“Ye must act fearful of me, Issie,” he whispered. “Look at me as if ye’re terrified.”
She nodded obediently, her eyes filling with tears. “What is going tae happen now?”
“I dunna want ye tae worry,” he muttered. “I’m going tae grab yer hair now, as they might expect me tae do, but I have a dirk in my hand. Yer da gave it tae me. I’m going tae drop it intae yer hands, or as close as I can get it. I want ye tae try tae free yerself. Do ye understand?”
The tears spilled over. “I will,” she said. “But what are ye going tae do?”
“Kill The Beast.”
She closed her eyes and hung her head, utterly terrified. For a woman who didn’t show her fear, that meant something to Cam. It broke his heart. He dropped to one knee and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back gently, but making it look like a sharp movement. He put his face in hers.
“Ye may have tae fight yer way out,” he rumbled, slipping the dirk into her hand. “If The Beast somehow defeats me, dunna try tae save me. Do ye understand? Ye must run. Run out of here and use that dirk on anyone who tries tae stop ye. The horse that Clegg gave me is in the bailey. Get on that horse and ride. Ride home, Issie. Promise me.”
A sob escaped her lips. He was holding her head tightly, but her crying wasn’t from pain. It was from the fear of losing Cam.
“I love ye,” she whispered. “Until the end of all things, I’ll love ye and only ye.”
He hoped it wouldn’t be the last time he heard that from her. He let her go.
Thu fhèin,he mouthed.
Only you.
Those were words that belonged only to them and always would. Turning around, he could hear her sniffling behind him. When he saw Ternan heading in his direction as if concerned he’d done something to the lady, Cam raised his hands to signify that he was finished with her before moving away.
Ternan seemed rather protective of Isadora and he eyed Cam suspiciously before asking Isadora if she was well enough. Isadora nodded and averted her gaze. When the man finally sidled away, Isadora cast Cam a sidelong glance, watching as he stripped off his tunic, as was the fashion of the Ludus Caledonia.
He was preparing to do battle.
Across the hall, The Beast was doing the same thing. Drostan, finished speaking with The Beast, came out into the middle of the floor and looked at the two combatants.
“There will be no weapons in this fight,” he told them both. “This will be by strength only. If a man falls, the fight will continue until he is undeniably subdued. That means unable or unwilling tae fight any longer. Do ye understand?”
Cam nodded, watching The Beast do the same. Cam thought back to the last time he’d fought the barbarian. He’d had a club that time at least, something he’d been able to knock against The Beast’s skull. He’d also used that club to choke The Beast, but that wasn’t going to be the case today.
He was going to have to use his brute strength.
Cam was strong, but The Beast was stronger. He was bigger, heavier, and more powerful. Cam knew he was at a disadvantage right away, but that didn’t stop his determination. He knew he was going to have to bring the man down any way he could and he wasn’t going to fight like an honorable gentleman. He was going to fight like a brute and use any and all tactics available to him.
Drostan backed out of the center of the hall, moving to the feasting table which was over near the hearth. The hall was big enough that there was a great open area on the south side of it, which was where Cam and The Beast were now sizing up each other. Drostan settled down at the feasting table and clapped his hands loudly.
“Begin!” he boomed.
Cam and The Beast moved toward each other. They stopped when they came to within a few feet of one another and Cam put up his fists, preparing to defend himself from a punch and also to throw one when the time was right. But The Beast used his height and his longer arm reach to lash out, clipping Cam on the nose. As Cam stepped back, out of the way, The Beast aggressively charged him and landed a heavy blow on his jaw.
Cam went down.
On his backside and seeing stars, Cam knew he had to come back strongly. The sooner he ended this, the better, so as The Beast loomed over him, he lashed out a foot and caught the man right in the groin as hard as he could.
It was a dirty move, but it worked. As The Beast groaned and collapsed, Cam lurched to his feet and latched on to The Beast’s back because it was the safest place to be. He’d subdued the man like this once before and he was going to do it again.
But this time, he wasn’t simply going to subdue The Beast.
He was going to kill the man.
When The Beast realized Cam was climbing onto his back, he reached up and grabbed Cam around the head, flipping him off and onto the floor. Cam landed on his back and The Beast pounced.
After that, the brutal fight commenced in earnest.
