by Kristen Cobb
She tried taking slow deep breaths and thinking about something peaceful, like a meadow of flowers on a warm sunny day, to no avail. The clang of swords refused to allow her any peace. To make matters worse the trees were silently whispering in her mind, telling her Conri was her mate, sparking her ire that anyone would dare threaten him.
Finally the clanging of swords ceased. She hesitated to open her eyes. An enormous amount of energy built up inside of her that would only be released when the danger passed. With no one to teach her how to control this unusual talent her skills in that particular area were virtually nonexistent. “Is it over?” She nearly held her breath waiting for Sedric’s answer.
“That it is, and your boy is just fine.”
The energy gathered inside her body immediately began to flow back out to the world around her. Taking a chance she opened her eyes, praying to Laurence’s God that her eyes were not glowing. Their fear would spill over into an all out melee. Sedric stepped aside and stood next to her, showing no reaction at all when she glanced in his direction.
Breathing an inner sigh of relief she turned her attention to Conri. Nolan lie on his back in the dirt, sword just barely out of reach. Conri’s foot pressed down on the wrist of Nolan’s sword arm, preventing him from reaching for the weapon. The tip of Conri’s sword was pointed at Nolan’s neck, ready to be plunged straight through if the man so much as moved. “If you ever come near her again I will kill you. Do we understand each other?”
Nolan continued glaring at Conri, a silent but emphatic defiance.
Conri put pressure on the sword. A small pool of blood began to form where the tip of Conri’s sword pierced the skin of Nolan’s neck.
Nolan tried reaching his left arm over his body in an attempt to retrieve his weapon. Sedric was on him in an instant, slamming a foot down on the arm.
Nolan closed his eyes for a moment as Conri drove his sword just a bit deeper into the man’s neck. “Fine, I will leave her alone.”
Conri and Sedric immediately removed their feet from Nolan’s arms. Conri was not so quick to remove his sword. She watched him twist the tip before removing it from Nolan’s neck. The only sign that it bothered Nolan was a slight clenching of his jaw. Conri used Nolan’s shirt to wipe the blood from the tip of his sword.
Nolan stood up, quickly retrieving his weapon. She held her breath for a moment wondering if he would attack again, the anger in Nolan’s eyes clear for all to see.
Nolan turned his angry glare on her before focusing all of his attention back to Conri. “With any luck you will be the first one she kills. For that reason alone it might be worth allowing her to live.”
Nolan turned and walked away. The men standing around in a circle immediately stepped aside to let him leave. Nolan pushed a few of them out of his way unnecessarily.
Having breakfast with his father at the table Donal watched his mother sitting on the edge of Ceara’s bed. Ceara died last night but his mother would not let anyone move the body. The silence inside their small home was suddenly broken by the clang of swords. His father ran over to the door, throwing it open as a woman’s scream flooded into the house.
The instant Donal ran over to the open doorway his father pushed him back. “Stay here.”
His mother ran up behind them, grabbing his father’s shirt. “No!”
“I will not sit here hiding while other men fight to defend what I have.”
The doorway remained open. Donal peered around his parents in an attempt to catch a glimpse of whatever must be going on outside. A man lie on his back in the street, the front of his shirt covered in blood, a sword still clutched in his hand.
His mother and father stared at each other. His mother eventually relented, releasing her grip on his father’s shirt.
Donal watched his father walk out of the house, over to the dead man in the street. He bent over, taking the dead man’s sword from his hand. The man’s head lifted as his father grabbed the sword. He heard his mother gasp.
A group of men carrying bloody swords and wearing metal clothing suddenly appeared from around the corner. One of the men walked over to his father. The man motioned to his father as if encouraging him to attack. His father lunged forward swinging the sword.
The man covered in metal stepped out of the way then struck a blow to his father’s side. The man plunged the sword into his father’s stomach before he had a chance to recover and fight back.
His father dropped the sword then turned toward the cottage before crumbling to the ground, blood quickly soaking his shirt. Before Donal realized what was happening his mother ran out into the street. She grabbed the sword lying next to his father, lunging at the warrior, screaming in fury. The man in metal was ready for her, plunging his sword into her stomach as well. The warrior quickly pulled the sword back out of his mother’s body, covered in blood. Donal watched as his parent’s blood dripped off the tip of the sword onto the dirt road.
The band of warriors merely walked away as if nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Asculf MacTorkil stood on the deck of a ship surrounded by his men, watching warriors covered in armor run out onto the dock his ship just vacated. Three archers stepped in front of the soldiers along the front edge of the wooden dock. Each of the archers pulled an arrow from the quiver at their backs, setting their bows in unison. All three arrows flew at his ship. His men quickly made a human wall to protect him.
Soldiers at the bow of the ship raised their wooden shields to block the arrows from their intended target. One of the arrows made it through, lodging in the arm of the man standing directly in front of him. Asculf barely made it out of Dublin alive. Apparently there was still no guarantee he would survive. He began the morning as king of Dublin, now he fled for nothing more than his life. Rory O’Connor had deserted him and in turn he deserted Dublin.
