Chapter 18
Izzy’s throat was sore from bellowing at Emeric to stop the horse. So far, her hollering had had no effect and the dratted man had resolutely kept the horse galloping away from Eamon McRae and his men.
Away from Magnus.
She’d tried to squirm her way free. She’d tried fury. She’d tried tears. Nothing had worked. Though not as big as Magnus, Emeric was almost as strong, and the arm he kept clamped around her middle felt like iron.
“We can’t just leave him!” she cried, desperation in her voice. “Please stop!”
She expected to be ignored as she’d been for the duration of this hellish dash, so she was mighty surprised when Emeric yelled a command to his men and they guided their horses from a gallop to a trot and then finally to a halt. Emeric pulled his horse around and stared back the way they’d come. There was nothing in sight. Around them, the valley through which they’d been traveling seemed empty of life except for a flock of wooly sheep grazing high on one of the valley’s steep sides.
Izzy stared into the distance, hoping against hope to see Magnus come riding after them. But he didn’t. The road behind remained stubbornly empty.
Emeric swung his leg over the horse and then jumped to the ground. He held up his hand to help Izzy down and she did so gratefully, her legs buckling as she hit theground. She landed in a heap and made no move to get up. She felt like she had no strength left.
Snaffles, hot and panting from his efforts to keep up with the horses, flopped down next to her, tongue hanging out and lips pulled back as he tried to catch his breath. With his injured leg and bandaged middle, he’d fallen behind many times, but he hadn’t given up and managed to catch them during the brief moments when they’d stopped to rest the horses.
“You’re a good boy,” she murmured, stroking his head. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Behind her, Emeric was busy giving orders. Some of his men had dismounted but two others had ridden ahead and more were busy scanning the ground, just as Izzy had seen Magnus do.
She heaved herself to her feet. “We have to go back,” she said, grabbing Emeric’s arm. “We can’t just leave him there!”
Emeric turned to her. His eyes were bright with anger and pain and she realized that she was not the only one torn in half by leaving Magnus behind.
“I’m sorry, Isabelle,” he said. “But we canna go back, not yet.”
Izzy pulled away from him, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as if the cold wind had finally started to seep into her bones. “You’re abandoning him,” she accused, her voice choked with tears.
“I am not abandoning anyone!” Emeric’s voice was sharp. “Magnus made his choice, Isabelle. He stayed back to give us a chance to escape.”
“He did it for me,” Izzy whispered, heart heavy with guilt and sorrow.
Emeric placed a rough hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “Aye,” he confirmed. “He did it for ye—and that was his choice.”
“But...but...” Izzy said, wringing her hands with helplessness. “McRae will hurt him, I know it. He hates Magnus for what he did to him.”
“What Magnus did tohim?” Emeric said, looking startled.
Izzy nodded. “Magnus told me everything. How he hurt McRae and so his old mentor turned against him and wants revenge.”
To her surprise, Emeric let out a harsh laugh. “I’ll bet he did! Oh, Magnus, will ye ever stop blaming yerself for other people’s decisions?”
“What do you mean?”
Emeric sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sure Magnus told ye aversionof what happened between him and McRae, the events as he sees them. But that isnae the only version, and certainly not the version that myself and others who were there saw.” He cocked his head at Izzy. “He told ye of how his parents died and he was taken to the monastery, aye?”
“Yes, and how Eamon McRae took him in.”
“Aye, he did, and for that Magnus worshipped him, felt he owed him a debt, and refused to see the truth.”
