by Sasha Lord
His face devoid of expression, Cadedryn turned on his heel and left the hall.
As the door swung shut behind Robert and Kassandra and the echoes of Cadedryn’s footsteps receded, the old man rose from where he had been cast and peered fearfully at the remaining people in the room.
“Did I say whot you wanted me ta say, milaird? Will you promise to leave my family alone?”
Morgana unclasped a bracelet from around her wrist and tossed it at the man as Laird McCafferty clapped him on the back. “Yes,” he answered. “You did splendidly, but you will have to tell the bishop as well, so don’t go far.”
The man nodded, then fled outside, slamming the great hall door behind him.
Corine looked at her mother with dawning suspicion. “Did you bribe him?” she asked. “Did you force him to accuse Kassandra?”
Morgana shrugged. “What does it matter? He did see someone wearing a red cape kill Liam; that much is true. Kassandra has red hair and is a thorn in my existence. Why not use his tale to my advantage?”
Curtis frowned. “I brought him here because I thought he had knowledge of Liam’s death. I have no wish to accuse an innocent woman.”
“She is not innocent,” David grumbled. “Why are you being so obstinate? You are as stubborn as Cadedryn. Kassandra must be eliminated so that we can complete our plans, just as we needed to get rid of Sarah.”
“What are you saying?” Curtis demanded. “Did Kassandra kill Liam or not?”
“Of course not!” Morgana answered. “Do you think a child like that would have the skill and daring to commit murder? That would take someone with inordinate abilities and special attributes.” She smiled and lifted her chin proudly.
“Father!” Curtis cried.
“Mother!” Corine exclaimed. “You can’t mean that! Did you kill Liam?”
“I did what I needed to do in order to ensure my daughter’s happiness,” Morgana replied. “You, my dear Corine, will become Countess of Aberdour.”
Corine and Curtis gasped and looked at each other across the room. “I never wanted to be countess,” Corine whispered. “That was your dream.”
“And Curtis will own Aberdour and all of its vast properties,” David McCafferty added, ignoring Corine.
“I will not gain Aberdour, not unless . . .” Curtis stared in horror at his father.
“It will be as Morgana and I planned from the beginning, since before either of you were born. Liam should have wed Morgana. Then we intended upon arranging his death, thereby leaving Morgana widowed. I would have been the perfect choice for her second husband. It was a wonderful scheme. She would have her title, and I would obtain all the properties.” McCafferty pounded his fist against the table. “But that bitch Sarah ruined our plans! She deserved to die!”
Curtis fell back, his eyes wide with shock. “Why Liam? Why kill him, too?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Morgana replied. “David would raise Cadedryn and help him regain his title. Then he would arrange Cadedryn’s marriage to my daughter, only Cadedryn’s life after his wedding would be unexpectedly short, just like his mother’s and father’s.” Morgana caressed David’s cheek. “After Corine had finished mourning the loss of her beloved husband, she would wed Curtis McCafferty. My daughter and David’s son. It was a perfect plan. We would be able to control half of the Highlands and a child of my blood would become Countess of Aberdour!”
Morgana squeezed her daughter’s arm in a painful grip. “Don’t look so stricken, Corine. I know you want Curtis. You have been sneaking behind my back, spreading your legs for him like a cat in heat, thinking I knew nothing about your whoring ways. Did you really think I would be oblivious to what was happening? Did you think I didn’t orchestrate the entire affair?”
“Mother!” Corine wailed again. “If you always knew, why did you force us to hide our feelings?”
Morgana slapped her across the face. “Silence!” she shouted. “You will marry Cadedryn. Then you will kill him. Only after he is dead will I allow you to wed your rutting stud. You should be on your knees, thanking me for everything I have done for you.”
Curtis leapt forward to defend Corine, but David shoved him against the wall, pinning him to the gray stone. “Lay no hand upon Morgana,” he cautioned. “She speaks the truth. Cadedryn must die. His father destroyed my happiness and ruined Morgana’s only chance at becoming a countess. ’Tis good that you like Corine, for ’twill make your marriage easier. You, too, should be pleased. Why do you think I let you spend so much time together when you were children? Soon you can pound your cock deep inside her anytime you want.”
