Page 16 of A Rogue and a Noble Lass

Beitris nodded. “It hae been a hard time. Many warriors hae been forged by Warnock’s desire tae tear the Highlands apart. He is a petty, cruel man. He should hae died a long time ago.”

“Aye,” Logan replied quietly.

He fired another arrow, this one flying through the air with venomous speed, the tension in Logan’s body rising at the mention of Warnock.

“Remember that the bow is nae about strength, but accuracy. Ye dinnae need tae put all ye strength intae it like when ye wield a sword,” she said.

As he placed another arrow against his bowstring she continued speaking. “I suppose yer kin were killed because of him?”

“The war took them,” Logan said.

“I ken it cannae be easy for ye tae talk about, but it will end. My family will nae let him continue this war. Da is determined tae put an end tae it, and I’m sure ye will hae yer revenge too. Ye will look intae his eyes and make him pay for what he did tae yer family.”

“Aye, I will,” Logan said.

Only she meant Warnock, while he meant Ryan.

He fired the arrow and this one hit the gold target, almost exactly in the middle. Beitris smiled and handed him another arrow.

“Now dae it again,” she said.

He noticed how close she was. He took the arrow from her and their fingers brushed together. Her chest pressed against the bow that was between them. Just an elegant piece of wood kept their bodies apart. The scent of her filled the air and made his mind hazy. Her sharp tongue and celestial eyes threatened to provoke him into rash action. It was too easy for him to get distracted by her.

“Aye, Grimhand, better watch yerself or her brothers will come by,” a guard cried out as a group of three of them walked past.

“We’re supposed tae be training, nae courting!” another teased.

“Get on with ye or ye’ll hae an arrow through yer shoulder,” Beitris snapped back.

He noticed the way she shifted away from him, as though it was a sin to be close. He didn’t know much about Beitris yet, but one thing he did know was that she hated being told what to do.

The guards passed and she was cursing their impudence. Logan leaned in, whispering into her ear.

“Meet me at midnight, then we dinnae need tae worry about any interruptions. If ye are brave enough, of course,” he said.

Glinting eyes flashed up and for a moment he was wrong-footed.

“I’m nae afraid of anything, certainly nae ye,” she said, and then the two of them moved in opposite directions.

Logan exhaled deeply. Getting closer to her meant that he was closer to Ryan. But it also stirred feelings in him that he could not allow to be unleashed.

6

For the rest of the day Beitris told herself that she wasn’t going to give Logan what he wanted. She wasn’t going to meet him at midnight. Such a thing was ludicrous, and he was probably tricking her anyway. She’d turn up in the middle of the night and be all alone. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Except that she kept thinking about it as the hours passed. She kept thinking about him.

She still found him infuriating. She still found him attractive. The two extremes clashed in her mind and it left her feeling entirely confused. There had been a glimpse of his past as well, of his pain, and she wanted to know more about him. He’d actually taught her something useful as well, and he had refrained from disparaging her weapon of choice.

She tossed and turned in bed. She glanced at the candle, watching the wax melt away, more time passing. The flame was close to reaching the mark for midnight and she cursed under her breath, flinging the bedclothes away and scurrying through the castle.

Beitris continued to shake her head and mutter until she saw him in the middle of the training field. He was a lonely figure, a shadow beneath the stars. His head was arched back and he looked almost peaceful.

As she approached he turned to her. His face was cast in moonlight. His eyes shone silver.

“Ach, ye made it. I dinnae think ye would come. I doubt yer brothers would approve.”

Beitris felt an annoying itch every time she was told that a member of her family would not approve.