A vision of her white tulle dress splattered with blood flashed through his mind. Against his better judgment, Pedro took her slight wrist, his hand engulfing the trembling limb, and guided her through the dank corridor.
"Who is he?" she panted, racing to keep up with his longer strides.
"No one you should concern yourself with."
"They are going to kill us, are they not?"
"Not if I can prevent it."
He opened the hidden portal leading to the stable's mezzanine. The place was quiet above the soft rustling and nickering of horses. They circled sacks of Indian corn and bales of hay, the milky light from the skylight making dust motes float over the oak boards.
“I need you to be silent."
She nodded, her face bleached of color. From the vantage point on the second floor, Pedro spotted Erebus. The warhorse pricked his ears, alert. Other than an unfamiliar carriage, the space was empty.
Pedro descended the stairs, the angel close behind, and approached Erebus’s stall. With no time for a saddle, he took a bridle and a cloth and, in seconds, had the horse ready.
"Don't make unnecessary gestures." Erebus usually accepted a second rider, but it was better not to test the horse's temper. Pedro placed his hands on her waist, spanning it with ease.
He had raised her level with his chest when she twisted with surprising strength, breaking free. Hair flailing, she climbed atop the cart he had glimpsed from the mezzanine.
He caught up with her. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I am going home!"
"The quinta is surrounded. How far do you think you can go in this rickety cart?" he whispered furiously and pulled her from the carriage.
She kept gazing above her shoulder as he dragged her away. "But—"
"You will obey me." This was madness. Justifying his actions to a slip of a girl.
"I can't leave James behind."
Pedro halted. "Who?"
"My dog, James, is over there." She joined her hands in front of her body, gaze rushing to the open exit and back to the cart. "Please!"
Pedro tugged her hand, but she dug her feet again, pulling against his hold."I won't abandon him. I won't!"
"Do it."
She climbed up and returned carrying a brown valise. Steps made Pedro turn. A shadow appeared at the stable's entrance. Pedro covered her mouth again, and she lifted her brows, the black of her eyes eclipsing the blue.
"Crawl back to my horse's stall."
Pedro hid inside the tackle room. The man entered the stable with a musket in hand, scanning the place. Pedro waited. When a greasy face came parallel to the iron-studded door, Pedro jumped, clasped the beam above his head, and used both feet to shove it open. It hit the assailant with a crack, and he crumpled. Pedro straddled the invader. Thrashing his beefy arms, the man struggled to unseat him, but Pedro punched his nose until he lost conscience.
A scream, her scream, pierced the silence.
A filthy attacker had snatched her hair, pulling her up with savagery. A blade flashed as he unsheathed a dagger. She flailed her arms and kicked, but the man overpowered her, pushing her head back to expose the whiteness of her neck.
Heart hammering in his chest, Pedro took off running, short sword prepared in his right hand. He vaulted over the first bale and climbed the second one, battle rage boosting his strength. When Pedro neared, the coward's eyes flared, and he shoved the girl aside. Her head slammed on the brick wall with a sickening thud, and she collapsed.
Pedro did not give the attacker a chance to defend himself, finishing him quickly. Throat dry, he fell to his knees by her side. She lay on the floor, white-blonde hair spread like a nimbus over the hay. The skin above her right brow was bruised and already swelling. Anger swept through him in red currents, and he forced it under control. Keeping his eyes on the portal, Pedro took his gloves off.
His hands loomed monstrous, so close to her pearly skin, but he brushed the hair out of her forehead and cradled her cheek. "Angel?"
She turned her face toward his voice, opening her eyes. Light and pure, the color reminded him of the Atlantic near Algarve. "Who's pounding in my head? Make it stop, please."
