Keirah fought against the bindings as Svørn dragged his wounded legs across the soil while pulling the blade which had once been on her thigh. Fate would not reverse! She had doomed them all!
“Halt!” she cried.
Lord Kollungr raised his hand, pausing Svørn. “A rather hasty reply; you must care for the pretty lad quite deeply.” Kollungr’s scowl darkened more. “Tell me.”
“It was a ruse,” she answered frantically. “A plan was laid you would think we were wed; alas, the handfasting was not consummated.”
Flaxen brows shot up. “The eve of the feast, the cut rope on…”
Disbelief ebbed her words in shock at the darkness he commanded in his heart. “You would kill an innocent like Edina to uncover the truth at my hand?”
The Northern keeper shrugged his shoulders. “All our years together, weakness is not your only dire attribute, nor lacking grace – lack of skill in declaring one’s character is the strongest flaw you carry, my lady. I would slay ten Edinas to capture what I seek.” He paused, his eyes darting between her and Aonghus; the workings in his mind showed on his expression like he had just solved a puzzle. “Blue, the word you shouted across the hall – it was a concealment for the catastrophic event on the horizon. Clever. Who devised the scheme?”
She paused, then the falcon began turning toward Svørn.He is going to order the warrior to hurt Aonghus!Tell him!
“’Twas my knight,” she gushed.
Kollungr snapped his attention back toward her. “I see how you care for him.” He raised his hand Aonghus’s direction but kept his stare on her. “Gallant, handsome if you care for pretty, clever, and brave. Such a terrible shame many of those qualities will not leave this tent.”
“Please,” she begged, “leave him be, I shall do…”
“Whatever I wish?” Kollungr cut her off. “For certain, the first is telling me if you still carry the talent in fate-seer. I begin to question the quality of your instinct in sense after finding you in such a state as I have come upon this eve. Hair in quite a disarray, flush to your skin…” She lowered her eyes; hell, he always knew when she was lying, the wretched falcon! “The mere fact fate has not reversed after the violent blow upon the back of your skull has me harboring my doubts. I truly do not see fate deciding to be cast in iron at such a dire turn for you. So, tell me, is your maidenhead still intact?”
Telling him is to lose the only possible means of bargaining.
Aonghus made a noise like a pent-up growl with a roar as he fought to reach her. In her periphery, Svørn dashed forward with the dagger; she looked up the same moment, discovering Kollungr had nodded toward his warrior in silent command for inflicting harm, and Svørn eagerly sliced a path across her Scotsman’s torso with the dagger’s blade.
“Nae!” she screamed as Callum and Sir Brayden ripped against their bindings, trapped.
Her eyes turned wide as the tent opening when the flesh wound caused gushing blood as though a crimson waterfall poured down her knight’s stomach.
“TELL ME!”
“Aye!” she cried, blinking away the tears determined to see her knight, whose struggles ceased while he glared at Kollungr before he looked upon her gently. “Forgive me, my knight, I was selfish.” He shook his head soundly, silently sayingNoto her. “Aye, I was; I have cast our kingdom toward a doomed fate in my own selfish desire,” she sobbed. “Selfish unto my root. Please forgive me.”
Lord Kollungr waved Svørn back, who gave a dark look but did his master’s bidding. “I would assume the consummation was this eve?”
She looked up, then spat the words in Kollungr’s face when anguish turned to rage. “Aye! This eve shall also cast a fate I decree toward you, Lord Kollungr! Your death shall come from my hand. My sire swore the fate-seer in my line born under the harvest moon would be unlike any other before. You have witnessed the sheer power within my grasp – one your cruel soul will never understand. I swear unto my final breath this will be your undoing! You have crossed the wrong Scotswoman!”
Smack!Her neck flew back as his palm sailed across her cheek. She fell onto her side. The sound through the stars circling her gaze was of Aonghus yelling, along with a strange ripping of ropes.
A violent pain shot up her eyes from the blow, and she closed them – hard. The pain – odd, it was the same as when a shadow-glance arrived; but how could that possibly be…?
Chapter 43
“Cluaran…” She blinked twice then found herself sitting once more on the pallet where Aonghus had loved her only moments ago, looking down at the thistle as she clutched her wrist. Fate…
Oh. My. Fates. It had reversed!
Aonghus summoned her while he paused by the tent opening, looking at her. “Cluaran, you are awake.”
His muscles flared into action as she raised her face skyward. An eerie quality in the sheer echo it held throughout the entire encampment, like a clap of thunder she cried, “NORTHMEN! PROTECT THE KING!!”
Yells could already be heard by Scottish knights and warriors and archers rousing outside, passing the word at her warning: “Northmen! Prepare! SAVE THE KING!”
Aonghus reached for Vengeance strapped on his back as she dove toward the side when the tent broke wide behind her.
No way, no how – not this time!She ripped the dagger from her thigh’s scabbard. Who had ripped the tent? It was the Northern warrior who had fetched Kollungr in the shadow-glance; he was entering with a rock in his hand meant to knock her out.Finish him now!Caught by the element of surprise and pain as he stepped onto the thistle with a bare foot, he howled.Throw the blade!All the hours practicing in the chambers withher knight showed true. The blade flew the air the same as an arrow, piercing the Northman’s neck, whose new sound was a gurgle from blood before collapsing.
