‘None of that is true. She will turn on you, Eaden.’
‘Not if I turn on her first. When Elene is dead, I can take Lowri at my leisure. I’ve yet to meet your little blonde whore, but I will hunt her down, and she will become my little blonde whore.’
Eaden did not have Cecily. That was some comfort.
‘I will be a happy man, indeed,’ gloated Eaden. ‘I will have two bonnie lasses to see to my pleasure. Maybe I’ll have the two of them at once. Picture that as you take your last breath, Peyton.’
‘You are a fool. Elene will kill you if it takes the end of her days. You are nought but her instrument and too arrogant to see it.’
A small cloud of doubt swept across Eaden’s face. ‘No, you’ll not wriggle out of this, Peyton. Let us fight.’
Peyton stared him down. ‘Will she use poison when you least expect it? Will you die coughing your guts up, shitting blood? I hope so.’
‘Shut your mouth.’
‘Perhaps she will be merciful and put a shot in your head, despatching you like a lame horse that is no longer useful. Or maybe you will dance on the end of a rope as she watches and smiles. ‘Look at Black Eaden,’ she will say, ‘he is as simple as an ox. A big, witless grub of a man.’
‘Enough.’ Eaden marched back to the crowd. ‘It is agreed. We will fight to the death,’ he shouted. ‘No quarter will be given.’
Bertha rushed up. ‘Kill him, Peyton. Put him in the ground this day and save the world from his cruelty.’
But he could not. Eaden had Lowri. He must lay down his life in exchange for hers. She was resourceful and strong. She would find a way to survive Eaden and take vengeance.
Peyton grabbed Bertha’s hand. ‘If I die this day, swear you will protect Lowri. Eaden has her. You must get her away from that bastard.’
‘But you can beat him.’
He shook his head. ‘Not this day. I have no time, so you must listen to me. If I fall, go to Jasper Glendenning. Tell him what has happened. He will give you sanctuary and help you recover Lowri and Cecily.’
‘Glendenning? But how can we go to him?’
He took Bertha’s face in his. ‘He owes me a debt. So trust me. Do it,’ he growled.
She nodded, tears in her eyes.
Peyton clung to the small hope that those he loved would survive without his protection. It was all he had to comfort him as he prepared to let Eaden beat him to death before all his clansmen. Peyton crossed himself and prayed to God that he had the courage to let him do it and not fight back.
Eaden tore off his plaid and shirt, revealing a bull-like chest of black hair and rippling muscle. Peyton did the same, and shouting broke out in the crowd, swarming over him like a hive of bees. The chill blowing off the water tightened his skin over his bones, but Peyton’s rage burned it off. It pounded through his veins. He could explode with it.
So, when Eaden turned to him and shouted, ‘Let the fight begin,’ Peyton gave no pause. He launched himself at Eaden, sending a barrage of punches straight to his gut. The frenzy of it took the bastard by surprise, and he staggered back, clutching his stomach. He quickly recovered and managed a blow to Peyton’s jaw. A burst of stars shot before his eyes. The sound of the crowd faded to nothing as he counter-attacked, and the fight wore on.
Peyton was acutely aware of everything – the rotten smell of the mud on the shore, hot blood oozing down his chin, the give in Eaden’s ribs as he kept punching mindlessly at the man’s torso. Eaden stared at him, wide-eyed, panting, and the fear and pain in his eyes spurred Peyton on. If he was to die this day, then we would make damn sure that Eaden was beaten to within an inch of his life before he succumbed. His cousin may be the bigger man, but he did not have Peyton’s animal rage.
Eaden came at him again, and Peyton launched a brutal punch at his cousin, fit to take his head off his shoulders. It caught him on the mouth with a crunch. He staggered away, spitting shards of white onto the ground. He turned and snarled at Peyton, his mouth a bloody gape.
His teeth! He had knocked out Eaden’s front teeth. The bastard may survive the day, but he would forever have the gap-toothed grin of the village fool.
His triumph was short-lived as Eaden ran at him and got him in a bear hug. ‘Now, or my men open her throat,’ he said, sounding Peyton’s death knell.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Damn her eyes. Lowri rode so fast that Cecily could barely keep up. They had left the woods behind them long ago. They must be close to Fellscarp by now. But who knew what horrors awaited them and what havoc Eaden had wreaked? Cecily was exhausted and could barely hang onto her horse.
‘Almost there,’ cried Lowri, her black hair sweeping out behind her. ‘Hurry.’ She crested the hill ahead of Cecily and pulled up her horse. ‘No!’ she cried.
Cecily kicked her own horse hard, and it bounded forward, only to stumble heavily. She lost her reins and went flying over its head, landing on the grass with a thud that sent the air rushing from her lungs. She sat up and gasped in a breath. Her neck was not broken. That was something. By the time she scrambled to her feet, it was to see her horse galloping for home and Lowri riding over the hill and out of sight. Cecily cursed and chased after her as fast as her shaky legs could manage.
When she got to the crest of the hill, she gasped. A huge crowd was gathered around two men fighting. It was hard to make them out, as they were caked in mud, and people surged in and out to get a better look.
