Alana’s chest swelled with relief at the sight that approached her, her joy at seeing Alec McLeod so overwhelming that at first, she hadn’t noticed their battle attire. He would see her back to Linden.
Nudging his horse forward, Alec accessed her from the saddle. “Have you lost your way, milady?”
Alana’s relief turned to dread as her eyes swept the heavily armored men. She took a step back, averting her eyes back to Alec. “What goes here?” she asked tentatively.
A voice behind her spoke garishly, “Aye McLeod, tell the lass what you have planned this day.”
Alana stiffened as a hand gripped her elbow and she was more alarmed by the steel blade extended from Curran’s other hand, pointed directly at McLeod.
Alec turned his gaze upon Curran and grinned, “You plan to wield a blade against my forces, Macaulay, you alone?” his sloe-eyes wavered to Alana, “Or does the lass have a dirk up her skirts?”
Alana’s face flushed angrily-she had once thought this man kind. Her eyes glanced at the men to Alec’s back, one slight man in particular garbed in a cloak from head to toe. She felt a fear hasten through her-surely Curran didn’t think he could best all these men on his own?
The blade that hovered between them and Alec not once swayed.
“I was told the ‘Fury’ was a man of his word-“ Alec spoke firstly, his dark eyes glinting harshly, “-a man known for his supposed word has broken his treaty with my father and with that-has produced an enemy of us.”
Cold, silver eyes narrowed intensely on McLeod, “You didn’t come on behalf of your father-you came for the King. You think I don’t know of your treason, your plans to assassinate William? I was on to you before the troth was arranged.”
Alec’s jaw tightened, “You have no proof of this.”
Curran snickered, “One can learn a lot from raiding-villages will talk. Your sister’s betrothal to my brother worked in your favor-always aware of the King’s whereabouts.”
Alec straightened in his saddle grinning as he motioned to the grim faces behind him. “Do you plan to kill all of us, Macaulay, how unfortunate for you that my men and I happened to cross your path.”
Curran’s grin widened, “You fail to notice, McLeod, I purposely walked this path.”
Alec stiffened in the saddle as the surrounding thickets rustled, the greenery shifting as men from all angles stepped into the clearing, each raising a blade as equally menacing as the one Curran maneuvered.
Ambush.
Alec’s men produced their swords, the air filling with a tension as thick as blood.
Alana’s stomach clenched with alarm.
“The odds are looking better.” Curran said smugly.
“Indeed.” Alec chimed throwing one leg over the saddle and jumping to the earth. He pulled his sword from his scabbard and stepped toward Curran, raising it defensively. “Any man can wield a blade, but can he do so skillfully?”
It erupted so abruptly, the sudden clashing of steel against steel broke out in flurry of madness.
Alana felt a hand at her back, pushing her from harms way.
The second she hit the ground, she rolled away from the impending fall of feet that threatened to stomp her as blades struck above her.
Once upright, she began to tug and pull on her wrists, the rope cutting into her flesh but she was mindless to the pain and very much aware of the certain peril surrounding her.
She stole a glance towards Curran but something moving toward her in her peripheral drew her attention.
She froze as the cloaked-man she had noticed earlier moved toward her.
Her heart in her throat, she began yanking more earnestly at her bindings.
The man came to stand over her; Alana tensed as a frightened breath shuddered through her. The man reached up and pushed the hood away from his face.
Alana gasped as the sun revealed sleek, black hair and eyes as correspondingly dark brimming with such malice.
“Rosalind-“ Alana said sharply.
Rosalind grinned crookedly and slowly drew a dagger from the arm of her cloak. “I can kill you and Fallon will never know it was I that delivered it-with you dead, he’ll come back to me.”
Alana shook her head, taken aback by the crazed-cynical gleam to her eyes. “You’re mad, Rosalind.” Alana exclaimed, “When Fallon learns of Alec’s treason, there’s no hope for you.”
Rosalind’s face twisted grudgingly, “You bitch, if it weren’t for you, everything would have gone accordingly!” with a cry, she lunged toward Alana, raising her dagger-
Alana tensed, planting her arms directly before her to take the blow, but the moment she anticipated the impact, Rosalind screamed, forcing Alana’s eyes open.
Rosalind’s sloe-eyes rounded with pain her face paling markedly from the arrow rooted firmly in her chest.
She released a guttural breath and then toppled to the ground.
Alana’s head snapped around and followed the direction where the arrow had come. Her heart swelled at the sight of Nettie.
A sort of rage mingled with fear propelled him into the madness in the valley up ahead.
Fallon reached down and wrapped a steady hand around the hilt of his sword. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know that his men trailed behind-even the damned cousin had followed, insisting that she would be of use. He had been skeptical up until the moment he saw Rosalind looming over Alana, lunging toward her with a dagger.
He had barely pulled his sword free of its scabbard before an arrow whisked fleetingly through the air, implanting itself gravely in Rosalind’s chest.
He gave a slight pause to peer quickly over his shoulder at the man who brandished it, only to be utterly taken aback to see Alana’s cousin lower her bow.
Making a mental note to later praise the usually skittish-prone woman, he dug his heels into his horse and propelled forward. The second he spotted Curran, he dropped from his horse, landing easily onto his hunches, arose and the instant he did, caught a blade hovering above him.
He felt the muscles in his forearm tense as the burly warrior that spurred toward him push Fallon’s blade downward. Gritting his teeth, he dug his heels into the earth and with a sudden momentum, shoved the man backward.
The warrior stumbled allowing Fallon to seize the moment and deliver a fatal blow.
He spotted Alana and started toward her.
Alana’s heart thrust violently against her chest at the sight of Fallon and his men; she was even more startled to see Nettie trailing closely at Gavin’s side.
She struggled to her feet and peered despairingly down at Rosalind feeling a slight tinge of remorse for the woman.
She pulled at her bindings and cringed as the rope chafed a raw path in her skin.
“Alana-“ Fallon’s voice resounded through the unmistakable sound of men meeting their certain death, her chest swelled with relief and then sheer alarm as he fought his way through the armored men that charged him.
She spotted Ranulf’s massive frame moving quickly up behind Fallon and taking out a man that would have surely severed Fallon in two.
Ivan’s usually charismatic face was now pulled taut with an intenseness that altered his face completely and for the first time since meeting the man, Alana was mindful of the impeccable warrior he kept well concealed.
Gavin sheathed his sword and wielded it with an ease that came naturally to him. Alana was more in awe of the transformed woman that protected his back. Nettie had learned to master the bow and arrow at a tender age as she but had never truly taken to it-but as Alana watched her cousin, she managed it well, protecting Gavin with the utmost skill.
Fallon continued to fight his way toward her but a sudden thwarted cry rang from the massacre.
Somewhere in the midst of blades and armor, bloodshed and tears, a prominent figure hit the ground-
Alana felt a shudder in the core.
Curran lay dead.
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