He stared down at me with flat eyes. “How do ye explain this?”
A frown turned down the corners of his mouth as he held the book open for me to see. I gasped, along with a few others around me who could see the page in question. It was a sketch that I knew had not been there before … a portrait of the witch of Doon.
“Addie …” I whispered in stunned disbelief. What was going on? I’d memorized every word, every page in that book, and there had never been any reference to Addie, let alone a lifelike portrait. Gideon must have planted it.
“And how, pray tell, would ye know who she is?”
I noticed too late that there was no caption on the picture. I panicked, the words rushing out of me like nails hammered into my own coffin. “She’s the caretaker at Aunt Gracie’s cottage. I met her in Alloway. I’d known her for less than twenty-four hours when—”
“And yet ye know her as the witch o’ Doon.” His hard voice sliced through the chaos, quieting the building hysteria.
“No. I mean—I didn’t—”
“Silence! You’re a liar and I dinna want to hear another word.” Jamie snapped the journal shut in front of my face.
“That’s not all, sire!” Gideon’s voice rang over the crowd, two octaves higher than normal. “The devil-haired one killed my men in Muir Lea and yer own brother locked me up to protect her.”
Jamie’s gaze flicked dispassionately to Kenna and Duncan before returning to me. Looking into his stony face, I realized the prince I loved had been replaced by a cold, condemning king. “Fergus, escort Miss Welling and Miss Reid to the dungeon. Bind and gag them if ye have to. Take my lying brother with them.”
Duncan stepped forward, “Jamie, I—”
“Your king commands you to be silent!”
Duncan’s whole body stiffened. Sure that he would protest his brother’s irrational behavior, I watched him expectantly. But the brash prince hung his head, his congenial face transformed by guilt as he allowed himself to be restrained and led away.
Fergus faced me with an apologetic grimace, and I noticed he was holding my arm in his meaty hand. “Come, Miss Veronica.”
“Please wait!” As he led me away, I dug in my heels and twisted back toward the dais. I had to at least try to get through to my Jamie. “You know I would never do anything to harm Doon or its people! You know me.”
“Take the witches away.” Jamie’s emotionless words chilled my soul. His hollow stare passed right though me, as if I no longer mattered. Still holding the journal in his hands, he turned to Gideon. “I’m going to the chapel. See that I’m no’ disturbed.”
Catching a glimpse of Kenna’s terrified face as a guard forced her out of the ballroom, her arms behind her back like some kind of criminal, I set my jaw in determination. I may not have a choice about going to the dungeon, but I wasn’t giving up that easily. Urgently, I whispered, “Fergus, let one of the other guards take me. Follow Jamie and get your hands on that journal. Then get it out of the kingdom, no matter what you have to do!”
The giant’s steps slowed and he stared at me in bewilderment.
“Fergus, if you’ve ever trusted me, trust me now. The journal is cursed. We have to get it out of Doon. That’s what I was trying to do when I caused the blizzard.”
He stopped walking and stared at me for several seconds. His face hardened and I was sure he would refuse. But then he said, “Not sure why, but I’ve always believed in ye, and I’m not goin’ to stop now.”
Tears of relief filled my eyes as he motioned for another guard.
With Kenna and I locked in the dungeon and the bridge opening in less than two hours, Fergus could be our last chance to get the witch’s evil influence out of the kingdom. I hated to think about what would happen if he failed.
Was it too much to ask for another miracle?
CHAPTER 31
Veronica
The more I thought about his actions at the ball, the more convinced I became that something was wrong with Jamie. He was nothing if not logical, and yet he’d jumped to an unjustified conclusion in less than ten seconds. He’d just finished telling me how his mom had taught him to think with the right balance, yet neither his heart nor his head appeared to be in control.
I paced the length of our cell struggling to maintain control and think rationally. I still had hope that Fergus would get the journal from Jamie and get it across the bridge. But just in case, I needed to come up with a plan B.
The echo of footsteps in the corridor caused me to rush to the dungeon door. Fiona hurried toward us, but not fast enough for me. I pushed my face between the bars and called out, “Something’s not right.”
Fiona stopped in front of me, remorse and a trace of my own panic in her eyes. “Something? Try everything. The Brig o’ Doon will be openin’ soon.”
“No, I mean with Jamie.”
“Aye.” Fiona’s soft lilt of reassurance was edged with doubt as she added, “Don’t ye fret, Veronica. Fergus will talk some sense inta him.”
“Fergus has failed.” Fergus’s ragged voice reached us through the void, followed by a scuffle, a moan, and a soft thump. “I didna even get to see him.”
Slumping against the bars, I grasped them for support as I banged my head against the metal. Behind me, Kenna stirred for the first time in over an hour. She’d been uncharacteristically despondent since the guards had locked us up, staring into space as if the slimy stone walls were the last thing she’d ever see.
Fergus emitted a humorless chuckle and continued to address himself in the third person. “So now as second-highest commander of the royal guard, Fergus is committing treason.”
The unmistakable click of the locking mechanism caused me to step back as the heavy iron door creaked open. Duncan rushed in and gathered Kenna into his arms. His disheveled hair stuck out at odd angles, and a purpling bruise darkened his right cheekbone.
Kissing the top of her head, he asked, “Are ye all right, Mackenna?”
Kenna buried her head in his chest, her words muted. “I know how it must look, but we’re innocent. We found out about the witch but we were trying to stop her. You have to believe m—”
“Shhh.” Duncan smoothed her hair. “How many times are ye going to put me through this? Doncha think I know yer innocent?”
“Uh, guys?” Their reunion was touching, but I didn’t have time for romance at the moment. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got to see him. Now.”
With a great sigh, Fergus turned his doleful face toward me. “Jamie’ll not see you, lass. Ye’ll not make it past Gideon’s men any more than I did. They got the jump on me.” His black eye and swollen lip were evidence that he’d given it his best shot.
“I’m not giving up.” There had to be another way. Stiffening my spine, I met each of my friend’s eyes in turn, landing on Kenna’s last. “I’ll go by myself if I have to.”
Ken pulled out of Duncan’s arms. The hardening of her features echoed my own determination. “I’m coming with you.”
Next to me, Fiona squared her shoulders. “Me too.”
Already half a dozen shades of pink, Fergus emitted another grave chuckle. “Seeing how I’m already slated for the dungeon m’self, count me in. Where Fiona goes, I go.” They shared a quick smile that filled me with optimism. They were good people—and good always prevailed … didn’t it?
I turned to the only one of us yet to speak. Other than me, Duncan had the most to lose. If he chose not to go against his sovereign’s orders, I wouldn’t blame him. “Duncan?”
His dark-brown eyes, so like Jamie’s, turned and focused on my best friend. “Aye. I’m in.”
