Aimnéise Place of Pendants 2

Chapter Thirty Three

Off With His Head!

I must have dosed off for a while, woken by the stirring of the camp and the smell of something cooking in the fire. I glanced over to see Mario had been brought back to camp sitting under a blanket. Thank the stars he was still alive.

His face though. It looked so bad. One of his eyes was swollen shut. He glanced my way with a sad expression, one that told me there was nothing he could do to help me.

Ronaldo stepped into my view.

“You are awake witch. Today you will suffer for what you have done. When I am finished with you we will bind you to a pyre and your evil body will burn.”

I rolled my eyes at him as if he was simply an annoying bug. I shouldn’t antagonize him, but shite he was a monster and nothing I could say, other than begging him for forgiveness, which wasn’t going to happen would save me anyway.

I stayed roped to the tree. My hands numb from being tied so hard.

I couldn’t swallow with the dirty gag in my mouth, it feels as if the rag and the inside of my mouth have become one, my throat so dry it was making me dizzy.

My eyes stayed on Ronaldo as he ordered men about setting camp or unsetting it, I couldn’t remember which. My thoughts muddled from pain in my head that was getting worse by the minute. Ronaldo sat to eat some food all the while smirking at me. Sadistic arsehole.

When he finished eating, he strode to his horse his face once again turning into a wicked gleam as he unstrapped his whip from his saddle. Holy hell, here we go again.

Once he had finished he paced towards me his lips now tipped to a wide smile, no doubt trying to intimidate me. It looked like my time had finally ran out. Standing a few feet away he cracked the whip. I shot my eyes to Mario, but he had his head down. Ronaldo moved to my face and ripped the dirty rag from my mouth.

“When I whip you, I want to hear you scream.” He would the psychotic bastard. I was happy to have that dirty rag out of my mouth not even wanting to know what the horrid tastes and scent coming from it had been.

He moved back cracking the whip again. I felt the sting of it across the tops of my legs. Fuck that hurt. I wasn’t going to scream to give him any satisfaction. No screaming Morgan.

The crack of the whip slashed across my stomach. Tears streamed from my eyes. I couldn’t hold back a scream from the burning of the whip, biting down on my lip so it sounded more of a murmured shriek. Ronaldo smiled, obviously taking enjoyment from my pain. Think of Conall, only Conall.

“Scream as loud as you like witch, there’s no one to hear you.” The arsehole was laughing his face contorted like a plaster clown at a carnival waiting to be fed balls. Either that or my mind was splitting apart so reality was meshing into a thousand shattered mirrors.

I brace hard seeing the whip before it struck my hips and stomach I screamed again. I couldn’t help it. It felt like I was being slashed by the burning claws of hell. Ronaldo laughed louder. All but two of his men watched, one with a smile the other grimacing.

The rest were busying themselves, but all turned away.

Dropping my head as beads of sweat ran down my face into my eyes I gritted my teeth and tightened up my lips as hard as I could. Again, the whip caught me across the tops of my legs and another guttural scream ripped from my throat.

Everywhere the lash had connected with my body burned as if fire was escaping with enough pain to wake the gods. Perspiration and tears continued to run down my forehead and face. My head was spinning, black spots spattered across my eyes. I tried to focus on Conall’s beautiful face.

I could barely breathe my eyes shut tight not wanting to see the next strike. I heard horses racing into the clearing and voices yelling and screaming. I thought I heard my name but with pain searing my body it was probably my imagination.

I didn’t want to open my eyes as yelling and clangs of swords echoed around me. Someone yelled my name again. No this can’t be right it has to be my mind playing tricks. I hung from the ropes waiting for the next lash, holding the face of Conall in my mind.

I jumped down off my horse nearly going insane hearing Morgan’s screams. Looking across the clearing she was tied to a fucking tree and an arsehole was whipping her.

Screaming her name, pulling my sword up just in time as a soldier ran at me with his sword held high, fool. I disposed of him in one slash, anger erupting from every pore. I’m going to kill that fucking bastard.

Dougall was just behind me taking care of two soldiers, taking them down quicker than they had attacked him, as I fought three more coming from different directions.