Asculf watched the smoke rising from the streets. He could hear the screams of the people fleeing their cottages as thatch roofs were set ablaze by flaming arrows, only to be run through by Dermot’s men as they attempted to escape the carnage. It was his duty as king to protect them. Instead he ran like a coward to save his own life. He would return and avenge this day. Dermot MacMurrough would not win.
Nessa would not have imagined it possible but she felt like even more of an outcast now. Instead of just ignoring her most of the men were staring and whispering. Men were passing through this part of the camp just to get a look at her. They appeared evil and threatening in the darkness as the flickering torchlight passed over their faces, otherworldly wraiths come to steal her very life.
She was seated near one of the campfires with Sedric, Eion, and Conri. Conri kept just enough distance between them to avoid conversation while still being close enough to protect her should the need arise. She glanced in his direction, trying to be discreet. They had the campfire to themselves. No one else was willing to share the space with her.
“He never sits with us. Keeps to himself that one.” Sedric glanced back at Conri.
Nessa quickly pulled her gaze away from Conri, embarrassed to be caught staring at him like a lovesick young girl.
“Just once I wish a woman would look at me that way. Why is it always him?” Eion stood up and stalked away. The sword strapped to his back appeared enormous as it swung about on his bony frame.
She wanted to stick her head in a hole and hide. Mortified did not even begin to describe how she felt right now. Apparently the ale was not helping at all. As a rule she never drank but an exception seemed to be in order for tonight. She had all of these unwanted feelings for Conri and no interest at all in the man she was supposed to be seducing, an unpleasant turn of events that seemed to call for large quantities of alcohol.
Her reaction to Conri being in danger during his battle with Nolan provided a new and disturbing problem. She’d never felt that protective of anyone. The fact that she lost control of her powers meant his very presence put her entire plan at risk. How could she care so much about a man
she barely knew? The quiet certainty that Conri would be her mate still sat firmly in her mind, refusing to be ousted. This could not possibly be happening now.
Allister handed her a refilled cup of ale before sitting down. She quickly downed half of it. Allister and Sedric glanced at each other over her head. Allister was tall and heavily muscled with long black hair and a long beard. She suddenly felt trapped by his great bulk on one side and Sedric on the other. They were both extremely large men.
Nessa drank the rest of her ale then slammed the wooden cup down on the ground. The smell of roast pig wafted on the air making her feel slightly nauseous as her stomach roiled in violent protest. She chose to drink rather than eat, perhaps not the wisest choice.
“I think it might be time I lied down.” She attempted to stand, realizing immediately that would not be an easy task. Placing a hand on Allister’s shoulder then Sedric’s she tried using them as leverage to push her body up. Nessa managed to get into a standing position but then the world began to sway. Allister and Sedric quickly stood. She closed her eyes, trying to make everything stop moving. They each looped an arm under one of her shoulders, propping her up. Without any warning someone picked her up from behind.
When she opened her eyes Conri was there, his strong arms holding her tight against his body. She should probably insist he put her down but that would mean having to walk, a task well beyond her inebriated abilities at the moment. At least this way his arms were around her. She laid her head against his shoulder and sighed. When he started walking toward their bags she laid a hand on his chest. The muscles beneath his shirt were warm and hard. One of her hands began to roam across his chest.
“Do you always drink this much?”
“I never drink.” To say it was ill advised for a woman to get incredibly drunk in a camp full of men could be considered a serious understatement. She knew better, usually.
“So why tonight?”
“I thought it might make me forget.”
“Forget what?”
“The way you make me feel.” Her hand ran out of new territory to explore which only made her think about the rest of his body.
Conri managed to keep walking but it proved to be extremely difficult. His body reacted to her touch immediately. He spent years cultivating an impenetrable layer of protective self-control when it came to women. Unfortunately it all seemed to desert him when it came to this particular woman. He actually kissed her, and truth be told he would give just about anything to do it again.
“And how is it that I make you feel?” He knew the answer but wanted to hear her say it.
She laid a hand on the side of his face. “I will never let anyone hurt you. I am sorry that I closed my eyes today while you were fighting Nolan.”
That was not even remotely what he expected to hear. Her words quite literally caused him to cease breathing for an instant. He stopped walking, staring at the woman in his arms. “You closed your eyes while I battled Nolan?” Conri chose to ignore her statement about protecting him. It created a heat that ran through his body like a sudden blaze.
“I was scared you would be hurt. And angry, so angry I could not control it. He threatened you.” Nessa laid her head back on his shoulder.
“How is it that you follow armies into battle but cannot witness one sword fight?” It seemed a mighty odd affliction for someone with her reputation.
“I have been watching men kill each other for years. It never bothered me before.” Nessa closed her eyes when the spinning started again.
“But it bothered you today?” His body still felt paralyzed by emotion.
“I would have risked everything to protect you.”
Conri started walking again, fighting the urge to kiss her. She stirred up feelings inside him that should have been long dead.
Thankfully he finally reached their bags. After setting her gently on the grass he sat down next to her. The wisest course of action would be to put some distance between them but he had orders to guard her.
