The Betrayal - By Ruth Langan Page 0,56
into a niche in the wall she retrieved the other torches and candles and held them to the flame until they, too, were ablaze.
She stood in the middle of the room and experienced a wave of confidence. She now had heat and light.
Just then a fat mouse scampered across the toe of her boot. Although her first inclination was to cringe, she forced herself to stoop down and hold out a hand. “Hello, little creature. Am I intruding on your home?”
The mouse stopped, sniffed her fingers and stood on its hind legs.
“Let me see if I have any crumbs from Wee Lad’s meal.” She reached into a pocket of her gown and withdrew a tiny morsel of the biscuit she’d shared with her pup hours earlier.
When she held out her hand, the mouse eyed her suspiciously before moving closer. At last, too hungry to resist, it stepped into her palm and devoured the food.
“You see?” She laughed. “I was afraid of you, and you were afraid of me. But here we are, sharing your home and my food. Now, if only you were strong enough to lift the latch that is keeping me prisoner.”
When the mouse scurried away, Kylia turned to the door and decided to try another spell. Perhaps the one Gwenellen had once used to lift Bessie all the way to the roof of their cottage. How they’d laughed at the look on poor Bessie’s face. Of course, Gwenellen had been trying to make it rain. Poor thing. She did have a bad time of it with spells.
Holding her arms aloft, Kylia began to chant the ancient words. Moments later she heard the scrape of the heavy timber being lifted from the latch. As the doors opened, she turned with a smile.
But it hadn’t been her chanting that had opened the door. It was Hazlet, standing in the doorway, holding in her hand a very small, very menacing knife.
“Grant.” Dougal burst into the house, followed by the stable master. “Gresham told me that Kylia planned to join our aunt in the burial chambers.”
Grant turned, holding Wee Lad in his arms. “It’s odd that Aunt Hazlet never mentioned it.”
“It was hours ago, my lord.” Gresham pulled the hat from his head in a gesture of respect. “The lady Hazlet may have forgotten by now.”
“Aye.” Dougal eyed the wolf pup. “Why not turn Kylia’s lap dog loose to find her?”
Grant thought about it a moment before nodding. “Why not indeed? He dotes on her and she on him.” He lowered the pup to the floor and said, “Find your mistress, Wee Lad.”
The pup stood a moment, looking around in confusion. Then it bounded across the floor and headed toward the chapel, with Grant and Dougal following. Once there, the pup sniffed the stone steps before starting down, with the two men close on his heels.
As they made their way into the dank bowels of the castle, Dougal sighed. “I can’t imagine the lady Kylia venturing into such a place.”
“Nor I.” Grant was frowning as the pup raced ahead. “Had I known our aunt was spending her time in such as this, I’d have forbidden her to return. No wonder her spirits have been so low these many years. Just seeing this place has me yearning to breathe fresh air and see the light of morning.”
As they progressed along a dark hallway, they could see flickering light up ahead, and could hear the sound of feminine voices. Recognizing Hazlet’s, they paused to listen.
“It was wrong of me to lock you in here, Kylia Drummond. You did nothing to deserve such treatment.” Hazlet stopped speaking to look around, as the realization dawned. “I left you with no light, and yet the torches now burn. How is this possible?”
Kylia’s voice held no trace of anger or bitterness. “It is just one of the many gifts I’ve discovered, though in truth, I’m not certain if I could recall the proper words.”
“You…conjured up the light?”
“I was trying to lift the latch as well, and actually thought I had, when the doors opened. Alas, I see that my meager gifts apparently don’t run to such as that. But I’m grateful that you came back to free me, Hazlet.”
Spying Grant and Dougal in the doorway, she smiled a greeting. “How did you find me? Did your aunt bring you?”
There was no answering smile from Grant. He looked from Kylia to his aunt. “What is the meaning of this? Did I hear correctly? Did you lock Kylia in