Damn her for this.
She tried to stare through the cracks in the doorway and saw Oisin facing off against Alarr. Feann barked a command and then left with a group of his men. He was stopped by other soldiers, and she watched as the men fought one another. Fear pulsed inside her veins, but she forced herself to watch. Her gaze fixed upon Alarr. His sword moved with speed, and he struck Oisin hard. In his left hand he held a shield, and he used it to protect himself from his enemy’s punishing blows.
Over and over he attacked, and she found herself breathless, watching her warrior. He moved with confidence, and she knew he was fighting for her. She didn’t know how he had learned of the threat, but at the sight of him, she felt a surge of love.
No matter what had happened, he had always been there for her. She had complete faith that he would protect her. And she would fight alongside him.
A shadow crossed her door, and she heard Feann’s voice. ‘Breanne, are you there?’
She called out, ‘I’m here.’ There was a noise of him lifting the wooden bar, and he threw the door open.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked. His face was creased with worry, and her emotions welled up at the sight of him. ‘Did anyone hurt you?’
‘I’m fine,’ Breanne murmured. She was in his arms a moment later, and he stroked her hair back, gripping her in a fierce embrace.
‘We will get you out of here,’ he assured her. ‘I swear it.’
‘What about Alarr?’
‘He is fighting Oisin.’
Breanne clung to him, and her foster father escorted her from the shelter. They walked outside, and she froze at the sight of six guards surrounding them. Feann unsheathed his sword and faced them. ‘Go back inside, Breanne.’
She hesitated, for her foster father was badly outnumbered. With six men, they could easily kill him, and she could do nothing to stop it.
Don’t be a coward, she warned herself.
If she stood back and did nothing, he would die. And despite the danger, she didn’t believe they would kill her. She took a breath and stepped forward. ‘Stop!’ she called out to the soldiers. ‘Leave him. I will surrender without a fight.’
‘Breanne, no,’ Feann insisted. He appeared furious that she would refuse his protection. But she knew better than to let him face so many men. There was a greater chance that Alarr could help her, with her father’s support.
She moved another step, standing between them. One of the men seized her arm, while another kept his sword pointed at Feann. Her foster father glared at her. ‘Don’t do this. I can defend you long enough for you to escape.’
But she would not let him make the sacrifice. ‘I’m not going to stand aside and watch you die. Not when I can stop it from happening.’
Two of the men pressed her father back while the others surrounded her. She pushed back the rising fear and forced herself to leave with the men as they retreated.
But as they escorted her to the far end of the ringfort where Oisin was fighting Alarr, she was afraid to wonder what would happen now.
Alarr’s arm was numb from the sword fight, but he ignored the pain and continued to strike hard at his enemy. He could see the sweat running down Oisin’s face. The man was growing weary, and that gave Alarr an advantage. He lunged with his blade and nicked Oisin’s side before the man could dodge the blow.
This was about more than winning a sword fight. It was about protecting Breanne from a man who wanted to possess her. Never would he allow her to marry a man like Oisin, who would subjugate her to his will.
Without warning, Oisin changed his pace. He struck hard, swinging the sword at Alarr’s knees. He had to leap to get out of the way, and when his feet landed, he was off balance. Oisin took advantage and shoved his wounded shoulder, causing Alarr to gasp at the pain before he fell to the ground. He rolled out of the way and raised his shield just as his enemy struck a downward blow.
His pulse thundered, and he forced himself to centre his rage. He needed to remain calm and not allow his body’s weakness to betray him. But he struggled to push back the frustration of his lack of balance. He could not doubt himself, or it would only lead to failure.
‘You cannot win this fight,’ Oisin taunted. ‘And when you’re dead, I’m going to claim her body. You’ll die, knowing that she will be mine to do with as I choose.’ A thin smile curved at Oisin’s mouth.
Not if I can help it.
Alarr knew the man was trying to incite his rage, to make him careless. He used all his strength to push back with his shield and managed to stand up from the ground. His legs were still unsteady, but he feigned a strength he didn’t feel.
Oisin pressed back, and when Alarr stared into the man’s eyes, he saw no mercy. He had no doubt that his enemy would hurt Breanne, given the opportunity. This time, he would not stop until Oisin was dead and could no longer threaten Breanne.
With a surge of strength, he shoved Oisin back and swung his sword. He saw a slight smile as his enemy dodged the blow, but Alarr ignored the mocking stare and continued to fight.
Out of nowhere, a searing pain struck the back of his knees, and he crumpled to the ground. He spied another man attacking from behind, and Alarr barely avoided the killing blow. It was dishonourable, and he should have expected it from Oisin. The second man struck him with a club, and Alarr bit back a roar of pain as he tried to defend himself from both fighters.
A soft exclamation caught his attention, and
