kill her anyway.”
“I know that!” Hardane drove his fist into the wall, hardly feeling the pain that splintered through his knuckles. “Don’t you think I know that? But what else can I do?”
“I have an idea,” Carrick said slowly. “It might work. It might not . . .” He shrugged. “What have you got to lose?”
Chapter 50
Alone and unarmed, Hardane made his way down the narrow dirt path that led to the inlet where Renick’s ship was anchored.
With every step he took, he became more aware of Kylene’s presence, her nearness. Again and again, he spoke to her mind, assuring her that all would be well.
As he neared the Interrogator’s ship, the gangplank was lowered and a dozen men brandishing swords and crossbows surged toward him.
One, a tall seaman wearing a bright red eye patch, jabbed the point of his blade into Hardane’s back. “Get aboard!” he said curtly. “The Lord High Interrogator doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
A muscle worked in Hardane’s jaw as he climbed the gangplank, his feet quickly adjusting to the gentle roll of the ship.
“That way,” Eye Patch ordered, shoving Hardane forward.
Hardane’s breath caught in his throat when he saw Kylene. She was tied to the main mast, her long red hair blowing gently in the evening breeze.
Renick stood beside her, a long-bladed dagger in his hand.
“I’m here,” Hardane said. “Let her go.”
Renick’s laugh was filled with disdain. “Let her go? I think not.”
“What do you want?”
“I want you dead.”
“I’m here,” Hardane repeated, his hands curling into tight fists. “Only let Kylene go free, as you promised.”
Slowly, the Interrogator shook his head. “You’re a threat, Hardane. The throne of Mouldour will never be secure as long as you’re alive.”
“Then kill me and be done with it. But let Kylene go.”
“You’re a fool,” Renick said with a sneer. “You know the prophesy.”
Renick laid the flat of the dagger on Kylene’s swollen belly, and Hardane took a step forward, murder in his eye. But before he could reach the Interrogator, two men grabbed his arms.
“She’s obviously pregnant,” Renick said. “I might have let her live if you hadn’t planted your seed in her, but now . . .” He shook his head. “Both of you must die. The only question is, who’ll go first?” Renick frowned. “I wonder, which of you will suffer the most by watching the other die?”
“Renick, for the love of heaven, let her go! You’ve got the throne of Mouldour. I’ll abdicate the throne of Argone, I’ll have my mother and brothers swear allegiance to you so long as they live. I’ll do whatever else you ask, only let her go.”
“Hardane, no.” Kylene strained against the ropes that bound her, her heart aching with pain and love for the man who was pleading for her life, and for the lives of their sons.
Hardane struggled to free himself from the two men who were still holding him. He grunted as a third man struck him across the side of the head.
“Enough!” Renick roared. “We’ll make no bargains, Hardane. I’m not fool enough to believe that your mother or your brothers would do as you say. I’ve waited too long for the throne of Mouldour to risk losing it now. The woman dies, and you with her.”
“I beg of you, let her go!” Hardane cried.
“Do it and be done with it!” Selene exclaimed.
Kylene gasped as her sister moved out of the shadows to stand beside the Interrogator.
“You’re in such a hurry, perhaps you’d like to do it, my love,” Renick said, handing the dagger to Selene.
Selene’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think I won’t?”
Renick shook his head. “I don’t doubt for a minute that you will. I’m only curious as to which one you’ll choose to die first, the sister you hate, or the man who spurned you.”
Selene’s head jerked up. “You know about that?”
“I know everything that transpires in the Fortress, my dear.” Renick stroked her cheek, his eyes mere slits of ice blue. “Never forget that. Now, which will it be? The lady or the wolf?”
“The lady,” Selene said without hesitation. “I want to watch him suffer as she dies.”
“Again, we think alike,” Renick said with a pleased grin.
Hardane began to struggle fiercely as Selene raised the dagger and took a step toward Kylene.
All the color drained from Kylene’s face as she watched her sister cross the deck toward her. Cold, implacable hatred radiated from the depths of Selene’s eyes, and Kylene’s heart began to pound a frantic tattoo. She was going to die,