Curtis stared at Corine, his entire body trembling. “Did you know? Did you plan this with your mother? Did you use my love for your own revenge?”
Corine shook her head, then buried her head in her hands and sobbed louder.
David abruptly released Curtis and turned to gather Morgana in an embrace. “I love you, Morgana,” he whispered. “Have I made you happy?”
Morgana smiled, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. She placed a kiss upon his lips. “Aye. And once I see that red-haired witch burning at the stake, I will be even happier. Will you do that for me?”
“I’ll do anything for you.”
Chapter 24
Kassandra sat on her prison cell’s stone bench and stared up at the shaft of light that announced the rising dawn. Dust motes danced on unseen currents, drifting then suddenly spinning in crazy circles before spiraling out of sight. Although her body remained perfectly still, her muscles were coiled into tight, painful knots and her knuckles were white with fiercely contained tension.
She rose in agitation and pressed her cheek against the cold bars over the cell’s single window. The night had passed, a night of terrifying dreams. She peered through the bars at the heavy stones forming the outer wall of Aberdour Castle and her gaze was drawn inexorably to the high window of the master chamber.
How could she have been so wrong about Cadedryn?
A tear slipped out, but she dashed it away. She would shed no more tears over him. She would spend no more nights dreaming of him.
Robert opened the cell and placed a washbasin and pile of folded clothes on the mattress. “ ’Tis time to change,” he told Kassandra. “Moxie provided a clean dress and sewed a mantle for you. She is concerned about how you are faring and knew you preferred to cover your head.”
Kassandra caught her breath and touched the clothes. “That is kind,” she replied softly. “What about Cadedryn? Is he concerned? Does he send anything?”
Robert shook his head.
Kassandra’s gaze hardened and she picked up the mantle. “We were never destined to be together. I feel like such a fool. I was wrong all along.”
“He asked me to guard you. He must care for you.”
“Perhaps he cares only to ensure my demise.”
Robert shook his head again. “He has not left his room. I heard him pacing all night.”
“He let them accuse me of murder. He vowed to protect me yet quailed at the first test. I do not want him.” She tossed the mantle at Robert with a flare of defiance. “I will not wear it,” she declared. “I will not hide. I want Cadedryn to see my face when the flames envelop me!”
Robert frowned and tried to hand back the mantle. “Wear it,” he pleaded. “Your hair is sure to frighten the bishop and he will more likely convict you.”
Kassandra stroked a lock of her hair, then twirled it around her finger. “I once feared people’s ignorance. I hid my hair so that strangers would not look at me askance, but why should I be the one to hide? If people can see only with their eyes clouded by superstition and not listen to truth spoken by one pure of deed, then I sorrow for them.”
A knock on the door startled them both. “The bishop calls for the accused to come forth!” a crier announced.
“Already?” Robert asked as he flung open the door. “He has already arrived?”
The crier looked at Kassandra’s flaming tresse
s and shuddered. “The trial will commence immediately, by order of King Malcolm.”
Kassandra paled. How had events come to this?
Up in the master chamber, Cadedryn smashed his fist against the table, then pounded his head against the stone wall until white spots danced across his vision.
How could he have failed her? He opened the letter Morgana had handed him and read it again, even though he knew the words by heart. You can let the court decide or we will slay her right now. It is your choice.
He inhaled deeply, his blood pounding through his temples. He loved her more and more with every breath he took. He ached to enfold her in his embrace, to tell her that he would do anything for her, even sacrifice his home and title, if only it gave them more time to love each other.
Yet they had threatened to kill her then and there. Otherwise, she would be charged with murder and ordered to be burned at the stake, but at least that would buy him some time. His only chance to save her life was to prove her innocence by bringing the real killer to justice, and he had to do so without involving anyone else whose life could be unjustly threatened.
He prayed only that in the process of saving her body, he did not lose her heart.
