Highland Fortitude by Keira Montclair

Author:Keira Montclair [Montclair, Keira]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Highland
Published: 2018-12-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Daniel approached the side entrance of The Hound and the Stag alone. His cousins planned on waiting in the tavern before following him. He moved down the stairs quickly, not speaking to anyone, and knocked on the door at the base of the stairs.

The scarred doorman, whom he’d taken to calling Scarface, though he was not foolish enough to do so to the fellow’s face, opened the door and said to him, “He got you good last night. ’Tis quite a black eye you’ve got, lad.” He chuckled but didn’t follow him.

When he reached the man who handled the wagers in the first chamber, he decided it was time to start asking questions.

The man greeted him with a smile. “Damien. Glad you’re back. You’ve made us some good coin over the last few days. Here’s your cut of that.”

Daniel pocketed it. “My thanks, but I need more. What else can I do to earn more coin?”

“Ah, an enterprising lad, are you? Perhaps we can be of service. Wait here.”

With that, he disappeared down the passageway. He returned a moment later with the judge who decided the fights. The judge beckoned wordlessly for him to follow, and the man with the coin winked at him before slipping back behind the bar.

Together, Daniel and the judge walked down the passageway to the fighting chamber. The space felt so large and hollow when it was empty.

“You want more coin?” the man finally asked. “I may have an opportunity for you, but you’d have to be willing to leave Edinburgh.”

“I can move around. I need not stay here.”

The judge gave him a long, appraising look, then said, “There is a way, but you’ll have to win two more fights for us in the large chamber.”

Daniel had no idea what he was referring to. “The large chamber?”

He tipped his head toward the back of the room, where the passageway continued. “The back chamber is much larger. Anything is allowed. Only our best fighters are given the chance. Betting is wild because there tends to be more blood. In the front chamber, gentleman’s rules are used. No kicking in the bollocks. In the back chamber, you’ll get kicked every which way, but you’ll make good coin. If you survive those two fights, we’ll send you on another quest. One that could bring you more coin than you could ever imagine.”

“What quest?” Daniel couldn’t contain his excitement. He was finally getting closer to the Channel of Dubh. He was sure of it.

“You can join our men in the channel.”

“What is the channel?” he asked, somehow managing to sound casual.

“The men work about once a moon. They’re sent to pick up cargo, mostly in the north, but it needs to be taken east. Come this way. I’ll let you talk to the head of this venture.”

He led Daniel through the front fighting chamber, guiding him toward a much larger chamber nearly at the end of the passageway. “This is where you’ll fight. As you can see, we can hold many more spectators back here.

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