Gavin, noting that there was blood slipping from between the MacLeod’s fingers. She’d used more force than she’d realized, and actually done some damage with the poker, it seemed. Good.
“Nay.” That word from Gavin made both of them glance toward him with surprise as he continued. “I’ll give ye nothing. Ye killed me mother. I’ll no’ let ye kill me uncle, and the woman who was both mother and sister to me all me days. And I’ll be damned if I ever let ye live in the same castle as me. Unless ye’re in the dungeon.”
The MacLeod’s mouth dropped open briefly at the words, and then snapped shut and he straightened grimly and raised his sword. “Why ye ungrateful, sniveling little bastard. After all the trouble I’ve gone to, ye think to treat me like this? I’ll teach ye to mind yer betters, ye—” His words died abruptly when Conran slid from the dark passage behind him and pressed his sword into his back.
“Ye’ll be teaching him naught,” Conran said coldly as Aulay slipped out of the passage behind him. “Evina’s already taught Gavin all he needs to ken.”
“Aye, she has,” Gavin said with a smile, his stance relaxing.
Conran smiled at him, and then raised his eyebrows and asked, “What do ye want to do with him?”
“Do?” Gavin asked, looking suddenly uncertain.
“Well, we have to lock him in the dungeon for now so we can hold the wedding,” Conran pointed out. “But what we do with him after the ceremony is up to you. We can deliver him to the king to have him strung up for murder, or just keep him locked up in the dungeon for the rest o’ his days.”
“Neither,” Garrick said at once. “Let me go, son. I’m yer father. And ye need me to get MacLeod back. I can tell everyone that Tearlach forced me to sign the will.”
“Or we could ride to MacLeod, ask to see the will and point out that the name on it is Gavin MacLeod, no’ Garrick as Tearlach claimed it to be,” Conran pointed out as Aulay moved around the two men and walked to the door to open it and let Geordie and Alick in. “‘Twould either be deemed a fake, or a will ye had drafted and signed for Gavin as a boy. Either way, Gavin would get MacLeod back without needing to suffer yer presence further.”
“Aye,” Gavin breathed, and glanced to Evina to grin. “Ye’ll help me settle in at MacLeod will ye no’?”
“O’ course,” she agreed with a smile, squeezing his arm.
“Well?” Conran asked gently, and then grimaced and added, “The priest is waiting on us, Gavin.”
“Oh, aye, sorry,” he muttered, and then frowned at the MacLeod and shook his head. “I ken I said that about the dungeon, but I don’t really want him here. The truth is, I don’t even want to think on him again. I suppose we should let the king deal with him.”
“Good enough,” Conran said as the MacLeod sagged in defeat. “We’ll put him in the dungeon for now, and then have Donnan arrange to see he’s transported to the king.”
“We’ll take him down to the dungeon fer ye,” Geordie offered, moving from his position by the door to stand next to Conran. “And then join ye at the church.”
“Thank ye,” Conran murmured, taking the MacLeod’s knife and sword and stepping back as Geordie and Alick stepped up. “Make sure ye check to be sure he does no’ have other weapons.”
As Geordie nodded and started to search the man, Conran moved around them to set the weapons on the table next to Evina and then turned toward her. He was just reaching for her when a grunt made her glance around. She was just in time to see Geordie falling backward, clutching his arm, and then the MacLeod was rushing toward her.
Before either Evina or Conran could move, Gavin had stepped in front of them, his broadsword pointed at a spot between his father’s throat and chest. He didn’t raise and bring it down. There wasn’t time. Gavin merely lowered the tip slightly and lunged forward, stabbing him through the heart.
The MacLeod looked surprised, and then the light went out of his eyes. Gavin stepped back, withdrawing his sword, and they all watched his father drop to the ground.
Evina let her breath out slowly, and started to move toward Gavin, but paused and glanced down with surprise when she couldn’t. She stared at the arms around her with surprise