Aiden’s breathing was heavy, his muscles burning with exertion. Flynn’s relentless attacks were pushing him to the edge, and he knew he couldn’t keep up this pace much longer, but he couldn’t afford to lose. Not now, not when so much was at stake.
With a roar of fury, Aiden launched himself at Flynn, their swords crashing together in a flurry of strikes. Flynn met each blow with equal force, his eye gleaming with murderous intent. Their combat was brutal, each man driven by years of hatred and betrayal. Each strike was fueled by a deep-seated need to win and kill.
But Flynn was cunning, and as Aiden’s exhaustion began to show, Flynn capitalized on it. He feigned left, drawing Aiden’s defense before swinging his sword around to strike from the right. The move caught Aiden off guard, and Flynn’s blade slashed his thigh, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Aiden’s vision blurred with pain as he hit the dirt, his sword slipping from his grasp. Flynn loomed over him, his breathing ragged as he pointed his sword at Aiden’s throat.
“Ye were a fool, Aiden,” Flynn jeered, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Ye should have chosen me. But since ye didnae, I’ll be makin’ the choice for ye now. And ye ken what? I’ll be takin’ the lass as me consolation prize once ye’re dead.”
Flynn’s words cut through Aiden like a knife. His heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to move. But the pain in his thigh was crippling, and the weight of Flynn’s words, the threat to Katie, crushed him.
Aiden had never felt so helpless, pinned beneath the man who had once been his friend, who was now his greatest enemy.
He needed to rise up and fight. He needed to protect Katie, needed to be with her.
Aiden’s breath came in ragged gasps, pain searing through his thigh as Flynn loomed over him, the point of his sword just inches from his throat. For a fleeting moment, despair clawed at his heart, but then a single thought surged through the darkness—Katie.
He could see her face, her eyes full of warmth, her smile that had begun to soften the edges of his roughened soul. The thought of her in Flynn’s hands, of her virtue compromised, ignited a fire within him.
With a sudden burst of energy, Aiden lashed out with his uninjured leg, catching Flynn in the knee. Flynn grunted, staggering back just enough for Aiden to grab his sword and roll to the side. The pain in his thigh flared as he forced himself to his feet, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the immediate danger.
Flynn snarled, his face contorted with fury as he charged at Aiden, but Aiden was ready this time. He parried Flynn’s strike with a quick, forceful motion, then twisted his wrist and drove his sword into Flynn’s side. The blade sank deep, and Flynn’s one good eye widened in shock as he stumbled back, clutching at the wound.
Aiden pulled his sword free, blood dripping from the blade as he advanced. Flynn, now weakened, swung at Aiden desperately, but Aiden dodged his attacks easily. With a swift, decisive movement, Aiden plunged his sword into Flynn’s chest, the impact knocking the air out of Flynn’s lungs.
Flynn staggered, his grip on his sword loosening as he fell to his knees and blood poured from his wounds. He looked up at Aiden, his expression a mix of rage and disbelief, before collapsing onto the ground as the life drained from his body.
Aiden stood over Flynn’s still form, his chest heaving, the sword in his trembling hand. He felt a surge of relief mixed with sorrow, knowing that a troubling part of his past had finally been put to rest, but at the cost of a life that had once meant something to him. The man Flynn had become was different from the friend he had once known, and Aiden knew with certainty that there had been no alternative to how their relationship had ended.
Malcolm appeared at Aiden’s side, his eyes wide with concern as he quickly assessed the situation. “Aiden, are ye alright?” he asked, his voice low but urgent.
Aiden nodded, though the pain in his leg was starting to take its toll. “Aye, I’m fine,” he said, though his voice was strained. “But I need to get back… to Katie.”
Malcolm knelt beside him, carefully inspecting the gash on his thigh. “This needs wrappin’,” he said, already tearing a strip ofcloth from his tunic. “Ye did well, Aiden. Ye ended it. Flynn cannae hurt anyone anymore.”
As Malcolm bound the wound, Aiden winced but remained silent, his thoughts still on Katie. “I had to, Malcolm. I couldnae let him get to her. I’ll nae let anyone harm her.”
Malcolm finished securing the makeshift bandage, then helped Aiden to his feet with a firm and steady grip. “Ye’re a stubborn bastard, ye ken that?” he said with a small, tired smile. “But that’s why we’re still here.”
Aiden managed a faint smile in return. “Aye, stubborn is what’s kept me alive all these years.”
Malcolm slung Aiden’s arm over his shoulder, supporting his weight as they began the slow, painful trek back to the castle. The morning air cooled their sweat-soaked skin as the loch lay in silent witness behind them, its waters now calm after the stormy violence.
As they limped slowly to the castle, Aiden looked back at Flynn’s lifeless body one last time, a bittersweet sense of closure washing over him. “’Tis over, Malcolm,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “’Tis finally over.”
Malcolm nodded, his expression somber. “Aye, ‘tis finished. But we’ve still got work to do. Let’s get ye back to the castle. Yer Katie is likely worried sick.”
Aiden’s thoughts drifted to Katie again, at ease now that her safety and their future were secured. “Aye,” he agreed softly. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 19
Aiden’s legthrobbed with every step, the hastily wrapped bandage doing little to stem the flow of blood from the laceration. The morning light filtered through the trees as he and Malcolm hobbled their way back to the castle, the recent battle consuming their thoughts. Aiden gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain as his mind replayed the fight.
“Ye’re as stubborn as a mule, Aiden,” Malcolm muttered, his tone a combination of admiration and frustration as he supported Aiden’s weight. “That wound’s nae deep, but ‘tis in a bad spot. Ye shouldnae be walkin’ with it.”
“I’ll be fine,” Aiden replied, his voice strained but firm. “’Tis just a large scratch, really. Nothin’ that’ll keep me down.”
“Ye’re bleedin’ all over, and that leg of yers will need more than a quick wrap,” Malcolm said, shaking his head. “As soon as we get back, I’ll bandage ye up properly and call for the healer to examine ye to make sure ‘tis nothin’ more serious.”
