“Nay!” he roared, closing the distance in three desperate strides.
Jack raised his sword high, eyes fixed on Eva, madness blazing unchecked. Time seemed to slow as Connor lifted his blade.
Steel drove through flesh with a sickening finality as Connor struck Jack from behind. Jack gasped, the sword slipping fromhis fingers as the force of the blow drove him forward. He fell to his knees, breath shuddering, the rage draining out of him in a rush of blood. Connor stood frozen for a heartbeat, horror and grim necessity warring in his chest.
Jack turned his head slightly, eyes already dimming, and looked at Connor.
“Tell… tell Michael I love him,” he rasped, voice barely sound.
Connor swallowed hard, his grip trembling on the hilt. “I will,” he said quietly as Jack collapsed fully to the ground.
The clearing fell into stunned silence, broken only by ragged breathing. Connor turned at once, crossing to Eva and pulling her into his arms.
“It’s done,” he murmured, voice rough, holding her as if she might vanish. Eva clutched him tightly, tears soaking into his cloak as her body shook.
Michael stood rooted a short distance away, staring at Jack’s still form with hollow eyes.
“Da,” he whispered, the word torn from him like a wound.
Connor looked at him with aching sympathy, knowing there were no words to mend such a loss. David lowered his weapon and bowed his head, the cost of the skirmish heavy on them all.
Connor held Eva close as the men secured the clearing, his gaze drifting back to Jack’s body. He felt no triumph, only the grim weight of what had been necessary to save the woman he loved.
“I’m sorry it came to this,” he murmured, unsure if the words were meant for Jack, Michael, or himself.
In the hush that followed, Connor vowed silently that this cycle of blood would end with him.
Connor looked at Michael as he sank to his knees beside Jack’s body, a broken sound tearing from his chest. The lad’s shoulders shook as he wept, hands fisted in his father’s cloak as though he might pull him back from death. Connor stood a short distance away, sword hanging heavy at his side, the fury of moments past replaced by a hollow ache. He felt the weight of every life in that clearing press down upon him.
Michael looked up at last, eyes red and unfocused, and Connor stepped closer.
“I’m sorry,” Connor said quietly, his voice thick, “I kent nay other way.”
Michael shook his head slowly, tears still tracking down his face. “I saw it,” he said hoarsely, “ye were defendin’ Eva.”
Connor let out a breath he had been holding since the blade fell. “I’d have spared him if I could,” he said, glancing down at Jack.
Michael wiped his face with his sleeve and nodded again. “He was lost,” Michael whispered, “rage took him long before this moment.”
Silence settled between them, broken only by the rustle of leaves. Connor placed a hand on Michael’s shoulder, firm and steady.
“He deserves a proper burial,” Connor said at last. “And I’ll see it done, as is right.” He turned and called out, “David.”
David stepped forward at once, bloodied but standing strong.
“Take Jack,” Connor ordered, his voice measured, “and see he’s returned to his clan for burial.” David inclined his head solemnly. “Aye, me laird, I’ll see to it.”
Two guards moved to help David lift the body, handling it with care. Michael rose slowly and followed them, his steps unsteady as though the ground itself had shifted beneath him. Connor watched him closely, ready to catch him should he fall. Eva hovered nearby, pale and shaken, her eyes never leaving Connor’s face.
“It’s over now,” Connor said softly to her, though the words felt fragile.
Eva nodded, pressing her lips together as she reached for his hand. “I kent ye’d come,” she murmured.
Connor squeezed her fingers briefly before turning back to Michael.
They mounted their horses in somber quiet, the forest suddenly seeming too still. Michael rode behind Connor, staring ahead without seeing, his grief locked deep inside. The path back felt longer than before, each hoofbeat echoing like a funeral drum. Connor rode at the head, jaw set, mind racing with what must come next. Eva sat behind him, her arms wrapped around him. Her head resting on his back.
As they cleared the trees, Michael finally spoke. “All me life,” he said quietly, “I thought I kent who I was.”
