Kenn turned to Darach, finishing in a cold voice, “I have nae desire tae speak any longer while she is here. I have nae trust for the daughter of the man who betrayed us.”
“Well, I trust her, Kenn, and there is nae fear for ye tae speak on,” Darach drawled. “I understand if ye have nae trust for her, but I have made my own plans regarding Keith MacThomas.”
Kenn spared her one more look and reached into the folds of his cloak to draw out a scroll. “I brought this.”
He raised the first one. “‘Tis the response tae our call to arms from lairds in the north.” Kenn dropped that and raised the second. “In here are the likely detailed battle plans that I had time tae make in the time I spent in the dungeon. This is all ye need tae ken of the coming war. ‘Tis how we would beat William’s troops.”
Lies. He tells lies.
The voice roared in Jane's head, and she closed her eyes, trying to block it out, but she couldn't. She resisted the urge to lunge forward, instead taking long, deep breaths. Her mind twisted and fought against the power of her inner truth, and she hoped it would relax.
But the more Kenn McTavish explained his plans, the more she realized he was a traitor working for the enemy. And she had to act quickly, or he would use his plan to kill Darach and his army.
She had to tell them even if it meant her own demise.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Three days later, Jane still hadn't figured out how to tell Darach that Kenn McTavish was plotting against him. He was the enemy, and the silly expedition he was speaking about was a damned setup aiming to kill them all.
She'd watched the preparations with apprehension. Darach had gathered his men each day in the courtyard, spending hours under the sun doing final preparations, and Morven had led the team out to the wild to retrieve tons of meat the day before.
Lorna had spent each day with the women, moving from the kitchen to barns and store rooms, stocking the keep to the brim with provisions for the castle's occupants to be able to fend for themselves in the event of a siege. Jane had seen several of the Jacobite uprising's clan commanders ride in and out, seemingly awaiting the summons.
Kenn McTavish, who Jane had often seen walking through the corridors, also prepared the men. She'dconsidered finding a knife and launching herself at the man to kill him on the spot one night, in the quiet darkness of her chambers. She quickly realized that would not solve the problem, as she'd just be tossed into a dungeon, and Darach would still lead his men into the trap anyway, as no one would believe her.
She had to expose him while he was very much alive. It was the only way. But her heart was breaking at the thought of letting Darach know of her powers, for he would never forgivea witch.
The day had only just begun when she heard a soft rap on her door. Jane was surprised because no one had visited her in a long time. Darach had become so busy that he no longer showed up at meals, and they never had the conversation she wished they had. Lorna went to bed early every night, tired of putting things in place, and Morven was rarely seen in the keep. Kenn came and went as he pleased, increasing her worry.
She pulled open the door to see Wiley standing in the doorway. The lad had a look of smug satisfaction on his face as he bowed lavishly to her.
“My lady, sorry tae disturb yer morn with my face.”
Jane managed a smile of her own and waved her hand at him. “‘Tis a pleasure tae see yer face, Wiley.”
He nodded. “‘Tis my last day guarding yer door. I’ll be going off tae war, and for some reason, I wanted ye tae ken.”
It wasn’t just the lightheartedness in his tone that bothered Jane. It was the supreme confidence in both his words and manner. This was a lad who feared not the outcome of the battle because he believed he was prepared, but unbeknownst to him, he was walking to a massacre.
Jane put a hand on his shoulder. “I'd rather ye at my door than at war, my friend.”
He flashed a smile again. “As much as I like ye, my lady, duty and honor matter. Dinnae worry, nae matter what happens, nae harm will come tae ye.”
Jane nodded her appreciation, and then she murmured in a low voice that he could barely hear, “But what about yer harm? If things go badly—”
“It willnae. We're well prepared, my lady. When I'm back, I’ll ride up tae yer faither’s castle tae pay ye a visit, and I hope I’ll get a welcome.” The boy smiled in his genuinely innocent manner, which tore apart Jane's heart.
“When will ye be riding out?”
“We'd find out this morning, at the hearing in the hall.”
“Godspeed.”
He bowed again. “I thank ye, my lady.”
Wiley gave her another bright smile before he turned around and started his way down the hallway.
Jane realized that would probably be the last time she would see the lively lad. He would be riding to his certain death, as would several others, including Darach if she didn’t do somethingnow. She couldn't let this happen.