Ruthless by Sophia Johnson Page B

Cursing, he struck her behind her right ear. Her forehead
slammed forward against the wall.
    As if boneless, she slid to the floor in a
heap.

Chapter 12
    When Magnus entered the great hall, he didn't
feel Muriele's presence. Though she had thought he had not noted
her this morn, he knew the minute she entered the room. He'd no
need to look up. He just knew.
    His gaze swept over the tables below but saw
no sight of her. Now and again, he glanced toward the far corner
table where she and Esa had sat to break their fast.
    As he took a sip of cold wine, the distant
echo of a throaty scream floated above the noise in the great hall.
The diners ignored it assuming one of their comrades was tupping a
reluctant servant.
    Except for Magnus.
    Bounding out of the chair, he shook his head
as Feradoch started to delay him. His instincts led him to his
bedchamber area. Muriele was lying in a crumpled heap with laundry
strewn around her. In the shadows at the far end of the corridor, a
man's broad shoulders disappeared down the rear stairwell. 'Twas no
use chasing him. He'd vanish amongst the servants below.
    "By all the saints! What trouble have ye
caused yerself now, Muriele?"
    Bending on one knee, he propped her against
the wall. When she winced and raised her hand to cushion her head,
he ran his fingers around her skull and found a lump behind her
right ear. 'Twas not the only one, for above her right eye, an
angry red bump began to swell.
    "Who struck ye?"
    Muriele pressed both hands to her temples,
hoping to still the walls spinning around her. They did not. She
closed her eyes for a bit and swallowed back a sharp retort to his
first foolish question then answered the second.
    "I know not."
    "Hmpf. Did ye give a man reason to think ye'd
swive him?"
    "Give a man reason? I have paid no heed to
any man at Kinbrace."
    He huffed in disbelief.
    "Ye went to the warrior's quarters to tend
the hunter. Women dinna intrude where men sleep unless they are
servants. When there, ye did not give them cause to think ye eager
for bed sport?"
    Muriele blinked and winced. "Where else would
we tend the hunter?"
    "Nae in the warrior's barracks."
    "On the dirty ground, then?"
    Her eyes flashed fire at him. He ignored
her.
    "The next time ye sustain an injury,
ye
should lie on the cobblestones."
    "Dinna be foolish."
    "Ha! Men are the foolish ones." When he
stiffened, she knew she had gone too far. "Any man who thinks me
easy to bed will find a knife betwixt his ribs."
    "Brother, you'd best pay heed to her threat.
I wouldn't turn my back to her if I were you." Feradoch's voice,
though teasing, held a hint of warning.
    "Ye dinna have to warn me. The Chief has
taught me well to place my trust in no one but the two of ye."
    "Aye, Father has the right of it. But your
brother's greetings easily drew you in at Clibrick. You may be too
trusting with
your
family."
    Magnus' brows near met in a warning frown to
quiet Feradoch. Grasping Muriele's chin, he turned her face from
side to side, noting her eyes when they faced the shadows and when
they looked into the lighted stairwell.
    "I dinna think ye harmed yerself, though yer
forehead will be unsightly for a few days." He leaned back and
studied her face.
    She hoped he could not read her thoughts, for
she wanted to scream she hadn't banged her own head back and forth
on the wall!
    "Do ye think ye can get up?"
    "Aye."
    As he helped her to rise, he glanced around
them.
    "Ye've strewn clothing over half the landing.
Once ye clean up here, see Cook for sustenance. Await me
there."
    He waited until sure she stood on her own
then turned with Feradoch to go back to the front stairwell. He
shot one more command over his shoulder.
    "And dinna lure men into the kitchens with
ye!"
    Muriele held a taut rein on her temper. Her
hissed reply barely left her lips.
    "Eejit!"
    o0o
    "Now what is this warning ye were about to
give?"
    Magnus stopped midway down the stairwell and
stepped into a niche built into the thick walls. He stooped