Crack.
The glossy blade shattered, the tension between Theodore’s straining hands on the hilt and the wedged point proving too much to bear.
Theodore staggered backward, clutching the hilt and a jagged shard of the blade still attached, barely longer than his hand. Aiden seized his wrist and twisted it until Hannah heard a sickeningcrunch.
With a strangled scream, Theodore dropped the hilt.
It never hit the ground. Aiden snatched it up, and in one smooth, merciless motion, he rammed the blade-shard straight through Theodore’s throat.
Silence.
Theodore stood still for a moment, eyes wide, hands twitching as if he wanted to lift them to the broken sword embedded in his neck. Blood gushed down his chest. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he dropped limply to the ground, his legs simply giving out.
More silence stretched out across the courtyard, only to be broken by Aiden’s ragged breathing. He stared down at Theodore’s body for a long moment, then dragged the back of his hand over his perspiring forehead. The movement left a streak of blood there. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to where Theodore’s cousin stood, white-faced amongst the other councilmen.
“Yer cousin was guilty of treason,” he stated thinly.
The man nodded frantically. “I kent nothing of this, me Laird. I… I…”
“Enough.” Aiden waved a tired hand and turned away. “The duel has been fought and won. I am Laird MacBain, and in me lifetime, there’ll be nay other.”
That was met with applause, some men inching forward with their hands outstretched as if to clap him on the back or shake his hand. Aiden turned back from them all and moved over to where Hannah still sat crumpled on the ground.
“Lass?” he murmured, leaning down to look into her face. “Are ye hurt?”
“Me head aches,” she mumbled. Tugging her sleeve over her hand, she reached up to wipe away the blood smear on his forehead.
His eyebrows twitched. “I could have rinsed me face. Now ye will have a bloodstain on yer gown.”
She rolled her eyes. “This dress is already past its best. Besides, I’m a woman. I ken how to get bloodstains out of clothes.”
He chuckled. “Come here. I’ll take ye inside.”
“Me Laird,” one of the councilmen bleated, hurrying forward. “We must discuss?—”
“Nay,” Aiden interrupted smoothly. “We mustnae discuss anything. Nae now, at least.”
Reaching down, he gathered Hannah into his arms, rolling her easily against his chest. She clutched his shoulders out of instinct rather than anything else.
Then, as easily as if he hadn’t just fought a battle and a duel in short order, he rose to his feet with her in his arms. Like a man carrying his bride over the threshold, he strode across the courtyard, climbing the stone steps with ease. Over his shoulder, Hannah could see the assembled servants, guards, and councilmen staring after them, jaws hanging slack.
She pressed her mouth against his shoulder and hid a smile.
The shadows of the keep passed over them. It was cooler inside. Curled up in his arms, Hannah finally allowed herself to close her eyes and relax, her limbs growing heavy.
“They willnae be happy that ye walked away from them like that,” she remarked.
He gave a low growl, a noise that resonated deeply in his chest. “They’d better keep it to themselves. I’m nae in the mood for complaints, I can tell ye that.”
Hannah bit back a smile. “When are yeeverin the mood for complaints?”
He chuckled faintly—at least, she thought it was a chuckle—and continued walking.
A few servants stepped out into the hallway, staring at them with wide eyes, but none were foolish enough to ask questions or get in their way.
At last, Aiden reached the door to his bedroom. Shifting her weight onto just one arm, he unlocked the door smoothly and pushed it open. Stepping inside, he just as easily kicked the door shut behind him with his heel.
For a moment, they stood together, tangled up. The room smelled of woodsmoke and lavender, probably from sprigs of dried herbs that had been left hanging here and there, emanating a rich, savory-sweet scent. A fire had been lit at some point, the air deliciously warm.
