It would be too easy to win this one.
An hour later, Iris was cocking her bow, her eyes following the path in which she would let her arrow fly. It was the last target from a few hundred yards out, and she didn’t anticipate struggling like some others had to hit it dead center.
In fact, that was exactly what she planned on doing.
Drawing in a breath, Iris focused on the target and then slowly exhaled, feeling the slight sting of the arrow on her cheek as it flew past. It whizzed through the air at such a speed that even she was amazed, and when it hit the target dead center, she allowed herself to grin.
She had done it. She had won the competition!
“Wallace clan—the victor!” the advisor called out before the cheers erupted and Iris found herself surrounded by her competitors, some even begrudgingly congratulating her.
She nodded her thanks, and her eyes caught James’s, who just winked at her but didn’t approach her.
“Iris!”
“Lass!”
Iris turned to see both her brothers behind her, their grins hard to ignore.
“Ye did it!” Stephan announced, pumping his fist in the air. “I knew ye could.”
“Nice shot,” Ian drawled, placing his hand on her shoulder. “That will cause them all tae steer clear of ye now, including Lennox.”
Iris felt her blood run cold and accepted the ale that Stephan had shoved in her direction.
“Lennox?”
“Of the McGregor clan,” Ian finished, his eyes glittering with an emotion she couldn’t name. “He’s our enemy, Iris. Dinnae forget that.”
She scoffed, hoping that he couldn’t see the panic in her eyes.
“Och, of course he is. If I could have put an arrow in his body, I would have.”
Ian arched a brow. “Is that true?”
“Of course it is!” Stephan swept in, saving Iris from having to explain further. He threw his arm around her shoulders. “’Tis time tae celebrate, dear sister! Come, meet yer adoring lot that awaits.”
Iris let out a laugh, her eyes sliding to Ian as she allowed Stephan to lead her away. Her brother suspected something, but how? Had he seen James leave the forest after her?
She had been so careful! Right now, Iris felt like her shame was written all on her face for him to see.
Well, she would stay far away from him, Iris decided as Stephan led her through the camp. The kiss was something she shouldn’t have partaken in, especially with him.
Perhaps the longer she avoided James, the less these feelings would plague her, and the less she would want to seek him out to continue what she started.
Either that or she would have to start kissing random Scots to wipe his taste from her senses!
“That’s mah lass,” her father replied as they arrived at the tent, all the warriors crowding around to congratulate her. “Wallace blood runs through yer veins, Iris. There was never a doubt on mah part.”
She flushed under his praise, forgetting about James for now. This was what she came for, and this was the only thing that she would have when they left to return to their clan.
That and she needed to remember that James was indeed her enemy, no matter how much he had made her feel with that one kiss.
Or how she craved another.
Shaking her head, Iris joined her fellow clansmen in a rousing song about the Wallace clan, their voices loud and booming over the rest of the noise. One day her traitorous heart would agree to everything she had just decided.
It had to.
