“You failed and those who come after you will fail, for there is one thing you have failed to consider,” Brogan said.
Rudd laughed. “You are wrong. Everything was considered.”
Brogan shook his head. “Nay, you failed to account for the tenacity and courage of three sisters.”
“They will soon be gone, each one of them,” Rudd said.
“If the other two women are like Annis, you do not stand a chance,” Troy said with a smug grin. “And you will talk. Torture always loosens the tongue.”
Rudd smiled. “You will not torture me.”
Troy laughed. “Do tell me how you think you will escape torture?”
Rudd’s smile widened. “Death.”
Brogan realized what he meant. “Cut him down,” he shouted at the guards.
Troy realizing it as well drew his sword.
They were too late. An arrow landed in Rudd’s chest, killing him instantly.
30
Annis looked at the bed, having no desire to climb in it, even though she had not fully healed yet. She was wise enough to know it would take time. Three days was not enough to recover from her ordeal. More rest was needed. That, however, was not what kept her from avoiding her bed tonight.
It was the nightmares.
If they could be called nightmares, since she had them whether she slept day or night. It was the same one over and over again. The woman screaming and all the blood, but it never went beyond that.
Brogan’s arms slipped around her waist and eased her back against him. “It grows late, and you need to sleep. You have slept only a few hours here and there. You will not fully heal if you do not rest.”
Aches and pain continued to torment her, but those she could deal with, not so the nightmares.
“Her screams fill my head.” She turned around in her husband’s arm. “I do not know who this woman is or the little lass who cries. Who can this woman be? Why do I have these nightmares about them?”
Brogan wished he knew how to ease her burden, but he had no clue how to help her. He could only hold her and ease her out of the nightmares when they attacked her and that had been far too often.
“Talk to me of other things so my thoughts may settle elsewhere,” she said, resting her head on his naked chest.
“Once in bed,” he said and lifted her in his arms to place her gently on the bed and followed after her to pull two blankets over them.
Annis cuddled against him, her shift a barrier between them. She wished they could make love, but her body was not ready yet. They had discovered that yesterday when passion poked at them. Brogan stopped when she cried out in pain and had since been careful about touching her and he had wisely made her leave her shift on.
“When you fully heal, we will make love all night,” he had assured her, but she had cried anyway.
Brogan made sure to keep her close. She would fall asleep fast, still exhausted and healing from her ordeal. The nightmares would start a couple of hours after that and wake her throughout the night. He would soothe and comfort her through each one, and silently curse himself as he did, for this was all his fault. She suffered because of the curse, and it tore at his heart.
Her even breathing soon told him she was asleep, and it didn’t take long for him to join her.
The screams echoed through the woods and the little lass covered her ears.
“Be brave,” the man said and left her.
She watched through the bushes as the man went to the woman, stopping to look cautiously around before reaching her and lifting her in his arms. Her cries were muffled as he made his way back to the little lass.
Tears fell as she stared down at the woman the man laid on the ground and when he pulled back the cloak and raised her garment, the little lass screamed seeing the woman’s crushed leg.
Annis lunged up in bed, Brogan following her.
“Annis.”
She struggled to get out of bed.
Brogan stopped her. “What are you doing?”
“Please, I must,” she said anxiously.
He did not know her intentions but her anxious eyes had him saying, “Let me dress and get shoes on you and I will take you where you want to go.”
Brogan asked no questions. He dressed quickly and got shoes on his wife and wrapped her cloak around her, then opened the door and walked out into the night.
He was surprised to see Troy standing by the fire.
Annis went to him. “She left, didn’t she?”
“She had to. Time draws near. She must keep her promise to her sister,” Troy said.
“Why didn’t she tell me who she was? Why didn’t she help me? I would not see the MacWilliam lass harmed.”
Brogan shook his head. “Gunna was here?”