every passing moment.
Maghnus and Neasan moved in front of their Queen and Captain, attempting not to show the fear Dearg smelled, swords drawn in front of them. His mind worked. How best to achieve his goal, without killing Siobhan in the process?
“See! He hesitates now,” the Queen whispered in the Captain’s ear. “She has enthralled your Knights to keep her safe.”
Dearg growled, and the Captain better covered the Queen with his body. Then Fallon spotted her. He charged, engaging Maghnus with vicious blows.
Siobhan’s eyes cleared little by little. Mischievousness entered her gaze as she completely dropped her weight, unbalancing the Captain, forcing him to choose: her, or his Queen.
He let her go, and she rolled out of the way. Magick simmered, white glitter backed by the wall of dying fire, a portal ripped open, and the Queen threw herself in. Dearg thundered forward, but the fabric of the spell stitched back together.
Chapter Seven
Maghnus’ knees gave out, his mouth opening like a fish. His hands closed around Fallon’s sword that had run through his chest. Dearg’s roar brought his head up in time to watch the portal close.
He pushed the Knight off the blade with his foot.
Fallon screamed his denial at the Queen’s escape, a twitch in his mind at the chance to fulfill his oath. If it took the rest of eternity, he’d see her head on a pike.
He tossed a sword over Magnus’ head. Siobhan caught the blade between two palms as she finished her roll into a kneeling position.
The Captain bore on her back. She tossed the blade an inch or two into the air, caught the hilt, turning the blade as she plunged the edge under her arm, slicing through Garbhan’s knee.
A grinding pull later, she was on her feet, facing off with the simpering Captain. Fallon pressed his back to hers. Only one of the Captain’s Knights remained, Neasan, the runt of the Sidhe gene pool. He whirled back and forth between Dearg and Fallon.
“Keep that worm alive.” Siobhan nodded at the short Knight.
Neasan squeaked with fear, hightailing away. Fallon sneered, but followed her lead. Dearg and he took slow steps toward the fleeing Knight. He stumbled on an exposed root, falling on his ass at sword point.
* * * *
“I won’t be taken again.”
The Captain laughed, a frail façade to hide his fear. He leaned on his good leg, struggling for balance. She whipped her sword for his side, and he parried weakly. The edge caught his arm.
They circled one another, trading blow for blow.
“Give up, Siobhan. Come back to the castle with me, and I will let your friends go. The Queen spoke in anger. I’d never allow you to become another’s trollop.”
Siobhan laughed hysterically. She might appear a solid woman in control of her emotions, but inside was a current of hatred, and betrayal. In facing this monster of her past, Garbhan was hers alone.
“Merely yours.”
“You are to be my wife. You are mine.”
“I belong to no one!” She screamed.
“Then you are mighty dimwitted,” he said gently. “All nobility are born to be pawns of royalty. You’re a Duchess, a female of worth, wealth and intelligence, to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. Tell me when it hasn’t been so? Your father agreed to your marriage. It is your duty to him and me, to uphold the agreement.”
She jabbed at him, nicking his stomach. He winced. Her fuming anger got the better of her, and she missed his answering swing. The edge cut through her cloak, slicing her bicep.
“My father followed protocol. He feared the unpredictability of the Queen, where I did not. He hated you more than I do, at least in the beginning. He begged me to submit, but even then, he knew I’d fight. I’d find a way, and I have.”
“By running? Is that how you want to live your life?”
“At least it is a life of my choosing!”
“The Queen will never let you go. She will tear apart every corner of this world, until you are found.”
His energy
Maghnus and Neasan moved in front of their Queen and Captain, attempting not to show the fear Dearg smelled, swords drawn in front of them. His mind worked. How best to achieve his goal, without killing Siobhan in the process?
“See! He hesitates now,” the Queen whispered in the Captain’s ear. “She has enthralled your Knights to keep her safe.”
Dearg growled, and the Captain better covered the Queen with his body. Then Fallon spotted her. He charged, engaging Maghnus with vicious blows.
Siobhan’s eyes cleared little by little. Mischievousness entered her gaze as she completely dropped her weight, unbalancing the Captain, forcing him to choose: her, or his Queen.
He let her go, and she rolled out of the way. Magick simmered, white glitter backed by the wall of dying fire, a portal ripped open, and the Queen threw herself in. Dearg thundered forward, but the fabric of the spell stitched back together.
Chapter Seven
Maghnus’ knees gave out, his mouth opening like a fish. His hands closed around Fallon’s sword that had run through his chest. Dearg’s roar brought his head up in time to watch the portal close.
He pushed the Knight off the blade with his foot.
Fallon screamed his denial at the Queen’s escape, a twitch in his mind at the chance to fulfill his oath. If it took the rest of eternity, he’d see her head on a pike.
He tossed a sword over Magnus’ head. Siobhan caught the blade between two palms as she finished her roll into a kneeling position.
The Captain bore on her back. She tossed the blade an inch or two into the air, caught the hilt, turning the blade as she plunged the edge under her arm, slicing through Garbhan’s knee.
A grinding pull later, she was on her feet, facing off with the simpering Captain. Fallon pressed his back to hers. Only one of the Captain’s Knights remained, Neasan, the runt of the Sidhe gene pool. He whirled back and forth between Dearg and Fallon.
“Keep that worm alive.” Siobhan nodded at the short Knight.
Neasan squeaked with fear, hightailing away. Fallon sneered, but followed her lead. Dearg and he took slow steps toward the fleeing Knight. He stumbled on an exposed root, falling on his ass at sword point.
* * * *
“I won’t be taken again.”
The Captain laughed, a frail façade to hide his fear. He leaned on his good leg, struggling for balance. She whipped her sword for his side, and he parried weakly. The edge caught his arm.
They circled one another, trading blow for blow.
“Give up, Siobhan. Come back to the castle with me, and I will let your friends go. The Queen spoke in anger. I’d never allow you to become another’s trollop.”
Siobhan laughed hysterically. She might appear a solid woman in control of her emotions, but inside was a current of hatred, and betrayal. In facing this monster of her past, Garbhan was hers alone.
“Merely yours.”
“You are to be my wife. You are mine.”
“I belong to no one!” She screamed.
“Then you are mighty dimwitted,” he said gently. “All nobility are born to be pawns of royalty. You’re a Duchess, a female of worth, wealth and intelligence, to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. Tell me when it hasn’t been so? Your father agreed to your marriage. It is your duty to him and me, to uphold the agreement.”
She jabbed at him, nicking his stomach. He winced. Her fuming anger got the better of her, and she missed his answering swing. The edge cut through her cloak, slicing her bicep.
“My father followed protocol. He feared the unpredictability of the Queen, where I did not. He hated you more than I do, at least in the beginning. He begged me to submit, but even then, he knew I’d fight. I’d find a way, and I have.”
“By running? Is that how you want to live your life?”
“At least it is a life of my choosing!”
“The Queen will never let you go. She will tear apart every corner of this world, until you are found.”
His energy
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