Making a swift decision, he left the bedchamber and strode down to the great hall, then out to the courtyard, where he called for his stallion. Within moments, he was thundering over the moat and toward the village.
Curtis solemnly watched Cadedryn race toward the village church. “Do you think he rides to defend her?” he asked Corine. They stood in a guest chamber where they had spent a terrible night arguing. Corine was deeply devoted to her mother, and Curtis was shaken to the core by his father’s revelations. Both Cadedryn and Corine had been raised to worship land and power and had faithfully pursued their ambitions. Now they had the opportunity to gain more than they had ever hoped to achieve. All they had to do was accept their parents’ plans and do as they were instructed.
Corine rose and stood beside him. “No. He wouldn’t dare cross my mother. Morgana will have anything she desires, one way or another. Everyone fears her wrath. Besides, if Cadedryn does speak in Kassandra’s defense, my mother will accuse her of sorcery and say it proves that she is a witch. There is no other possibility. One way or another, by tomorrow Kassandra will be dead.”
Curtis turned and placed two hands upon Corine’s shoulders. “You wrote to me several years ago and asked me to convince Cadedryn to request your hand in marriage. I did what you asked. Like my father, I will do anything for the woman I love. So tell me, do you still want to marry him?”
Corine gazed into her lover’s eyes. She could be like her mother. She could twist this man around her finger and force him to do immoral deeds.
A sense of power rippled through her. She could control Curtis. She could be a countess and become immensely rich and influential. She would be even more powerful than Morgana herself.
All she had to do was say yes.
Arriving only moments before the wagon bearing Kassandra rolled down the village street, Cadedryn swung from his stallion and raced inside the church. He knelt respectfully before the bishop. “Your Excellency,” he greeted.
“Laird Caenmore,” the bishop acknowledged.
“I wish to speak with you privately.”
“Is it important?” the bishop inquired. “A trial is about to begin.”
“Aye. ’Tis of great importance. Something the king will be anxious to hear.”
“Very well.” The bishop rose and motioned for Cadedryn to follow him behind a curtain that cloaked the back of the dais. “What is so urgent that you must speak of it now?”
Cadedryn withdrew the letter Morgana had handed him, as well as the faded letter he had found in the Bible. He handed them both to the bishop. “I believe this first letter was a warning to my father, given to him in the days before his murder. It is written in the same hand as this other note, a note that was given to me yesterday by Lady Morgana.”
“The penmanship appears similar,” the bishop agreed. He read the letters, then frowned. “This is disturbing.”
“In addition, there is a witness who says he saw a woman kill my father. He states that the woman was in red. He pointed to Kassandra because she has red hair.”
“Why has this witness not come forward before now?”
“Perhaps he was threatened, but unless the person who threatens him is imprisoned, he will most likely deny such a claim.”
“Why discuss this with me in private? Why not bring it to the floor during the trial?”
“I have been a loyal subject of the crown and have served her faithfully for many years. I intend to do so for many more, but I must ask a great favor. We must pretend to convict Kassandra.”
The bishop frowned deeper.
“If we convince Morgana that I have been suitably cowed and that Kassandra is no longer a risk, we can draw her out and see who else is involved in her plot. I . . .” Cadedryn paused and clenched his fist. “I do not know if Curtis McCafferty and Lady Corine are equally guilty. I am not even sure of Laird McCafferty.”
“I do not like making a mockery of my court.”
“Of course not, Your Excellency. I wish only to delay the true trial. ’Twill all be in the interest of justice. If Kassandra is guilty, the verdict will stand. If she is not, then this will be our best chance at discovering the true conspirators.”
“King Malcolm advised me to listen well to your statements. He thinks highly of you. I will do as you say, but I will not allow my ultimate decision to be swayed by anything other than what I see and hear.”
Cadedryn smiled. “As it should be. Thank you.”
They both heard the crowd’s sudden surge in noise and knew that Kassandra had arrived. Taking a deep breath, Cadedryn ducked out from behind the curtain and stood next to the altar. Soon the doors opened and men poured in, filling the pews until the latecomers were forced to stand at the back of the church. No women were allowed in the church while it was being used as a courtroom, for females were expressly forbidden in a court of law.
