- One of the men... - She sobbed. - He came right behind me and started kicking him. The man was lying on the floor because he fainted as soon as we entered the room. I ran out so they wouldn't hurt me, and I left him inside.
I followed the staircase with my eyes.
- Are they still there?
- Yes, ma'am! - she nodded. - They said they'd kill him slowly. I thought you were a bandit. I swear!
I stared coldly at the girl and without thinking I hit a slap hard on her face.
- That's for trying to seduce Alec and taking him into a trap. - I said it between my teeth, and I hit her again. - That's so she'll learn to stop being greedy and petty. Now go!
The girl looked at me scared and put her hands on her face.
- You'll pay for it! - she threatened. - I'm the village chief's niece. The king will know this and hang.
- I'm his brother's wife. - I said coldly. - We'll see what title weighs more. The whore who thinks she's smart or the princess, a dedicated and very cruel wife with whom she decides to touch her husband.
- Was that man Alec MacCalister? - she said scared.
- Yeah. - I answered coldly. - Now pray that he's alive when I come up to that room.
- Oh! Oh, my God!
- Go, go, go, go! - I screamed again. - Go, go, go, go!
The girl ran out the door and disappeared in the cold night. I looked at you at the bar. He stared at me in a frightened way and I sighed. I had hoped I wouldn't have any trouble on that route, but I was wrong. Keeping the dagger, I left the tavern and ran towards the stable. Taking my sword, I fastened the hem around my waist. I tied the two beasts to my belt and grabbed two daggers. Looking up on the roof, I counted three windows. One of those windows would have to be the one in the room Alec was in. Grabbing my horse, I positioned it on the stone wall and stood on the saddle to get to a balcony. Reaching the left balcony I looked out the window and almost let out a cheerful scream for having found the right room. The window was small, but there was a chance someone would pass through it. Someone like me, but not like them.
There were three men inside the room. Alec was sitting in a chair with his hands and feet tied. He bled a lot, because he should've gotten a lot by now.
- Ah! Alec, when all this is over, if he's still alive, I swear I'll kill him! - I whispered preparing the beasts.
The small beasts gave me the possibility of a single shot. I couldn't make a mistake, otherwise I couldn't face all three at once in such a small environment. I knelt on the stone balcony to get a better view. When the man in the middle, between the other two laughing behind Alec, positioned himself to hit him one more time, I shot him in the back. The man grunted and turned towards me. The others screamed when he fell to the ground. I prepared the other beast and when one of them took the front I shot him too.
- Lauchlan! Odar! - the man who was left shouted out the names, shaking them both. - Damn it!
He came towards the window and as he approached, I struck him with the fist of the sword. He staggered back and I took advantage of it to invade the room. I took the opportunity to kick his face when he fell to the ground.
- Who the hell are you? - he asked, standing up and drawing his sword.
- I'm your worst nightmare! - I answered in an ironic tone.
The man came at me and we had a body fight. The room was small, but it gave me an advantage over it, which was very big. I ran to the opposite side and, to preserve Alec who was passed out in the chair, I pushed him to the ground. The chair crashed because of his weight and that caused the tethers of his feet to come loose. I deflected another blow that came up. This wasn't enough to keep the next one from hitting my shaving arm.
- You bastard!
Chapter 16
Alec
I felt something cold leaning against my forehead and I opened my eyes slowly. The room was lightly lit, but I found the serious look of a pair of green eyes. Aila's forehead was frowning as if she were concentrating on something very important. I wasn't sure about her expression, but she seemed very angry.
- What's going on? - I asked with my voice almost in a whisper.
My whole body hurt, but I tried to get up anyway.
- Hold still! - she ordered. - You got your ass kicked. I don't want it to make your condition worse.
- Ah! - said among grunts of pain. - There were at least three of them. Where are those bastards?
- Dead. - she said in a serious voice. - I killed them before they finished the job. They were mercenaries and I believe they followed us here. There's still one alive I've ever talked to.
- So there were four of them.
- Five, actually.
- Five?
- Yes. - She sighed, putting the cloth she used to wipe my forehead, in a bowl of water and twisting it. -
