The Seer - Hildie McQueen Page 0,14

he clutched his stomach.

“Ye won’t be long single either,” Alasdair said and the man instantly sobered.

“Impossible,” Niven said making a slashing motion with his right hand. “I am not the type to settle.”

This time is was Guiles who laughed. “I doubt he is wrong.” He then turned to Alasdair. “Well? How long?”

“We are here to learn if the seer has any news. Not to gossip like young lassies,” Niven snapped.

Alasdair met their gazes. He’d seen into both of their futures. The pair were good men and fearsome warriors. The type of men he admired. However, they were about to learn something neither wanted to hear. “The spy who’s been informing about yer meetings is inside this keep.” He met Guiles’ gaze. “There are two. The brothers.”

It was as if he’d thrust his fist into the men’s stomachs. Both let out a huff of air in shock.

“Ye’re wrong. It can’t be true.” Guiles raked his hands through his hair and then clenched his fists as he stalked in a circle. “I can’t believe it. The Tavish brothers have lived here since babes.”

Niven on the other hand remained frozen in place. “I wondered where those two went off to so often. I thought it strange they often claimed to visit a relative in the south. Several times, I saw them ride off in the opposite direction.”

“Why would they do this?” Guiles asked no one in particular.

Alasdair cocked his head to the side in an attempt to gather his next words so that they would make sense. “The brothers think that by stopping ye, they are saving yer lives. They are afraid everyone they know will be killed if the resistance goes after the Macpherson.”

“That is not their call to make,” Niven growled. “The imbeciles are the ones who will bring wrath down upon us.”

“As far as I can sense, they are only disclosing information, but have refused to identify who is involved. Ye must stop them. When I touched one of them, I foresaw a trap.”

Guiles tried his best not to lose his temper and hit something with his fist as he stalked across the soft dirt flooring. It was rare he went down to the dungeon beneath the keep. His father rarely sentenced anyone to be jailed and when he did, it wasn’t for long.

It was dark, but not overly dirty. The servants did a good job of keeping the cells clean and the area aired out. The dank smell of earth remained and from the corner of his eyes, he caught movement as a rat scurried past. Torch in hand, he lit several others along with lamps placed on a table at the end of the cavern.

Voices sounded as the Tavish brothers along with Niven, Alasdair and two trusted guardsmen neared.

Despite knowing what he was about to say, his stomach pitched, and he second-guessed what exactly to do. This was not something he’d been prepared for. To be betrayed by childhood friends not only hurt but made him wonder if others had similar thoughts to theirs.

The men appeared. Four guards flanked the brothers, who were blissfully unaware of what exactly happened. As everyone waited for Guiles to speak he looked to the guards who’d been informed to flank the brothers for a moment, allowing the men to fortify themselves.

“Lock them up.”

Two men grabbed each of the startled brothers and shoved them into a cell, closing the door before either had an opportunity to speak.

The first to recover, Beathan, the eldest brother, growled. “What are ye doing? I demand to know what happens?”

The younger of the brothers, Kiernan, seemed to know. He sank to the floor bowing his head in defeat.

Nevin looked from one brother to the other. “Will ye not admit it freely?”

The brothers were silent, did not look to one another instead Kiernan continued keeping his head down, while Beathan glared.

“Ye’ve betrayed us. Put our lives in danger for gain. For that, I will leave ye here to rot down.” Guiles met Beathan’s gaze. “I won’t ask the reason because it matters not.”

“Then ye are a fool,” Beathan replied. “We can never win against such a strong army. They outnumber us one hundred to one. The information we gave was not to help the Macpherson, but to keep them from attacking us.”

Guiles neared until their faces almost touched through the bars. “Ye are a traitor. No matter how ye attempt to spin it.”

“He is not. And neither am I,” Kiernan said. “It’s true, they were to mount an attack