Read Online Highland Hearts 03 - Crimson Heart by Heather McCollum - Free Book Online Page A

latched onto Searc. “Ye are charged with the murder of Sarah MacKinley and Barabbas Campbell.” Searc noticed Geoff, the thief, standing rather close to the priest. The rest of the thief’s hair seemed to have fallen out.
    Elena shot up out of her seat. Bloody hell, the lass would try to step in, say something and get herself sucked into the trouble. She didn’t know how damn difficult it was for people to keep him contained. “Slippery” his da had called him once. He preferred to think of himself as silent and clever. More like a wolf than an eel.
    He took a step toward the constable and the men nearly fell backward on themselves trying to reverse out the narrow doorway. “Let’s go then.” Searc brushed past the constable on his way to the door.
    “No.” Elena voice was strong and indignant. “He’s innocent.”
    That was only partly true. Searc paused but didn’t turn. “Dearg is yours, Elena,” he called. He paused as he walked past Maude, her hands perched on ample hips. “Watch the lass…please,” he said low to her. When she nodded he continued out the door.
    He’d expected the suspicion, being new to the village at the same time the dead lass’s body showed up. He hadn’t counted though on anyone believing a thief. Searc stared Geoff in the eyes as he walked past the priest into the square. The hunched man practically hid behind the cleric’s somber robes.
    The small group kept their distance but relaxed somewhat when Searc seemed to be cooperating. He could end this here, but more would die. He’d wait until he was alone to make his escape, though his oath to see Elena to safety made things more difficult. Even more so now, she’d be better off without him. But he couldn’t leave her alone in the world.
    Geoff scurried to keep up with the constable and Searc’s powerful strides. “I tell ye, kill him now. He’s a demon, I say, completely turned my friend to ash before me, nearly did me in too. His eyes burn with Hell’s fire. Gad! I’m only a score and ten, but I look twice as old. And I’ve bloody lost me hair.”
    “’Twould seem that is yer word against mine, old man.” Searc pierced the thief with a glare.
    “Culross is no ‘hang them first and ask later’ town,” the constable replied to Geoff. “We will sort this through in the next few days.”
    Apparently the plan was to leave him locked up for a good space of time. And that did not fit with Searc’s plan. What if Elena tried to leave without him? Even with Dearg, she’d certainly lose her way to Edinburgh.
    The village was large enough to have a two-celled jail. The constable, a fairly large fellow with a flop of brown hair, held open the rusty iron door for Searc to walk into. So far the man had treated him fairly. The thought of sucking years of life from him sat heavy in Searc’s chest. He’d wait.
    “I’ll bring food and water for ye at dawn.” The constable looked through the bars at Searc. “Ye coming along peacefully made this night easier than I thought.” The man nodded but never thanked him. Would he if he knew that Searc had spared his life so he could go home to his family?
    Searc tipped his head back to stare at the dark ceiling. Why did he have such a dark magic? It wasn’t natural for a man to have the power of a god. He’d understood the good of his mother’s blue magic as a gift from God, but what type of god would give him the red magic of death? Rather, could it be a gift from Satan?
    His mind moved from the familiar unanswerable question to his predicament. He needed to escape before Elena got into any more trouble. Left to her own defenses, she’d likely lose her new gown and the rest of her hair.
    An hour passed, maybe two, as he listened to the skitter of rodents in his cell and the rustle of leaves outside the window. The moon rose high in the slice of late summer sky he could see. Even without bars, his large frame wouldn’t fit through the window. A wolf howled, and he stood,