Read Online Demon Laird (Legacy of the Mist Clans) by Kathryn Loch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathryn Loch
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she could speak, Aidan stepped forward and frowned.
“This willna do. Ye need more room, lassie.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “But all we have is the great hall.”
Lia lifted her hands helplessly.
“I will see tae it,” Aidan said and turned on his heel.
A moment later, the young lad she had sent for Connell reappeared with five more sturdy lads in tow. She smiled at them in relief. “Thank you for helping.”
“ Ye be welcome, milady,” the first boy said. “What can we do?”
“What is your name?”
“Lachlan.” He gave her a timid smile, but it quickly vanished. “Milady, I fear word of yer willingness tae help is spreading like wildfire through the village. The people are defeating their fear of the Demon Laird tae come see ye.”
“How many?”
“Eight were approaching the bailey when I entered and four more a few lengths behind.”
Lia felt the blood drain from her face and she swallowed hard. “Bedding and pallets,” she said, but her voice lacked strength.
“Milady?”
“Boys, fetch anything and everything that can be used as a blanket or bedding. MacGrigor the younger gave me leave to use the great hall. I shall tend to the sick there.” She paused, thinking a moment. “The castle washer-women, are they well?”
“Aye, milady,” Lachlan said.
“Then , Lachlan, please convey my apologies to them in advance, for I need everything we can get our hands on to bed these people down, and I need it to be clean.”
“At once, milady,” Lachlan replied. He spoke briefly to the other boys, and all five scattered in different directions, sprinting through the castle.
Lia straightened her shoulders as she finally stepped into familiar territory and looked around the room. If there was one thing she knew she could do, it was save lives.
****
The soft sound of a woman crying in pain caught Ronan’s attention. He had just hauled himself out of bed, shaking off his nightmares, and pulled on his clothes. Pain battered him with every move, but the voice made him forget his hurt. He looked around, trying to determine where it was coming from. He limped to the archer loophole that overlooked the bailey and peered down.
Connell carried a young woman in his arms. She clutched at his tunic and buried her face against his chest , sobbing. Robert hovered worriedly behind him. It took only a moment for Ronan to realize that the woman was Connell’s wife. What the devil was going on?
As Connell bought his wife into the keep, Ronan’s attention returned to the bailey. What he saw twisted his gut. Connell’s wife wasn’t the only one ill. Many rested against the walls of the bailey and keep, unable to find the strength to go another step. So many begged for help, in obvious distress, and Ronan recognized each and every one. They were all from the village—his people—and they were suffering. Why? What was the cause of this? The soft sounds tore at his heart. He should be down there helping them, managing his keep in a time of crisis instead of leaving it to his brother.
But he hesitated . The serving maid, Alba, had been the most recent one to run screaming from his room. The terror he had seen in her eyes was a hot barb against his heart. So many now feared the Demon Laird. That was why he walked the halls only at night, unable to remain a prisoner in his own solar. He could not tolerate remaining trapped in one room for so long, not after what the English had done to him.
He paced before the loophole, his heart at war with his common sense. He should be down there, he needed to be down there. But if he suffered another attack… it was only by God’s good grace that his people hadn’t voiced their fears to the Church. He had worked hard assuming the duties of laird after his father passed. He had earned the loyalty of his people through blood and sweat, through shared tears and laughter. But Ronan knew the terror the common people possessed, that he had bartered his soul to the
“This willna do. Ye need more room, lassie.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “But all we have is the great hall.”
Lia lifted her hands helplessly.
“I will see tae it,” Aidan said and turned on his heel.
A moment later, the young lad she had sent for Connell reappeared with five more sturdy lads in tow. She smiled at them in relief. “Thank you for helping.”
“ Ye be welcome, milady,” the first boy said. “What can we do?”
“What is your name?”
“Lachlan.” He gave her a timid smile, but it quickly vanished. “Milady, I fear word of yer willingness tae help is spreading like wildfire through the village. The people are defeating their fear of the Demon Laird tae come see ye.”
“How many?”
“Eight were approaching the bailey when I entered and four more a few lengths behind.”
Lia felt the blood drain from her face and she swallowed hard. “Bedding and pallets,” she said, but her voice lacked strength.
“Milady?”
“Boys, fetch anything and everything that can be used as a blanket or bedding. MacGrigor the younger gave me leave to use the great hall. I shall tend to the sick there.” She paused, thinking a moment. “The castle washer-women, are they well?”
“Aye, milady,” Lachlan said.
“Then , Lachlan, please convey my apologies to them in advance, for I need everything we can get our hands on to bed these people down, and I need it to be clean.”
“At once, milady,” Lachlan replied. He spoke briefly to the other boys, and all five scattered in different directions, sprinting through the castle.
Lia straightened her shoulders as she finally stepped into familiar territory and looked around the room. If there was one thing she knew she could do, it was save lives.
****
The soft sound of a woman crying in pain caught Ronan’s attention. He had just hauled himself out of bed, shaking off his nightmares, and pulled on his clothes. Pain battered him with every move, but the voice made him forget his hurt. He looked around, trying to determine where it was coming from. He limped to the archer loophole that overlooked the bailey and peered down.
Connell carried a young woman in his arms. She clutched at his tunic and buried her face against his chest , sobbing. Robert hovered worriedly behind him. It took only a moment for Ronan to realize that the woman was Connell’s wife. What the devil was going on?
As Connell bought his wife into the keep, Ronan’s attention returned to the bailey. What he saw twisted his gut. Connell’s wife wasn’t the only one ill. Many rested against the walls of the bailey and keep, unable to find the strength to go another step. So many begged for help, in obvious distress, and Ronan recognized each and every one. They were all from the village—his people—and they were suffering. Why? What was the cause of this? The soft sounds tore at his heart. He should be down there helping them, managing his keep in a time of crisis instead of leaving it to his brother.
But he hesitated . The serving maid, Alba, had been the most recent one to run screaming from his room. The terror he had seen in her eyes was a hot barb against his heart. So many now feared the Demon Laird. That was why he walked the halls only at night, unable to remain a prisoner in his own solar. He could not tolerate remaining trapped in one room for so long, not after what the English had done to him.
He paced before the loophole, his heart at war with his common sense. He should be down there, he needed to be down there. But if he suffered another attack… it was only by God’s good grace that his people hadn’t voiced their fears to the Church. He had worked hard assuming the duties of laird after his father passed. He had earned the loyalty of his people through blood and sweat, through shared tears and laughter. But Ronan knew the terror the common people possessed, that he had bartered his soul to the
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