“MORGAN!” I screamed again. “Hang on baby I’m coming.”

The one that had been whipping my wife ran into the center of the clearing, at least he was away from my her while Dougall and I disposed of these yearlings.

“Come on you bastard let me at you.” Blood pounded in my ears, and my teeth hurt from being clenched so hard.

Then the idiot ran towards me screaming like a banshee.

“You got it right you fucking animal come to me! I’m going to rip you to fucking shreds!”

Every nerve in my body was strung tighter than the strings on a violin. Our swords clanged, parrying easily with him. He wasn’t much of a fighter.

I shouted Morgan’s name again fighting this animal who hurt her. I caught her looking at one soldier on his knees near a fire. He looked to be contemplating in picking a sword up that lay nearby, Morgan was shaking her head. What was this about? It was then I noticed Fiora behind the tree that Morgan was tied to, with her knife readying to set my wife free. Dougall had dispensed of most of the soldiers, good lad.

It only took minutes to bring the point of my sword against this gobshites neck and Dougall with his against the throat of the one that was still kneeling near the fire. I was stunned when Morgan shouted to Dougall not to hurt the lad. Dougall did as she said and took over from me, so I could go to Morgan. The piece of shite was alive, but not for long.

Turning towards my wife she was standing watching me. I stopped dead in my tracks. Is that confusion or disbelief on her face? Does she remember me or has any memory of who we are to each other returned? I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hands shaking.

Scanning her body looking for injury, nothing seemed to be broken. Her striped skirt and shirt torn, looking like she had been dragged across the ground. Her hair bedraggled, black lines from her eyes ran down her face, a face wet with tears. She was so beautiful my heart felt as if it could explode.

I took two steps toward her widening eyes. Does she remember me? Can I hope that her memory has returned? I desperately searched her face for the answer.

“Conall?” She whispered hoarsely taking a step forward.

I gasp. Did she say my name? Does she remember who I am?

“Morgan?” I took another step not wanting to scare her if she doesn’t. My heartbeat, it wants to break through my chest, the sound of blood roared in my ears. I held my breath not daring to breathe lest my mind was playing tricks with me.

She took another step and said my name again a little louder.

Then before I knew it I was running forward. Morgan doing the same. Reaching her I grab her pulling her against me hard. I’d held my tears back all this time but not now, now they ran like a river.

“Morgan. God I…I thought I was too late.” I held her face in my hands kissing her cheek, her lips her eyes.

“I’m ne’er…letting ye out of my sight again.” My voice wavering, I keep kissing her face her tears streamed down mixing with mine.

“Conall you came for me.” Her voice trembling as if she didn’t quite believe I was here. Wrapping my arms around her I pulled her tight against me. I could feel her heart pounding against my chest beating as fast as mine was. Sweet, sweet Jesus I had her back again.

“I will always come fer ye love, always. I was so afraid ye would nay remember me. I am never letting ye go again.”

I slammed my mouth to hers, not in a passionate kiss but one of despair, anger and relief, our teeth clashed in the frenzy. I couldn’t believe I found her. She kissed me back with the same fever. I couldn’t stop kissing her.

“Conall, I thought I would never see you again.” She cried into my mouth hanging onto me with desperation, digging her fingers in hard, not wanting to let me go, the same as I was doing to her.

I let go of the kiss and pulled back from her holding her by the shoulders. “Morgan…I.”

“I know…you’re here now, I love you my Conall, my husband.”

“Oh God…lass…I love ye.” My voice cracking, her hand gently wiped my wet face.

“You are my heart, my soul…my love.” She whispered, her beautiful green eyes searching, scanning, reaching into the very soul of me.

I brought my lips back to hers once again, gentler, she clung to me. Fuck I never wanted to let her go again. Her body shuddered groaning into my neck, only now apprehending I must be pushing against the lashings she had received from that soon to be dead shite.

Pulling back, I lifted her shirt up away from her stomach. Fury shot back behind my eyes, grinding my teeth, my eyes flashing to the piece of shite still on his knees with Dougall holding him at bay with his sword.