“You lie.” The whisper was harsher this time.
“No. No. I tell the truth. I swear I tell the truth. I am an innocent in all this. You must believe me and help me. You bring justice to the innocent. Bring me justice, I beg of you.”
“Liar!”
Sterling turned so fast he almost fell, the whisper coming from behind him.
“Liar!”
He turned again. The whisper behind him once more. “No! Please you must believe me. I tell the truth.”
“You lie.”
He turned again and his eyes nearly popped from his head when he saw who stood in front of him. “Devin?”
“The Slayer, and your time has come.”
Sterling went to speak when he felt the blade slice across his throat, and felt the warm blood run down on his chest, heard himself gurgle, and thought about Slatter’s words to him.
I’m going to make sure that you know you’re dying and there won’t be anything you can do about it.
His words had proven true and so had the tale of the Slayer.
“There are far too many people in need of help for the Slayer to be only one man. The Slayer is not one man but many, sworn to secrecy, his name whispered only when in the direst of circumstances, for when the Slayer is called… death comes with him.”
“Slatter goes to fulfill my request of the Slayer. He will kill Sterling, his half-brother.”
Seanmhair placed her hand on Willow’s arm. “You asked for the one responsible for everything done to your husband.”
Willow gasped and shook her head. “No! No!”
“He accepted and now he must see it done,” Seanmhair said with a tear in her eye.
“No! Oh God, no!” Willow wept. “He goes to kill his father.”
“Get out! Get out! You’ve grown tiresome in bed. You can’t even arouse me,” Lord Robert of the Clan MacBlair screamed at the young lass, rushing to grab her garments and leave the room. When the door closed, he called out, “Good riddance, you whore.”
“Another whore that doesn’t please you, Father?”
Robert turned. “You’ve finally returned. What took you so long? Did you finally get rid of that bastard that I should have gotten rid of when he was growing in that whore’s belly?” He shook his head as he reached and slipped on a robe. “That’s what happens when a woman pleases you in bed. You lose your senses. And damn if I’ve yet to find someone as good in bed as her. Well, did you take care of it?”
“I did. The no good liar is dead.”
“That’s one thing you both have in common. You lie.” Robert filled a goblet with ale and took a swig.
“That’s something we both must have gotten from you.”
“Watch your mouth with me, son. I’m not too old yet to deliver you the beatings I gave you as a lad.” He went and sat on the edge of the bed. “Tell me, does he resemble you so much that I wouldn’t know the difference if I met him?”
“You tell me, Father,” Slatter said and walked closer to the man.
“What do yo—” Robert’s eyes glared with fury and he went to rush to his feet when he realized what he meant.
Slatter gave him such a hard shove that he fell back on the bed, his goblet flying out of his hand to land behind him on the bed, the ale spilling out and soaking into the tousled bedding.
“Where’s my son?” Robert demanded.
“Which one?”
Robert sneered. “My only son.”
“He’s where he belongs… in hell.”
Robert shook his fist at Slatter. “I’ll have your head for this.”
“You’re going to die, old man, by the hand of the son you never wanted.”
“Sterling was a fool. You seem otherwise. Why not take his place and inherit everything?” He sat up slowly.
“Like Sterling did to me, made everyone think he was me?”
“He needed to sew his wild side before settling down,” Robert said.
“You knew what he was doing?” Slatter asked, needing to hear him confirm it.
“Small harm to insignificant people. The fool just didn’t know when to stop.”
Slatter stepped away from him, having trouble believing this evil man was his father.
Robert eased off the bed, reaching under the mattress as he did.
“My mum was right when I asked about you. She told me you were insignificant to us. I see now what she meant. Your time has come, old man.”
He snickered and yanked the dagger from under the mattress. “You think I’ll let you get near enough to kill me, you fool?”
“I already did.” Slatter gave a nod to Robert’s chest, blood seeping through his robe.
“That nick takes a while before it ends a life. You have maybe a minute or two more, then you join your son in hell.”
Robert grabbed at his chest, blood smearing his hand. “You fool. You could have had everything.”
“I already do, and you would have never let me inherit. Not your bastard son. You would have killed me at first chance.”