She winced from a sharp pain that struck her and silently berated herself for letting it slip.
Brogan wanted to swear at the heavens, and he did in the confines of his mind. He hated to see her suffer and hated even more that his mother had caused his wife’s unnecessary suffering. “You are in far too much pain. We will stop and you will rest.”
“Nay. If we stop, I do not believe I will be able to ride again.”
Brogan could deal with his own suffering, but he could not bear seeing Annis suffer. It tortured his soul not to be able to ease her pain. This would be the most painful ride of his life and he had lived through some terribly painful ones. But nothing hurt as much as seeing Annis suffer with little complaint.
Annis was about to tell him to talk with her. Keep her mind off the pain that was never-ending when one of the warriors approached them.
“Someone tracks us, my lord,” the warrior said.
“Only one person?” Brogan asked.
“Aye, only one.” The warrior shook his head. “It makes no sense. He leaves an obvious trail and yet we cannot find him.
“Give me a moment, then you will show me these tracks,” Brogan ordered, and the warrior gave a nod and rode off.
“I am going to send Iver to ride alongside you in case you are in need of anything. I may not return before you reach the village. Have Una tend to you and rest. I will see you when I arrive there.”
Annis had a hunch, and she took a chance. “Which cursed lord do you go to meet? Is it the same one you met in the woods at Clan Loudon?”
“You witnessed that meeting?”
The sudden lift of his brow told of his surprise, and she was glad she had followed her hunch. “You did meet with one of the cursed lords.”
Annoyed that she had tricked him and concerned over what she had seen and heard, he asked, “You saw us?”
She wondered over the skepticism in his voice. “I saw you but not who you spoke with.”
“And you heard what?” he asked.
“Little since I could not linger.”
“Leave it that way, Annis,” he warned.
A stinging pain hit her, and she shut her eyes against it.
Brogan warred with himself over leaving her.
Annis forced her eyes open. “Go and do what you must, but first I will have your word on two things.” She did not continue until he nodded. “If it is Rannick, please find out what you can about Bliss. And whether it is Rannick or Odran you meet, say not a word about the witch—yet.” She was relieved when he responded with haste.
“You have my word on both.”
“Then go be done with it,” she said and got annoyed with herself when tears trickled from her eyes. Why did his departure cause her eyes to grow teary? It wasn’t that she had to have him there with her. Or that she would miss him. Or would she?
Brogan brought his mare close to her horse and leaned over to brush a faint kiss across her lips. “I will miss you, mo ghràdh.”
Annis pressed her cheek to his and whispered, “Of course, you will. I am irresistible.”
Brogan grinned and returned the whisper, “More than you know, mo ghràdh. Much more than you know.”
Annis watched as he went and spoke with Iver then waited for the man to reach her before he turned and rode off.
Iver circled his horse around to ride beside her. “Lord Brogan is a far better and more honorable man than I thought him to be. He has kept his word to us where others have not and he cares, unlike his father. I never expected him to defend me, let alone strike one of his father’s warriors to protect me. The village is indebted to him. And now he returns with more men to help us build and also food and cloth so we will not go hungry or suffer the cold winter.” He smiled. “It is more than my old heart can take, knowing my daughter has a chance at a good life now.”
“Lord Brogan does surprise,” Annis said, seeing what a good man he was through Iver’s eyes. “He has more of a good heart than he allows anyone to see.”
“Or people are too blinded by the curse to bother to see his true nature.”
Annis grinned. “That charming tongue of his might have something to do with it.”
Iver chuckled. “It’s possible.” His chuckle turned to a frown. “Or the terrible things his father did whenever he thought someone even meant his son harm.”
A pain stung her so hard and fast, she grew lightheaded.
“You grow pale, Annis,” Iver said and was quick to call out to the warriors.
Luckily one was close enough to catch her when she toppled to the side in a faint.