Izzy turned to see a man striding down the street towards Magnus’s group. He was blackened with soot, but tracks of tears stood out on his face, cutting through the grime. The man barrelled towards Magnus, and the rest of the villagers scattered out of the way like frightened geese.
Magnus turned to face the man, tucking the broken blade into his belt. He did not back away. He waited silently as the man squared up to him, shoving his face close.
“Ye! Ye and yer Order of the Osprey!” he bellowed into Magnus’s face, spittle flying from his lips. “Ye promised to protect us, but where were ye when the raiders struck? Eh? Nowhere, that’s where!” He gestured wildly at the burned homes, the timber-and-thatch turned to ash and cinder, belongings littered like abandoned memories along the dirty road.
Magnus met the man’s gaze evenly, not flinching away from the fury etched in every line of smeared soot and tears. “I’m sorry for yer loss. I understand yer grief—”
“Understand? Ye understand nothing!”
The man howled, pulled his arm back, and swung a savage punch. Magnus made no move to defend himself, and there was an almighty crack as the blow connected with Magnus’s chin, snapping his head back.
Izzy gasped in shock, her hand flying to her mouth. As if the punch had broken a dam inside him, the man went wild. He launched himself at Magnus, raining down punches and kicks on the bigger man. He was all raw anger and pain with Magnus as its focus.
And Magnus took it. He was far bigger than the villager and Izzy had no doubt could have easily subdued him had he tried, but he did not. He fell to his knees under the onslaught, but even as he knelt in the dirt, with blood staining his lips and trickling from a swollen eye, there was a strange calm in his ocean-blue gaze. It was as though he craved this punishment—longed for it, even.
“Stop it!” Izzy screamed.
She threw herself between Magnus and the furious man. She thumped her palms into the man’s chest, pushing him back a step. “Leave him alone!”
The man glared at her, his expression crazed, his shoulders heaving. “Get out of my way, woman.”
“I won’t! If you want to get to him, you’ll have to go through me!”
She didn’t know where the words came from. She had never been brave. She had never deliberately put herself inharm’s way like this. Her pulse was racing and her heart thumping way too fast, but she wouldnotstand by while Magnus got hurt.
The man glared at her, his eyes fogged by rage, and took a menacing step closer. Then a sable blur sped by, there was a low growl, and Snaffles slammed into the man, sending him crashing onto his back. The giant mastiff stood on the man’s chest, hackles raised along his back, and drooled slobber onto the man’s face as he pulled his lips back in a snarl.
“Ach! Get it off!” the man yelled. “Get it off!”
Snaffles growled at the man a moment longer and then backed off, sitting by Izzy’s side, gaze fixed on the villager.
The man scrambled to his feet. The rage had gone from his face and now he just looked broken. His shoulders slumped, his expression hollow.
“Ye should have saved them,” he said to Magnus. Then, in a quieter voice. “Ishould have saved them.” He turned and walked away, disappearing amongst the houses.
Izzy dropped down next to Magnus. “Are you all right?”
He seemed dazed, one eye swollen and blood trickling from his nose and lip. “Ye shouldnae have done that,” he whispered. “Ye shouldnae have put yerself in harm’s way for me.”
“And you should’ve defended yourself!” Izzy shot back, her hand reaching out tentatively towards his bruised face. She did not touch it though, afraid she would hurt him further.
Magnus smiled, then winced in pain. “And what good would that have done? Just caused more pain all round.”
“What aboutyourpain? You didn’t deserve that.”
“Aye,” he whispered softly. “I did.” His good eye swiveled up to meet hers and she was shocked by the despair in it.
“What do you mean?” she asked, rocking back on her heels. “It wasn’t your fault those raiders attacked.”
“Wasnae it?”
Before she could ask what he meant by this, Morwenna came hurrying up and knelt at Magnus’s side. “Young Marion came to get me,” she said breathlessly. “Drew isnae normally a violent man, but grief has consumed him. He lost his father and brother to the raiders. Here, help me get him up, Isabelle. He canna stay here on the cold ground.”
With Morwenna’s assistance, they managed to hoist the bruised Magnus onto his feet. His body was a patchwork of violet welts and blood stains. Together they helped him stagger towards Morwenna’s house. The benches inside were full, so Morwenna took them around the back to the stable where a couple of donkeys watched dolefully from their stalls. Morwenna led Izzy and Magnus inside and the two women lowered him into a clean pile of straw.
“I’ve another kettle of soup brewing,” Morwenna said. “I’ll bring ye some out when it’s ready.”
Izzy smiled her thanks as the woman left. She sucked in a breath and looked at Magnus. He was hunched over slightly, his chest clearly paining him. She shrugged her pack off her shoulders and took out her first aid kit again.
