weeks ago in the dungeon… she didn’t share Niall’s hope that Perry could be redeemed somehow. Still, stranger things had happened, hadn’t they? “Maybe he’ll turn himself in.”
“Aye, I wouldn’t count on it,” Niall said with a frown. “But we’ve got bigger problems to deal with. With the Monster injured, Donal’s worried that the Kelpies will press their advantage — and I’m inclined to agree with him. She was doing important work, hunting them. I don’t know how serious the injury was, or how long it’ll take to heal, but Donal’s doubling up the patrols for safety, and he’s warned all the fishermen to keep a sharp eye on each other when they’re working, even if that means not travelling as far.” He sighed. “It’s going to cut even further into their catches… it might be a lean winter if these keeps up.”
“Better than losing more men,” Helen said, squeezing his hand.
He nodded, sighing. “It’s just hard to look on the bright side. What else could go wrong?”
And as though those words were a cue (or a curse), the doors to the dining hall flew open. Helen spun around, shocked to see none other than Old Maggie standing there, looking considerably taller than she usually did — with an expression of vivid fury on her wrinkled old face. The dining hall fell silent in the wake of her entrance, and Helen took a deep breath.
“You were saying?” she whispered to Niall.
Chapter 47
“Laird Donal!” Maggie boomed from the doorway.
Helen had spent a fair bit of time around the old woman — she’d always known her to be kind, friendly — a little unpredictable, true, with an irascible streak that showed when she got impatient, but in general, a warm person who she trusted. The Maggie she saw before her now was a completely different person. This Maggie was full of cold anger — this Maggie was ready to fight every single man in that dining hall… and if Helen was a betting woman, she knew where her money would be in that fight. It seemed she wasn’t alone in this feeling — though there were guards ringing the Great Hall, none of them seemed particularly interested in tangling with Maggie. They were glancing sideways at each other, deeply uncomfortable expressions on their faces, as though wondering who had the courage to confront the furious Fae woman standing in their midst.
“Maggie, you are welcome as always in our Hall,” Donal called back.
He was on his feet at the high table, his eyes fixed on Maggie, his body tense and alert. There was something ritualistic about the way he’d spoken — was this how he’d been trained to deal with angry Fae? Helen couldn’t help thinking of all the casual comments Maggie had made about how foolish it was to tangle with the Fae. At the time, she’d taken them as idle threats — but now, looking at the rage on Maggie’s face, knowing the power that the little old woman held… well, she was worried. Niall took her hand in his under the table, squeezing it reassuringly, and she leaned against his shoulder for comfort, not daring to take her eyes off Maggie.
“I know damn well where I’m welcome,” she spat, clearly unimpressed by the courtesy. “I want to know who’s the damn fool who allowed the Monster to come to such serious harm?”
“Th perpetrators are in our dungeon,” Donal said, moving from the high table toward Maggie as he spoke. “The ringleaders got away, unfortunately, but my men are already searching for them. We are taking this attack as seriously as though it were upon one of our own, Maggie.”
“It is on one of your own, you daft young man,” Maggie spat, and a ripple of unease went through the hall.
Men were exchanging glances — such an insult to the Laird was clearly a contentious subject.
As if sensing their dismay, Maggie glared around the hall, fury twisting her face. “Oh, you don’t like the truth when it’s spoken? You fools allowed one of your strongest protectors, your most devoted allies, to come to harm!”
“How bad is the injury?” Laird Donal asked, clearly working to keep himself under control in the face of Maggie’s scorn.
“Not as bad as it could have been, I understand,” Maggie said, her eyes roaming the Hall still. “I understand one of your men was injured removing the weapon from her back. The only smart move in a cascade of stupid ones,” she added, eyes whipping back to