Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 99206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
He interrupted to correct her. “You have it partially correct, Magnus would return to find you on his own torture rack and he would gladly surrender the map and marriage agreement to save you, thus surrendering himself. The original map would be immediately disposed of, and you would draw me one that would satisfy the king, thus making Dunhurnal land rightfully mine.”
“You altered your plan when you discovered we loved each other.”
“It was obvious to many, but it was confirmed by the men who tracked you while you mapped, they reporting back to me that you and Magnus spent a night alone in a cave. The Legend was now vulnerable and I revised my plan, as I must do again due to your curiosity. I had not expected you to deliver yourself so easily into my hands. You have made my plan much simpler and alleviated my need to spend a night in this dreadful place.”
He stepped aside, a nasty grin distorting his features and making him appear a frightening demon.
Reena kept firm control of her fear, reminding herself over and over that Magnus would come for her. Even when two of Kilkern’s men entered the cell, grabbed her, and dragged her to the torture chamber she didn’t doubt he would rescue her. She knew he would and she held firm to her belief in the man she loved.
“Chain her to the rack,” Kilkern ordered and stood to the side while the men did as instructed.
She did not fight: her efforts would have proven useless, and she would have wasted valuable energy and courage she would need to survive.
“You go willing to the rack thinking Magnus will rescue you.” Kilkern laughed. “He could not rescue his own mother, how then can he rescue you?”
She thought to remind him that Magnus’s mother was his mother as well, but it was better not to enrage an already enraged beast. Discussion with him was her only weapon—or perhaps it was her shield.
“How can you hope to leave here after you are done and not have Magnus’s men slaughter you?”
“Who will lead them once Magnus is dead? Without a leader warriors have nothing. They will pledge their allegiance to me or they will die.”
The metal wrist clamps did not fit her small wrists as they should. When Kilkern’s men stretched her arms up above her head, her wrists rubbed against the metal and continued to scrape as they fastened her to the table.
She could feel her skin being rubbed raw, and she knew it would not be long before her wrists and ankles bled. That would serve Kilkern well, for her bloody and painful condition would infuriate Magnus when he saw her.
“His men will stop you,” Reena said confidently.
He laughed. “Their leader will be dead and they will have no choice but to surrender to me.”
“Thomas will never surrender.”
“That large idiot of a warrior that Magnus calls a friend will be done away with fast enough, and his death will only hasten the cooperation of the other warriors. I will make an example of one or two of the villagers, and fear will then have them obeying me without question.”
Kilkern’s vengefulness knew no bounds. She only hoped he remained the arrogant fool he was, for his plan was doomed to fail. Brigid would make certain Magnus and Thomas knew of her whereabouts and Magnus would come for her. He would rescue her, and she clung to that thought every time Kilkern ordered his men to tighten her chains.
The torture rack was situated so that it caught the eye of anyone entering, which was Kilkern’s purpose. He expected Magnus to lose all sense and reason when he saw her lying there in pain and bleeding.
And the pain came fast and furiously, rushing through her arms and legs and flooding her with a tremendous pressure that felt as if her limbs were about to be ripped from her body.
She attempted to remain silent, not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing her suffer. Then a thought came to her.
She let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Chapter 32
Magnus entered the keep, his thoughts on Reena. He looked forward to talking with her this evening, sharing the evening meal and sleeping with her wrapped in his arms.
He suddenly could not wait to see her. He hurried to the stairs and climbed the steps in quick strides, promising himself he would only take a minute of her time. A hug and kiss was all he wanted and then he would leave her to map.
He knocked on her door, and when he got no response, he smiled. She was lost in her mapping as usual. He entered quietly and was surprised to see she was not at her desk or anywhere in her room.
She had mentioned mapping the dungeon, and he walked over to her table and was surprised to see that one of the candleholders that lined the edge sat on the drawing. Reena never sat a candleholder on her maps for fear of wax or flame destroying it. Whatever had made her leave it here?