me up to them and let it be finished.”
Horror that she would think he would allow such a terrible thing clawed at his soul. “Nay,” he said tightly. “I will not let them touch you, Gwen.”
She stared at him, anguish marring her features, and doubt plainly evident.
Self-loathing rose within him, that she could think him so callus sickened his stomach. But he didn’t really blame her, he had brutally abducted her from the trail, kept her his prisoner, forced her to beg for the tiniest freedom. None of this was her doing. No wonder she feared he would give her up to these bastards.
Talon glared his challenge at Griffen. “You are brave to kill an unarmed man. Allow me a weapon, fight me for her, if slay me, you can have her.” Gwen fingers latched so hard on his arm; she nearly stopped the blood flow to his hand.
Griffen laughed. “If I was burdened with something as wearisome as chivalry, I might accede to your demands...and would probably die in the process. But since I was not born a fool, I decline your challenge. I am sorry to do this, but since you refuse to move aside, I have no choice.” He glanced at his men. “Kill him!”
“Nay!” Gwen screamed, hauling back on his arms. Talon tried to free himself of her grasp so he could at least use his fists, so he could die fighting, but she somehow dragged him into the trees.
“Look out!” she screeched.
Talon ducked and the sword launching at his head slammed into a tree and stayed there. He kicked as the man tried to free his sword. Talon’s foot landed solidly in the man’s groin. With a gasp, the attacker dropped. Talon grabbed the sword still imbedded in the tree, freed it, and decapitated the man. He noticed suddenly that Gwen had released him.
Daring a glance over his shoulder, he saw her staring at the corpse, her face gray. “Come on!” he snarled and grabbed her arm.
He darted through the trees. Another man came at him. Talon blocked his thrust and just as quickly killed him. Gwen choked, nearly freezing in her tracks. Talon hauled her to him. “Gwen, stop it,” he snarled. “Where is the woman whose courage I admired?”
Gwen gaped at him, but her face was still ashen and Talon feared she might start retching.
He shook her hard. “Where is the woman who fought me like a she-devil when I abducted her?”
Suddenly tears clouded her eyes. “She is no longer worth dying for.”
“Blessed Saints, Gwen,” he snarled, gripping her chin with his fingers. “You are worth my life and so much more.”
She blinked at him, stunned.
“Find your courage. I will dance with the devil before I let them have you. But I cannot do this alone.”
Suddenly her emerald eyes ignited. Talon was again assailed with a wild desire to kiss her. Either of them could die within the next heartbeat, and he wanted nothing more than to know what her lips would feel like against his if only for an instant.
A harsh cry caused him to spin and bring up his stolen sword. He blocked, pushing Gwen away. The man snapped his weapon around but again Talon smoothly defended. They traded blows for a few heartbeats before the man missed a critical block and Talon slew him. Again he seized Gwen and sprinted through the trees.
“Aaron!” Talon bellowed. “Where are you?”
No answer.
“I asked them for privacy,” Gwen growled. “Not complete inattention.”
Talon’s stomach coiled into a sickening knot. “’Tis possible my men are already dead. These ruffians only attacked when they knew we had no defense.”
“I have more faith in Aaron than that.”
“I can only hope, Gwen.”
“They went this way,” a harsh voice cried.
Talon sprinted faster, wincing at the rocks and sharp stems that sliced his feet to ribbons.
A man exploded through the trees, within arm’s reach of Gwen.
She screamed and ducked, lunging forward at the same moment Talon yanked on her arm. She
Horror that she would think he would allow such a terrible thing clawed at his soul. “Nay,” he said tightly. “I will not let them touch you, Gwen.”
She stared at him, anguish marring her features, and doubt plainly evident.
Self-loathing rose within him, that she could think him so callus sickened his stomach. But he didn’t really blame her, he had brutally abducted her from the trail, kept her his prisoner, forced her to beg for the tiniest freedom. None of this was her doing. No wonder she feared he would give her up to these bastards.
Talon glared his challenge at Griffen. “You are brave to kill an unarmed man. Allow me a weapon, fight me for her, if slay me, you can have her.” Gwen fingers latched so hard on his arm; she nearly stopped the blood flow to his hand.
Griffen laughed. “If I was burdened with something as wearisome as chivalry, I might accede to your demands...and would probably die in the process. But since I was not born a fool, I decline your challenge. I am sorry to do this, but since you refuse to move aside, I have no choice.” He glanced at his men. “Kill him!”
“Nay!” Gwen screamed, hauling back on his arms. Talon tried to free himself of her grasp so he could at least use his fists, so he could die fighting, but she somehow dragged him into the trees.
“Look out!” she screeched.
Talon ducked and the sword launching at his head slammed into a tree and stayed there. He kicked as the man tried to free his sword. Talon’s foot landed solidly in the man’s groin. With a gasp, the attacker dropped. Talon grabbed the sword still imbedded in the tree, freed it, and decapitated the man. He noticed suddenly that Gwen had released him.
Daring a glance over his shoulder, he saw her staring at the corpse, her face gray. “Come on!” he snarled and grabbed her arm.
He darted through the trees. Another man came at him. Talon blocked his thrust and just as quickly killed him. Gwen choked, nearly freezing in her tracks. Talon hauled her to him. “Gwen, stop it,” he snarled. “Where is the woman whose courage I admired?”
Gwen gaped at him, but her face was still ashen and Talon feared she might start retching.
He shook her hard. “Where is the woman who fought me like a she-devil when I abducted her?”
Suddenly tears clouded her eyes. “She is no longer worth dying for.”
“Blessed Saints, Gwen,” he snarled, gripping her chin with his fingers. “You are worth my life and so much more.”
She blinked at him, stunned.
“Find your courage. I will dance with the devil before I let them have you. But I cannot do this alone.”
Suddenly her emerald eyes ignited. Talon was again assailed with a wild desire to kiss her. Either of them could die within the next heartbeat, and he wanted nothing more than to know what her lips would feel like against his if only for an instant.
A harsh cry caused him to spin and bring up his stolen sword. He blocked, pushing Gwen away. The man snapped his weapon around but again Talon smoothly defended. They traded blows for a few heartbeats before the man missed a critical block and Talon slew him. Again he seized Gwen and sprinted through the trees.
“Aaron!” Talon bellowed. “Where are you?”
No answer.
“I asked them for privacy,” Gwen growled. “Not complete inattention.”
Talon’s stomach coiled into a sickening knot. “’Tis possible my men are already dead. These ruffians only attacked when they knew we had no defense.”
“I have more faith in Aaron than that.”
“I can only hope, Gwen.”
“They went this way,” a harsh voice cried.
Talon sprinted faster, wincing at the rocks and sharp stems that sliced his feet to ribbons.
A man exploded through the trees, within arm’s reach of Gwen.
She screamed and ducked, lunging forward at the same moment Talon yanked on her arm. She
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