A louse-ridden Scot the size of a vast pine, with grizzled white bark for flesh on his face, checked from the vantage farther down the aisle. “Nae, Seumas.”
So, this was Seumas.She tried to see the faces belonging to the others, but she was bound against the rotted-cabbage-breathed captor who held her.
Seumas gave a dark look at his warrior, most likely for revealing his name. “Once more,” Seumas demanded. “Your knight needs to hear you over the clash of sword training at the far reaches of the bailey.”
“MacCade,” she said, an echo filling the barn stronger.
Seumas strode toward the tree-sized warrior and both walked out the entryway, appearing agitated, after another long pause when her knight didn’t appear. Once reaching the very edge of the sunlight, which sparkled with the particles from dust, awhizzfrom an arrow grazed Seumas on the shoulder.Thump.The tree-like warrior was chopped down! Falling backward, the enemy had an axe situated in his torso’s center at the hands of…Aonghus! Her knight stormed into the stables with a Gaelic battle cry.
Aonghus ripped the sword from his scabbard while charging at Seumas. Cabbage breath, who held her, loosened his grip from the shocking turn of events.Get the dagger!Raising her knee, she tore the dagger from her calf.
“Swine!” she shouted, then thrust the blade into her captor’s thigh.
Her steel met flesh and bone. Odd. It was like she had plunged the blade into a shallow river before hitting rock, but he howled in pain then released her with a shove, causing her to crash onto the floor with asmack.Go for the second blade!She flopped in a tangle mess.Impossible skirts!
She spun about onto her back. Sir Brayden shed another arrow from his bow into the stables toward the warrior who wore her blade in his thigh. The arrow’s razor point landed in the man’s rear skull and emerged through his forehead with a spray of blood before he collapsed dead at her feet. It was Aonghus and Brayden present, alongside Callum, who clashed his steel with the fourth near the entry.
Seumas scrambled to retrieve the sword from the warrior killed with the axe, then he spun before engaging Aonghus.
“Nae!” Sir Brayden yelled at someone behind her while nocking his next arrow and charging forward.
She snapped her head around, trying to flip the infernal skirts up. Where was her second dagger?! The enemy appeared, wild eyed, fresh arrow from Brayden in his shoulder, but he kept racing down the aisle of stallions right at her!Raging hell!
She gasped when Laoch let out a great wail which shook the walls; both shod hind hooves kicked backward – violently. The wild-eyed Scot who was headed for her took the brunt of the impact on his spine, then flew clear into the air to crash onto the far wall.
Crack! The enemy closed his eyes when his skull collided against a saddle peg. His body gave an unnatural twist while landing upon the floor – aye, he was dead.
“Take her from here!” Aonghus ordered Sir Brayden before a crash of steel closed the conversation near the entryway, with the two MacCade brothers engaging their enemies.
Sir Brayden grasped her arms, raising her, pulling her from the aisle toward the entrance, but it was blocked by the two dueling MacCade brothers against their foes. In a newfound roar, Aonghus drove back Seumas with a deflect and spin and lunge.
“Now, Brayden!” her knight commanded and proceeded to make a window for them to flee. The two ready to bolt froze.
NO!Sparks like droplets from hell flew off the steel in Callum’s duel directly toward the hay tossed across the floor. FIRE! The hay ignited with a pop, twisting like a fiery snake through the brittle forage.
“Nae!” she yelled and ripped her skirts up, stomping onto the licking flames. “Sir Brayden, the trough. Fetch the trough!” she pleaded while trying to stomp out the next flame attempting a flair. Hot! Hot! Hell. It was raging hell!
Sir Brayden released her arm to grab the leather buckets filled with water the stable marshal had set at the ready earlier, which were lined up against the opposite wall from the pens. At the scents from hay turning into burnt grasses, the stallions began trampling with fear.
Sizzle!The water spewing across the flames became an instant miniature tidal wave. There was another flicker! She dashed across the aisle.
Her fingers grabbed a bucket, with the stitching from the leather-wrapped handle coursing roughly over her palm before she gushed the water toward the flames. One more – there! Another bucket from Sir Brayden doused the surroundings, with both of them panting like racing horses. Safe. The steeds were safe, but they were trapped once more as the battles blocked the entry.
Callum caught a cut across his forearm from his opponent.No!The elder MacCade grunted with rage then lunged forward to land his sword directly center in the enemy’s chest. As he slashed the enemy down, a vermillion river canvassed through the water-covered floor.
Seumas seemed to get a look at the grave surroundings from his warriors’ demise. Aonghus must have seen Callum ready to approach in aid to his younger brother, who ordered instead: “Callum, step away! I see the blood on Keirah’s chin.” It was then she noticed the warm ooze on her lip and wiped her palm across her lips – aye, ’twas blood. Aonghus continued, enraged, “The traitor is mine!”
Seumas laughed as if he had taken leave of his senses. “There are nearly twenty thousand Northmen circling your shores. Your precious King Alexander is doomed to fail even before the first sword is raised. See you in hell, Sir Aonghus.” She gasped when Seumas tugged his body deliberately right toward Aonghus’s blade, piercing his heart.
Chapter 25
Boom!The horses stomped like a victorious war drum, amid the panting of all Scots who still stood. Her eyes were only for Aonghus when he turned toward her from the archway with an anguished look written across his face at the sight of her. Hell, shemustlook like she had lain her cheek upon a bee’s hive.
In a blink, he bolted to scoop her close into his embrace. Clad in only his damp tunic, the pound from his heart echoed her ears when she pressed close. They were safe. Together.
What happened to the shadow-glance?A dread covered her soul. Lady Fate had decided to remain cast. Fickle wench. She pressed closer into Aonghus’s weighted embrace; they still drew breath, they still were strong, and they still would fight another day!
Her knight paused, then stepped back. He began gently wiping the blood from her chin with a cloth strip he ripped from his tunic while explaining, “Lady Maise happened upon Sir Brayden in a passageway leading toward the gardens. We discovered a threat lurked when she stated Sir Brayden had summoned her.”
