“What are we going to do about the soldiers?” she asked, pulling his attention back to the dilemma at hand.
“You’re going to stay here. There’s a village a few miles from here, and I’ll try to convince one of the fishermen to help us get away.”
Stay behind? Oh, not likely. “We’ll go together,” she corrected.
“You’re safer here. John doesn’t know where you are.”
“And you think you can get away without them seeing you?” She shook her head. “It’s not possible.”
“I’m good at staying hidden, Honora. Trust me.”
“At least if we go together, I can guard your back,” she argued. Did he think he was invincible?
Irritation swept across his face, and Ewan fastened his sword belt around his waist. “I don’t need your help, Honora.”
“If you think I’m going to remain behind, MacEgan, you’re sorely mistaken. Put away your pride and let me fight with you.”
He crossed the cave and grasped her by the waist. “Do you think I’ll allow anything to happen to you?” His hand palmed her spine, rubbing in small circles. “Stay here. Be safe.”
He was treating her as though she had no courage at all. As though she should hide in the shadows while he went off to fight.
“Would you do the same?” she dared to ask.
He tilted his head, not understanding her question. “What do you mean?”
“If you were being hunted, would you stay behind while I went off to fight?”
“It isn’t the same. You’re a woman.” His expression revealed his confusion, which irritated her even more.
She reached out and seized his sword, her anger rising up. “A woman am I? I was trained, the same as you.”
“You’re not as strong.”
“My technique is just as good as my father’s men. I’m more help to you at your side than staying behind.” She couldn’t believe the sudden change in him, as though she were incapable of defending herself. She might not have the same strength as a man, but she could certainly hold her own.
Ewan leaned in to kiss her, but Honora wasn’t about to be talked out of it, even if he did make her knees weak from the melting touch of his mouth on hers.
“You’re a distraction,” he said. “If I’m to fight, I’ll be thinking of you and whether or not you’re safe. If you’re here, I’ll know that no harm has come to you.” He grasped her shoulders. “Stay in the cave.”
His arrogant decree didn’t sit well with her. She wasn’t a dog, trained to stay behind while he went off to fight. No. She was tired of being told what to do and how to behave. Ewan was going to get her help whether he wanted it or not.
She waited until he’d left. Then, she gathered up the supplies and followed behind, her movements stealthy so he would not hear her. When he moved along the rocks, she struggled to balance the load and stepped out of the cave. The daylight half-blinded her, and she shielded her eyes, staring out at the sea.
In the distance, she thought she saw a vessel approaching. A mixture of hope and trepidation rose up inside, and she stared hard at the boat. Was it her imagination, or was the boat coming closer? She took a hesitant step forward, glancing around. Perhaps it was one of Ewan’s brothers, as he’d claimed.
When she glimpsed the top of the hillside, her heart plummeted. She spied John of Ceredys, wearing full chainmail armor, as he approached upon his stallion.
She cursed, realizing that Ewan was right. John wasn’t going to give up, not when he believed she knew the location of the treasure. He’d grown obsessed with it, and no doubt would continue to search until he drew his last breath.
Her fingers bit into the rocky limestone, and she remained in the shadow of the rocks. The army was waiting for them to leave their sanctuary. She glanced at the sea, wondering if she could swim out to the boat. Although she wasn’t a good swimmer, the vessel was their best hope of escaping.
Ewan crept along the edge of the caves, moving toward her. He motioned her back inside, his face hardened and furious. “You were supposed to stay here.”
She ignored the order and kept her voice low. “There’s a boat not far away. Do you want to try and swim for it?”
“It’s my brother’s boat,” Ewan said. He took her by the elbow, forcing her back inside. “The one Bevan sent back for me.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