Nessa lay down immediately, closing her eyes. She did not even bother to adjust the contents of her bag to find a comfortable spot for her head. Any movement at all seemed to encourage the awful spinning.
Conri removed his sword and sheath, laying it on the ground between them. He stretched out on the cold hard earth, staring up at the star-filled night sky. Her words kept running through his mind, I would have risked everything to protect you. No one had ever said those words to him, nor had anyone ever risked even a single thing to protect him.
The next day dawned much brighter than any other morning of her life. Her mouth felt like someone stuffed a heavy woolen garment in it. Nessa sat up, opened her eyes, and the pounding started. It appeared to be a cloudless sunny day, the bright sunlight absolutely blinding in her current condition. Quickly closing her eyes, she lay back down. The pounding in her head eased somewhat as she maneuvered herself into a comfortable position.
So many times over the years she watched men after a night of heavy drinking and considered them every manner of fool. Never, ever again would she put herself in this position. The intention to never drink again was not even slightly helpful today. The mere thought of walking all day caused her head to ache. Sitting up would be a tremendous feat.
“We are getting ready to leave. You cannot just lay there all day.” Sedric sounded far too awake and chipper for her liking.
She opened one eye and looked around. Sedric and Allister had her flanked again.
“Conri asked us to watch over you.” Allister sounded so proud of himself, as if it were an honor. “You might want to try sitting up again before he gets back.” Allister’s normally booming voice sounded nearly deafening in her current state.
She closed her eye and lay there considering what Allister and Sedric said, her mind not exactly sharp at the moment.
The sound of a large group of horses pounding toward them jolted her into a sitting position much faster than prudent. The world started spinning.
Sedric leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Focus on one thing. It will help with the spins.”
Nessa looked up at the men on horseback that stopped directly in front of them. A man at least as old as Dermot rode out in front, obviously in charge. She focused her gaze on him. He was staring down at her as if she were a rat gotten into his food stores. Allister and Sedric moved to stand in front of her.
“Get out of my way. She is coming with us.” The old man appeared physically thin and frail but had a commanding presence.
Allister and Sedric both drew their swords. There were at least fifteen armed men on horseback now moving into position around them, creating a circle from which there would be no escape.
“I received no such order from my king.” Sedric’s tone was respectful but challenging.
Nessa stood up and the world started spinning again. She could not fathom why men got drunk to celebrate if this was the result. Focusing on one of the horses for a moment seemed to help, a beautiful brown stallion with a white spot between his eyes. Once the world felt a bit more balanced she tried to nudge Sedric and Allister out of the way. While tall for a woman they still towered over her. Neither of them moved so much as an infinitesimal amount.
“And who might you be?” It felt as if she were attempting to speak to someone through a thick stonewall.
“Tiernan O’Rourke, king of Briefne.” The old man’s voice held a chilling finality, saying so much more than the actual words.
Tiernan O’Rourke, Dermot’s mortal enemy and a complication she had not even considered. Tiernan helped Rory ascend to rule all of Ireland and in return the high-king punished Dermot to appease Tiernan. She could not imagine this going well for her. There was no guarantee Rory would protect her against Tiernan. Unfortunately her morning after brain could not be counted on at the moment. Using her powers to escape the situation would mean aborting the plan, a less than desirable outcome.
“No one associated with Dermot is getting anywhere
near the hostages. She is coming with me. You can either hand her over peacefully or die.” Tiernan’s intense gaze focused solely on her.
Sedric and Allister shifted positions to protect her as best they could but the two of them could not fight off so many. It also seemed highly unlikely anyone else would help them defend her.
“What exactly is going on here?” Conri’s voice broke through the tense silence.
Relief flooded through her body. Tiernan’s guards broke the circle, allowing Conri to enter. He sat astride his white steed, a quiet violence emanating from the infinitely confident warrior. A battle-ax was now strapped to his waist in addition to the sword at his back. The gleaming metal of the ferocious looking weapon against his black clothing a striking contrast. Conri extended a hand down to her.
She bent and retrieved her bag. Slinging it over her head and across her shoulder she grasped Conri’s hand. Sedric grabbed her waist from behind, lifting her up as Conri pulled on her arm. Conri pulled on the horse’s mane, turning them to face Tiernan as she wrapped her arms around him.
“She cannot be trusted. I will not allow her anywhere near the hostages.” While Tiernan sounded commanding he did nothing to stop Conri from taking her.
“It is not for you to allow or disallow.” Conri’s condescending tone was clearly meant to put Tiernan in his place.
Tiernan controlled his anger well but his eyes gave away the fury seething beneath the surface. “She is up to no good. Mark my words. MacMurrough sent her for a reason.”
“Then you should take it up with Rory. I have been ordered by my king to guard her and that is what I intend to do.” Conri nudged his steed forward a few steps so his horse and Tiernan’s were nose to nose. Conri could have gone around Tiernan but forced him to move instead. Tiernan slowly guided his horse out of Conri’s path. It was the ultimate show of power.
Conri urged his horse into a gallop the instant they cleared Tiernan’s circle of soldiers. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the animal’s path had to jump out of the way. Conri made no move to guide the animal around them.