Lily and Fletcher exchanged hard looks as Killian marched away from them and towards his army and spoke to them in rapid Gaelic.
Lily was ready, too, and when Killian returned to her side, he gave her one hard look, his eyes not leaving hers as he said, “Be careful.”
“You too,” she returned, meaning every word, as her breath snagged in her throat just from the thought of him dying in battle.
Lily didn’t like the terrifying shudder that wracked her body at the possibility.
His eyes raked over her one last time, and she expected him to simply turn away as his jaw hardened. Instead, he slid his right hand to the nape of her neck and drew her into him.
Killian’s hot breath fell on her face as he dipped his head as if he was about to kiss her. Lily’s eyes widened, and she held his gaze, holding her breath in hopes that he would kiss her.
Yes! She wanted his kiss… she craved it. Killian ought to know that.
His lips curved into a wicked grin when she sighed and parted her lips in anticipation of his kiss. Her entire body warmed, and the sweet ache between her thighs intensified.
“Nae until ye ask for it,” Killian said to her in a gravelly, hoarse voice before he kissed her forehead instead, and then hurried away from her.
The skin on her forehead tingled, and the sensation crept through the rest of her body. A kiss on the forehead was still a kiss. Only, it was a different kind.
A flutter erupted deep in the pit of her stomach, and she nearly forgot to breathe. Lily was still stunned some minutes after that till she heard the first loud cries of men rushing forward in attack.
A rush of energy surged through her as she charged into battle. She fought her way through the crowd of men, taking down anyone who came at her.
Killian was right. It was her first time in a real battle, and nothing could have prepared her for the numbing onslaught ofterror mingled with the desperation to stay alive. Nothing else felt more intense than the blinding need to survive.
When Lily spotted one man lifting his sword above his head to strike Killian, she rushed to him, stuck the pointy edge of her blade into his gut, then pulled it out as he dropped to the ground.
Killian and Lily only exchanged knowing nods after that, and then he slithered away from her again. Her blood roared in her ears and pumped with harsh intensity.
It was blood and chaos. Even the skies released an outpour to mark their anger. Lily slowly began to feel the tiny sprouts of exhaustion set in when one enemy delivered a heavy blow to the side of her head. The impact knocked the wind out of her. Her lungs caved and gave way for the tiny yelp that tore out of her lips.
Blinding lights erupted in her vision as the ache spread. She felt warm liquid slide down her temple and her cheek, and she touched it, lifting her fingers to find that it was her blood.
“Lily!” Killian screamed from somewhere in the middle of the mayhem around them, but her vision blurred, so she could not see him. She managed to cut down her attacker, then spun around in a circle to find him.
“Are ye all right? Are ye…” Killian touched her head as she swooned on her feet again.
Through the tiny shreds of her consciousness, Lily spotted a cloaked man with his arrow drawn a distance away from the army of men fighting each other.
Her eyes widened as she gasped, realization hitting her as he pulled the drawstring and fired. She tried to scream, but her voice failed her. Killian’s desperate words as he touched her head faded into the distance. All she could think of in that one second was saving him.
With the rest of her strength, she twirled him around in slow motion, shielding his body with hers so the arrow pierced right through her torso.
“Lily!” Killian roared as Lily coughed, blood sputtering out of her lips. He yelled more words in Gaelic… words she could not understand. But Lily found them incredibly seductive as they tumbled out of his lips.
Her knees gave way, and she crumbled to the ground. Killian knelt with her, cradling her close. “Nay, nay… Lily, please… dinnae die,” he cried out, his distressed voice slowly fading away.
Lily had a lot to say to him, but there was no time. The pain enveloped her senses, and the dizziness offered comfort, drawing her into oblivion, where all she had was a wish that she had kissed him one last time.
18
Killian tried to find Fletcher amongst his men as he lifted Lily from the ground and into his arms. She was bleeding from her head, and her petite body grew colder in his arms with each passing second.
He broke the arrow that had pierced her back in half, lifted her into his arms, and made his way past the cluster of soldiers each struggling to survive in battle. His joints ached with each stride. There was a large cut on his arm and thigh, but none of that mattered.
Killian’s physical pain was nothing compared to the ache tearing at his heart. The thought of losing Lily like this drove him insane with anger.
I shouldnae have brought her here.This is my fault… I did this.
