A warrior stood guard in front of the hut and she marched right up to him. “I will see Lendra.” His eyes darted to Stiles behind her and she turned to him. “Order him to move.”
“I can’t do that, my lady. It is best you return to the keep.”
She turned back to the guard. “Get out of my way now.” The guard turned pleading eyes on Stiles for help and Elysia went to dart quickly around him, but he shifted his thick body just as she did and she bumped into him. “You dare to press against me!” The warrior paled and Elysia took advantage of the fear that froze him and hurried around him and into the hut.
“Elysia!” Lendra cried and dropped into her arms.
Elysia hugged her tight and her anger soared seeing the poor conditions she was being kept in. Rain fell through the wood structure and the pallet on the earth floor was soaked from the steady rain. There was no fire for warmth or anything that would keep a chill off Lendra.
“I did not kill Deara,” Lendra said as she continued to weep. “Why would I kill her? She was a sweet lass. We got along well. I had no reason to see her dead.”
“I know you would never do such a terrible thing,” Elysia assured her. “It is being said that you killed her to prove Bram innocent of Glenis’s murder in hopes he would be returned here.”
“That is ridiculous,” Lendra said, sniffling back her tears. “I may be a fool when it comes to loving Bram but I would never kill an innocent lass to see him proven innocent. Glenis’s death made no sense and either does Deara’s death. It must be the curse. The curse wants its due and Bram and I don’t belong here. It wanted us gone. Bram will surely die serving Lord Rannick and now I will hang.” She gasped. “You’re next, Elysia. You don’t belong here. The curse doesn’t want you here. You need to leave. Run. Save yourself.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Save the bairn.”
“I’m not leaving you, Lendra, and I’m certainly not going to let them hang you,” Elysia assured her. “I’m going to find out who killed Glenis and Deara. In the meantime, I’m going to get you moved to someplace warmer.”
“You need to get someplace warm, the rain has soaked you,” Lendra said.
The frail door of the hut opened and Odran entered, bowing his head as he did to fit through the door. He stood, rainwater dripping from the hood of his cloak that hung down to just above his eyes that looked none too happy. “Lendra is right, you need to get dry and warm.”
“Not until the same is done for Lendra,” Elysia said, lifting her chin to show she meant it.
“Lendra remains where prisoners remain in this hut,” Odran said.
“Then I stay with her,” Elysia said.
Odran shook his head. “You do realize I can easily carry you out of here?”
“And you do realize that I can return here again and again?”
“Not if I lock you in our bedchamber,” Odran said and the shock on his wife’s face felt like a stab to his heart that he would even threaten such a terrible thing. He reached out his hand to her. “Come and we will discuss this.”
Elysia’s chin went up another notch. “Not until Lendra is removed from this hellish place and allowed to be held in her cottage until this thing can be sorted out.” Words hurried from her mouth before her husband had a chance to respond. “And do not bother to tell me that’s not possible. What difference does it make where she is held as long as she remains a prisoner?”
“I will talk with my da about it and hopefully get her moved,” Odran offered.
“I will wait here while you see to that,” Elysia said.
“You should go, my lady,” Lendra urged.
Lendra had not stopped shivering against Elysia since she fell into her arms. Whether out of fear or cold, she didn’t know. She only knew she would not desert her friend to languish in this horrible hut.
Odran didn’t need to hear her response, the stubborn set of her lifted chin let him know that she wouldn’t budge on the matter. He had no choice.
Lendra scurried out of Elysia’s arms as soon as Odran stepped forward, seeing his intent in his scowl and his striking green eyes.
Elysia held her hand out to stop her husband, with what little good it would do. She was up in his arms before she could protest and out the door before she could say another word to Lendra, though she shouted out to her. “I WILL RETURN!
Her husband didn’t shout when he said, “No, you will not!”
Chapter 26
Odran felt his wife’s ache, her helplessness in not being able to help Lendra in the way she buried herself tightly against him. She could have continued to argue as he made his way to the keep, but she didn’t, and her silence worried him. “You have my word, wife, I will do my best to get Lendra moved to her cottage.” He felt her sigh against him and he hugged her closer.