Earrach, who stared at the sky.
Adair did not move a step, merely stood with his blade, smeared in gore, at his side.
“’Twas a fair fight.” The words were on Bradana’s lips almost before she could think, for all she could think on was him. “Ye all saw, ’twas a fair right.”
Toren leaned past Kerr to look at her, an assessing expression such as she had never before received from him.
“Come,” he told her. “Quickly.”
But Mican had already stumbled to his feet and swung to face Adair. “Ye ha’ murdered my son.”
Adair’s head came up. His nostrils flared. At that moment he looked like a battle pony fit for the charge. There was more to Gawen MacMurtray’s third son than even Bradana had guessed.
Toren stepped forward. Bradana still could not imagine where Kendrick was, unless her mother…
By the gods, what had happened to her mother?
Yet to her surprise, Toren stepped up in his father’s place. “My sister is right. ’Twas a fair fight. Everyone saw.” He turned to Kerr and mouthed,Take them.
Kerr grabbed Bradana’s hand, yanked her from Maeve’s grip. With his other hand he snagged Adair’s arm and towed him away out of the crowd. Towed both of them. “Come.”
Kerr was not what Bradana would call a man of practical considerations. Yet now, as they left the thronged area and the man lying on the ground awash with blood, he said, “Go to your rooms. Grab what ye need. I will bring ponies. Ye maun get yoursel’s away. Understand?”
Scarcely listening to him, Bradana looked back, sure someone—Mican—would be coming after them.
Adair had killed Mican’s son.
But no one had left the crowd.
It had been a fair fight.
Toren still held Mican there, talking to him. But aye, he would be coming. A man like Mican would want blood for blood.
“He will be coming,” she said aloud.
Kerr glanced at her. “Aye, so I say.”
Adair dragged all three of them to a halt. “I ha’ done naught wrong. I will stay and face whatever justice your father hands out.”
“Ye cannot,” Kerr objected. “Father will want to keep the alliance intact. He may—”
“Sacrifice Adair,” Bradana concluded.
“Aye, so.”
“Kerr.” Now Bradana grabbed hold of her stepbrother. “Where will we go?”
“Better,” Adair said, light and darkness flickering in his eyes, “for us to take my boat away to Erin.”
“The boat is the first place they will seek ye.”
“Then I cannot get my belongings—”
“No’ from the boat, nay. Only from your quarters. Hurry, for the gods’ sake. I will bring the ponies.”
Kerr pelted off. Adair looked at Bradana and she at him.
“I need to go back,” he told her. “Face my actions.”
