Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Where are they? Where are my sisters?” Elsie screamed at him and went to attack him again.
An arm suddenly hooked around her waist, lifting her off the ground, and swung her away from the monk.
“Let me go! Let me go!” she yelled, shoving at the arm that felt like a shackle.
“Enough!” Cavell ordered, keeping hold of her. “We will learn nothing this way.”
Elsie stopped struggling and cast a vicious glare at the monk that had him blessing himself. “If my sisters are dead, I will see that you meet their fate.”
“They are not dead,” a woman’s weak voice said through a cough. “Water, please.”
“Let me help her,” Elsie said, shoving at her husband’s arm.
“Leave the monks to me,” he ordered and released her.
When she rushed toward the monks, Cavell went after her, but stopped when he saw her snatch the bucket of water sitting nearby them. She went to the woman, stopping briefly, her eyes suddenly filled with sorrow, and he followed her glance to see several dead bodies laid out beside each other.
Elsie crouched down in front of the woman, familiar with her. Her aged face was marred with grime and sweat, and ashes clung to her gray hair. “Drink slowly, Edith.”
Edith nodded, her hand trembling as she scooped up the water to bring to her mouth and coughed after drinking it. She stopped before scooping up another handful. “Leora escaped not long after you and she promised that you or she would return and free us.”
Relief twisted in her chest, and she went to ask about Sky but saw that Edith was staring at the dead bodies.
“They were forced to help put out the fire, but it was useless. There was no stopping it. It was as if the old god, Belenus, rose in anger to devour and destroy the abbey with his tongue of fire.” Edith shivered as she cast an anxious glance around and kept her voice low when she said, “Please. Please don’t leave me here with them. Please take me with you. I do not eat much, and I will do my share. I am a wise midwife. I have delivered many bairns. Please. Please do not leave me here, I beg you.”
“You have my word, Edith. I will not leave you here,” Elsie promised.
“Bless you, mistress, bless you,” Edith said tearfully.
“Where is my sister Sky, Edith?”
Her eyes went wide with fear, and she let the water trickle from her hand before hugging herself tight and whispered, “He took her, then set the place ablaze.”
Elsie’s breath caught at the thought that rushed into her head. “Sit and drink. I will return shortly.” She got to her feet and hurried to her husband and halted abruptly when she heard the monk.
“You return her to me now when I have no place to keep her?”
The monk’s words reminded her of the conversation Cavell had had with the monk, not knowing it was her on market day at Pinkeny Village. Her husband had planned to return her to the monk and dissolve the marriage. Would he still find a way to get rid of her if she is not with child? Does being chieftain of the clan mean nothing to him? Does she not matter to him at all?
“I do not return her,” Cavell snapped, annoyed his wife should be reminded of his intentions that were now void. “Where are my wife’s sisters?”
“You have no right to inquire about them.”
Cavell’s anger strained his scars, giving him a demonic look that had the monk crossing himself once again. “I have every right. I am Chieftain of Clan Murdock, and you will tell what I want to know or face the consequences.”
The monk answered with haste. “The one who God graced with beautiful features escaped shortly after your wife did. The one God cursed, her face kept covered, the devil took, then set God’s house to burn.”
Elsie pressed her hand to her stomach. It cannot be, please no, please, she silently pleaded.
Brother Emanual went on to explain further when Cavell remained silent, staring at him. “He set the flame himself. Then he had his minions torch it as well. He made sure we could not stop it, though we tried and lost poor souls doing so.” He glanced at the bodies. “Now we have no place to live, no place to comfort and heal those possessed of madness. We must go take refuge at the nearest monastery until we learn our fate.”
“I care not about your fate,” Cavell said. “I care about my wife’s sisters. Did you search for Leora when you found her missing?”
“Of course, we did, and when we found no signs of her, I feared for her fate.”
Cavell turned an accusing eye on the monk. “And you gave no thought to notify Chieftain Norris so he could search for his daughter?”