Laird McCafferty elbowed his way to the front, dragging the elderly gentleman behind him. “Give way! I have the witness!”
The bishop straightened his robes, then slowly emerged from behind the altar and ascended the steps. He turned and faced the milling crowd. Raising his hand for silence, he looked toward the door. “Bring the accused forward to face justice!”
The door swung open and a shaft of brilliant sunlight shot across the church floor. For a moment there was nothing but dazzling sunshine, then what appeared to be an angel floated through the glow, her crimson halo shimmering around her head in radiant glory. Then the angel walked through the light and stepped into the shadowed aisle.
Not an angel. Kassandra. Kassandra with beautiful scarlet curls that cascaded down her back in magnificent splendor.
Cadedryn’s heart thundered and he nearly fell to his knees as she was led forward to face the bishop.
“Kassandra,” he whispered.
She turned, startled by his appearance. She gasped and the color drained from her face. “Why are you here? Do you come to gloat over my fate? Can you not leave me to endure this ordeal with a remnant of my pride?”
He stepped forward and grasped her hands. “All is not as it seems,” he murmured, but she turned away from him and faced the front of the church.
The bishop held up his staff. “Hand the prisoner over to me,” he commanded.
Kassandra shivered with dread, her legs suddenly too weak to move.
“Have no fear,” Cadedryn whispered as he gently pushed her toward the bishop.
Kassandra glared at him over her shoulder, then pulled free of his hold.
“Who charges this woman?”
“I do!” Laird McCafferty bellowed. “She is a witch, with the power of the devil in her blood. She flies through the night, slaying those whom she dislikes. She killed Liam Caenmore, then kept his knife to preen over her deed. She is a
witch and a murderer and should burn!”
“Lady Kassandra, answer the charges,” the bishop extolled.
She turned to face the bishop and pressed her lips together in defiance.
He turned to Cadedryn. “Do you have evidence against this woman? Do you have knowledge of her unnatural powers?”
“She says she has dreams,” Cadedryn said, forcing the condemning words out of his constricted throat.
Kassandra sucked in her breath, her eyes filling with tears. “Cadedryn?” she asked. “You do seek my death! What did that letter say to so completely convince you of my guilt?”
He swallowed and turned away from her stricken gaze. “Kassandra came to court to find me and then set out to seduce me with trickery. I was to marry Lady Corine, but Lady Kassandra tried to stop me. I have seen the truth. I will wed Lady Corine and unite our families as they should have been united long ago.” Stepping closer to the altar, he looked directly at Laird McCafferty. “I have broken her spell. I have been freed of her enchantment and I denounce her magical powers.”
McCafferty smiled as he crossed his arms and nodded. “Good. As your foster father, I am pleased that you have come to your senses.” He turned toward the bishop. “I have a witness who further proves Lady Kassandra’s guilt.” He pushed the elderly man forward.
The man looked at Cadedryn, his eyes filled with sorrow. “I saw a woman in red kill Liam Caenmore,” he repeated. Then, as McCafferty nudged him to point at Kassandra, he flung himself prostrate in front of the bishop. “I can say no more!”
McCafferty’s face turned purple with rage, but Cadedryn swiftly gripped the elderly man’s shoulder, picked him up and flung him at Robert. “Take this man away. We do not need his testimony.”
“Have you anything to say in your defense?” the bishop questioned as he peered down his nose at Kassandra.
Hurt, pain, anger and fury all raged within her heart. Spots of black and white danced in front of her eyes and her head spun in dizzying circles. She gasped, trying to draw air into her suddenly frozen lungs, but her chest would not obey. Blood pounded between her ears and shuddered through her heart. She didn’t know what to do—she wanted to scream; she wanted to shout. She wanted to take a sword and send it plunging into Cadedryn’s cold heart. “Why?” she panted. “Why do this? I thought we loved one another. I thought we . . .” She blinked rapidly, trying to keep everything in focus.