first asked her about the missing woman. They were clearly brothers, and Willow’s terror doubled down as she considered what could face her sister if these men attacked the castle.
Protect Lilith. Ye must protect Lilith.
“Ye will unhand me, sir. I’ve nae the information ye seek, and a penalty greater than ye can imagine will find ye should ye keep me men and me from our destination. Me brother will see fit to that.”
The enemy considered her, and Willow called on every ounce of venom she possessed to maintain the scowl on her face. Magnuswouldn’t care a lick what these men did to her. Still, her best chance to protect everyone here and Lilith at the castle was if they believed that the laird would deliver profound retribution were she harmed.
“Brother?” The man standing in front of her asked, his attention pinned to the man who held her arm.
So, I was correct.
“I’m liable to believe her, Damon. She isnae a good liar.” Willow wanted to rebuff, but the use of doing so was below nothing.
“Then we take her and kill the rest.”
Her stomach clenched, Willow’s pulse reaching the heavens. As her mouth fell open, the words of protest soared to the tip of her tongue. They could not arm these men.
“Ye—”
“We willnae kill them all, Damon.” Relief washed through Willow, and she sagged in the man’s grip as he faced her men. “There must be at leastoneleft standing to deliver the message of the lady’s capture. And he shall only need to be able to speak, nae walk.”
Her eyes shot to the man who held her wrist in his iron hold. He stared at her men, the fires of wrath burning behind hisblue irises. The Brahanne man would surely murder them all for simply being with her and a member of clan McCallum.
Willow’s eyes went to Finley, bleeding from his head and slumping forward as a sword sat level with his neck.No, no, no. This cannae be…
“Watch her.” The unnamed man dropped her wrist as he spoke to Damon, drawing his sword as he stepped forward across the field. “Daenae let her run.”
“Nay! Stop!”
The whole of those gathered halted and turned in her direction. Willow reached out toward her captor, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Swallowing, she forced down the horror and panic that threatened to drown her and took a step toward the largest man, the one clearly the leader of this group.
“Daenae harm them. I will go with ye—willingly.” The dark giant eyed her, relaxing his sword arm just a hair. “I ken ye wish to bring me with ye. Ye have plans for me. I will go with ye should ye promise to leave me men unharmed.”
“Willow, ye cannae do this!” Finley shouted, but she didn’t flinch or dare look at him, keeping her stare pinned to the dark Brahanne warrior.
“A promise,” she continued. “And another that should ye harm those men, that I will make yer life a living hell at every turn. Iwill kick. I will scream. I willnae give ye a moment of peace for the remainder of me days. And should I find the opportunity, I assure ye that I will ensure ye suffer the same fate as those men.”
Damon scoffed to her left, chuckling so darkly that it made Willow’s spine tingle with dread. “Ye cannae take this whelp in earnest, Keegan. Let us be done with this.”
So, it is Keegan, then.
Willow stood firmly as Keegan regarded her, his gaze unwavering as he took in her words. She held a dark chamber locked behind her heart at all times, hidden away by the sunny countenance that she wore like armor. Now, she let that abyssal void slip forward, shadowing every bit of her with the pain and fury that she had held onto for decades.
Ye willnae kill these men.
In a slow approach, Keegan crossed the grass. The long moments hung like weights over her until the man stood inches from her. Willow did not move, buckling down all the more. While Keegan said nothing, the severity that swelled behind the man’s strikingly blue eyes leveled at her with the force of an ax swing.
She was forced to swallow as Keegan studied her, and something stirred in her blood that replaced the ice with fire. It was alien and strange, and Willow silently reeled as it beat stronger with each passing moment.
And then he offered a single nod.
A flicker of relief touched her, and the breath slowly slid from Willow’s lips. Keegan, who certainly must be the Brahanne man-at-arms for the way he commanded those around him, looked past her toward Damon and the other men she’d seen in the distance just past him.
“Immobilize the guards but leave them otherwise unharmed. We willnae be followed.”
“Ye cannae be serious, Keegan!” Damon’s frustration was plain, but Willow dared not break the eye contact she still held with his brother.
“Move,” Keegan ordered.