Kayden decided he was not going to try to reason with his sister anymore. He could see she was beyond that.
“So ye think we owe ye something, Sorcha? Owe ye ourlives? Why? What makes ye so special?” he shouted as he stepped forward cautiously.
“Special? I was yer sister! Yer blood! And ye just let those redcoats take me and… do whatever they wanted to me.”
“How did I let them, Sorcha? I daenae even ken what happened!” He gesticulated wildly as he took another step towards them.
“Aye, because ye didnae bother to find out!” Sorcha shouted, pointing her knife at him.
Kayden was relieved. At least it was away from Lilliana’s neck.
Suddenly, Rua leapt up, attacking Sorcha and pushing her down, his teeth clamping around her leg. She screamed bloody murder, and Kayden, fearing she would stab the dog, lunged at her and pinned her arms to the ground. Rua immediately went to Lilliana, who had fallen down as well, and stood over her, whining in distress.
Sorcha fought against Kayden, her fury giving her strength. “Let… me… go!” she cried, her eyes glinting with insanity. “I’ll kill ye all.”
“Sorcha! Stop!” Kayden tried to restrain her, but she kept getting her hands loose, her eyes wild with hatred.
“English filth!” she spat and kicked out her legs, hitting Lilliana in the belly.
Lilliana cried out and bent over, panting in pain.
“Nay!” Kayden roared, lunging forward as Sorcha dove towards Lilliana.
They collided hard, crashing into the earth. He gripped her wrists, forcing her onto her back, knees braced against her sides as she twisted beneath him with surprising strength. Her face was wild, streaked with tears and mud.
“Ye chose her,” she spat, voice breaking. “After everything. After what they did to us.”
“Sorcha, stop!” he demanded, breathing ragged. “This isnae justice.”
“It was never meant to be,” she whispered hoarsely.
Her hand slipped free.
Kayden felt the blade before he saw it—a sharp, burning punch beneath his ribs. He gasped as she swung the knife at him again.
Instinct overruled love.
He caught her wrist, wrenched it to the side, and in the struggle, the blade turned. There was a sickening resistance, then warmth.
Silence fell.
Sorcha’s eyes widened, shock replacing rage. She looked down at the knife buried in her side, then back at him.
“Kayden,” she breathed, something fragile flickering across her face.
His hands trembled as he held her. “What have ye done, Sorcha?”
A faint, broken smile touched her lips. “What we were taught,” she whispered.
Her body slackened.
Kayden stared down at his sister, realizing it was over. The battles and wars he had fought, the soldiers he had killed, all of that was nothing compared to this.
He shook his head, a tear spilling over. “Sorcha…”
Lilliana coughed, crawling over to him. She touched his arm, looking him in the eye. “I am sorry,” she whispered hoarsely, her throat still bleeding.
Kayden gave her a bleak look and then looked back down at Sorcha. He swallowed hard and blinked a few times, his entire body shaking.
