A soldier had touched him. A soldier had stopped him.
Wiren didn’t flinch.
Didn’t look away.
“You’ve blood on your hands already,” he said. “You’ll spill no more here.”
Wiren released his grip with a shove, forcing Halverton to take a few steps back.
Aoife grabbed James by the arm and moved quickly into his line of sight. His eyes were squeezed shut against the pain.
“James, look at me.”
He forced them open.
His focus slipped almost at once, gaze unfixed. He swayed where he stood, breath coming shallow, as though the floor hadshifted beneath him. He blinked hard, once, twice, as if trying to clear something that wouldn’t settle.
Aoife tightened her grip, steadying him before he could fall.
She guided him toward the others. Mrs Harrow took him from Aoife, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Clara had said once that they were like a family; the way that the housekeeper looked at James made it all too clear how much the woman cherished the young people in her care.
The remaining staff didn’t hesitate.
The last of the servants crossed the floor, heads lowered.
Kit went straight to check on James.
Halverton stood alone. He looked around at the empty space where they had been, at the line now formed against him.
A laugh broke from him.
“So that is it?” he said.
His gaze landed on Aoife.
“You will follow her now?” He took a step forward. His voice rose again.
“You think she can lead you away from me?”
Another step. When he next spoke, he emphasised each word.
“She cannot even leave.”
Chapter 29
“It doesn’t matter,” Aoife said. Her voice was quiet but steady. “I’ll stay here. At least the staff and the villagers will be safe from you.”
Halverton grinned. “Safe? How do you figure that? I will call for reinforcements from Eldross. Every last one of them will regret siding with you.” He didn’t look at the staff as he spoke.
It was Aoife’s turn to smile. “And how do you plan to control them in the meantime?” She asked. “Do you think these are the only soldiers who hate you?”
Norin and Kian moved subtly, no longer flanking the door, no longer hiding in the shadows. Kian’s muscles were taut, jaw tense, eyes red as he stopped beside Wiren.
Halverton scoffed. “You have three men. I have a troop outside who are loyal to me.”
“Look how you repay us,” Kian’s voice cracked through the air. “Lugh was loyal, and you shot him like a dog.”
“Who?” Halverton blinked.
