Page 47 of The Darkest Knight

The lash marks remained. Lifting the sheet, he saw that the red fresh burn mark on his stomach also stayed.

“I’ll go get something for that.” Tamara stood and went to the doorway.

“You are trapped in two cages. The one by Meliot and the one by Devina.”

She placed a paper on the bed and walked out.

He picked it up. It was a poem or a spell. He didn’t understand the words, so he read them again.

One of the valiant will once again live

Call to the end of the rising of darkness

The powers of evil diminishing

Lights of three moons shining above

The keys to two cages are sacrifice and love

He frowned at the words.

“John McMurray sent it.” Tristan leaned on the doorway. “He is Liam’s partner. Owns a bookstore in Edinburgh.”

“What does it have to do with me?” Niall asked, getting up from the bed, flinching at the pain it caused.

Tristan’s eyes locked to his. “Your enchantment called for a master of pages. Remember?”

Spell of ages from Master of pages. Sacrifice fate for the knight in two cages.

Niall shrugged. “I suppose so. How is this McMurray a master of any kind?”

“He is also a mystic. Liam’s love.”

His shoulders slumped, he should have left and returned to the other realm. Now he had to tell Tristan he would not allow his own rescue.

The laird went to stand by the window and gazed outside as if deep in thought. “It’s been over three hundred years, Niall. I have known you for over three centuries. I can almost read your thoughts.” Tristan’s troubled green eyes met his. “You have your reasons for not wanting to leave, for not giving us the chance to help free you. Until Tamara, I’d pretty much given up on trying to convince you to tell us the rules of breaking your enchantment. But you told her.”

His words cut through him, and he had a difficult time meeting his friend’s gaze.

Tristan continued. “A small part of you must have wanted to be saved if you did that.”

“It is only because I know how impossible it is that I told her. She kept asking. The lass is relentless.” He pressed his lips together to hold back the proud smile that threatened. “I can never be truly free Tristan.”

His friend shook his head. “Nothing is impossible, Niall. I will never give up. We will never give up. You’re my brother.”

A lump formed in his throat, and he wished he could give Tristan hope.

“It will break her heart. I hope you are prepared ...” Tristan stopped talking as Tammie entered the room. She held a small box under her arm.

She eyed each of them in turn. “What happens?

“He’ll tell you,” Tristan replied and gave Niall one last concerned look before walking out.

Tammie pushed him back onto the bed. She began to cleanse the wounds. Her face serene, she didn’t speak the entire time as she rubbed ointment on them and placed bandages over the deeper lash cuts. She put a cooling substance over the burn. “You should probably walk around shirtless for a while and allow it to get fresh air. Burns heal faster that way.” Her voice strained.

He grabbed her hand. “Tamara look at me.”

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears when they lifted to his. She sniffed and wiped at an errant tear with her arm. “How long has she been hurting you? I can’t believe someone can be so evil.”