“We canna fight those bastards and keep my people safe,” she growled. “It’s one or the other.”
Conall glanced back towards the village. He could see that both Gerald and Ardal’s lines were retreating, being pushed back by the weight of raiders coming at them.
Damnation! Conall kicked a post in angry frustration. What would Kai do right now? No doubt he’d have some clever plan up his sleeve but Conall was out of ideas. There were only two ways out of Lanwick: over the cliffs that encircled the village or through the inlet across the bay. For the former they would need ropes and climbing gear, for the latter they would need a boat. They had neither. They were caught between the raiders and the sea.
A murmur suddenly went through the crowd and they began pointing at the bay. He squinted and made out a black shape gliding closer. As it moved into the firelight, Conall saw that it was a boat. A figure was standing by the tiller, waving furiously.
“Hey! Over here!”
It was Molly.
Chapter 10
Molly stared aroundwith wide eyes as theMermaidbumped against the quay. The harbor, which only hours ago had been filled with boats, had become a graveyard. The boats were blackened and broken, listing on their sides or half-submerged in the dark waves. Smoke still curled through the air, clogging Molly’s throat. What had happened here?
A group of women, children, and the elderly were gathered on the harborside, looking frightened and bewildered. Fiona was with them, barking orders with a sword clasped in one hand, but Molly’s gaze skipped past her and came to rest on a tall figure standing on the quayside, looking down at her.
Conall.
Her heart did a little flip at the sight of him and a wash of relief went through her so strongly she felt a little giddy. He was sweaty, soot-stained, and was holding his sword tightly, but he was alive.
Tearing her eyes away from him, she turned to the crowd gathered on the quay. “Hurry!” she cried. “Get aboard!”
Fiona wasted no time in organizing the refugees into an ordered line. They began clambering onto the boat, theMermaidrocking dangerously as they did so, and Molly turned back to look at Conall. He stared down at her, his tall form lit by the backdrop of flames in the village.
“Ye came back,” he said eventually.
“I...I saw the fire. I couldn’t just...” She trailed off, unable to articulate the panic and fear she had felt at the thought of leaving Conall and the villagers to their fate.
His expression didn’t soften. There was anger in his eyes and she could hardly blame him. After all, she had just stolen his boat and done a runner. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, glancing away. The last of the villagers clambered onto the boat, Fiona last of all.
Conall’s gray eyes returned to Molly’s. There was something in them that Molly couldn’t place, as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. She wanted to say something too, anything, but her mouth was suddenly dry.
“Get them to safety,” Conall said at last.
“Aren’t you coming with us?”
