Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
Aidan had just breached the clearing between hillsides when he heard a scream. Brianna . Turning toward the sound, which had come from the woods lining the expanse, he changed course, a brutal combination of fear and anger pushing him forward. Snarling, he ground his teeth together as he tried to ward off thoughts of the sort of danger she was in. He heard another scream, but this time it was not Brianna’s, but a man’s. Aidan knew he was nearly within reach of her, but the copse of trees was laden with thick brush, hindering his view. Still, he knew he must be close, his line of sight narrowed, and… there!
He spied movement, a mere flash of a sleeve, through the branches, and at the very same moment, Brianna screamed again. Aidan roared, charging headlong through the thicket—but when he broke through to the other side, there was no one. She was gone—he’d missed her by precious seconds. Panic rose in his chest as he searched for her trail, drawing back abruptly when he saw something glinting on the ground. Breea’s dagger. As he moved closer, he found her quiver and scattered arrows strewn about the brush, and then he saw her other dagger…soaked in blood. Good God, she was defenseless, mayhap wounded. Frantically searching the hillside, Aidan’s gaze finally landed on someone, but it wasn’t Brianna. It was Nigel, making his way up the hill, stumbling as he went, yet moving with dogged purpose. Another growl escaped his lips as he reached for Brianna’s daggers, sheathing them both next to his, then headed straight for Nigel, scouring the hillside for Brianna as he did so. Finally, he spotted her, high up on the hill, standing against a tree trunk, hood drawn in hiding. She looked to be uninjured, and his relief was so great he let out a sigh.
But, as he looked closer, it appeared that she wasn’t hiding at all. Nay, she’d chosen her position with care, blending into her surroundings. He watched as she began to move, slowly, purposefully, her face set in determination as she drew her bow. Had she not seen him, heard him? Knowing she’d already taken one man’s life, he wished to spare her the burden of yet another—and to be fully truthful, Aidan wished to slay Nigel himself. Nearly in reach of his foe, he called out to her sharply. At the sound of his voice, Nigel turned, startling when he saw him, and reading his intent clearly as he reached for a dagger—Brianna’s. It would be a fitting end, for the anguish he’d surely inflicted upon her.
“Aye,” Aidan said, thrilled at the fear on Nigel’s face. “Your brother’s waiting for you.” Nigel’s eyes widened as Aidan lunged forward, striking with precision. Aidan held him as he slumped to the ground. “Since I’m a man of my word, you’ll have my answer now. I would have wed your sister, but only to save her from harm, at the hands of you and your brother.” With a twist of the dagger, he finished him, then wrenched his blade free, eager to reach Brianna.
As he stepped over Nigel’s body, he looked up the hill, anxious to meet her eyes. But the instant he caught sight of her, he realized his mistake. Brianna’s aim had never been on Nigel at all, for her bow was still set, and her sights elsewhere—there must still be another. Aidan froze where he stood to give her a clear shot. Be it his last moments on this earth or not, his eyes never wavered from her face, set so beautifully in concentration as she aimed with deadly intent. He remained completely still as she released the arrow, never once allowing his eyes to stray, even as her arrow sailed passed him, so close he felt the air shift just before it met its mark, felling the man who’d come up behind him, near enough that the man’s sword clattered at Aidan’s feet.
For a mere blink, their eyes locked, then Aidan broke his gaze from Brianna’s and turned to collect the fallen man’s sword, staying low as he grasped its hilt. Seeing no more of the Fitzgeralds’ party skulking up the hill, he stayed his ground a moment longer until he was confident the danger had truly passed. Then he quickly made for Brianna, who’d been watching him just as closely, and only now let down her guard, sliding along the tree’s trunk until she rested upon the ground, her bow held steady in front of her.