“Thought I saw something, me Laird,” came the muffled reply. “Movement in the trees. The darkness is already spreading there.”
Evander scowled. “So much for getting back to the keep before dark,” he muttered. Aloud, he called, “What do yer instincts tell ye, Angus?”
“I daenae ken. I daenae feel at ease.”
“Very well. I’ll come out and see what there is to see.”
Skye flinched. “What? Ye are leaving?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Earlier, ye couldnae stand the thought of sharing the litter with me, and now ye daenae want me to leave it? Ye gods, lass, ye are easy to win over.”
She reddened. “I daenae like yer teasing.”
“Ye never did,” he responded simply, then reached for the door.
At that moment, as silence rushed in, Skye heard a strange, sharp noise. A sort ofwhoosh, followed by a minutethunkand a short, sharp intake of breath. The sound was oddly familiar and sent nausea running up her throat.
Evander’s eyes widened.
“Angus,” he breathed, throwing open the door.
At that moment, Skye understood what the noise was. It was the sound of an arrow cutting through the air and thudding into flesh.
Her hand flew to her mouth. Evander let out a nasty curse, flinging himself out of the litter. Light rushed in, revealing just how dark the interior had been.
Flinching, Skye lifted her hand to shield her eyes, which adjusted to the new light just in time to see a heavy body drop like a weight past the open door, a feathered arrow protruding from the figure’s chest.
“He’s hurt!” she cried, clambering toward the door.
She wasn’t a healer, not really, but both she and Hunter were reasonably skilled in the art. It came in handy, after all. However, an arrow could be fatal if it were dirty or pierced the wrong place. If she could just get to the man and take a look?—
“Nay!” Evander shouted, holding up his hand. He was already looking at something else beyond the litter, something in front of the road. “Stay inside, lass. I mean it.”
She clenched her jaw. “I daenae care to be locked up in a box, cowering, while others fight over me,” she snapped. “Step aside. I’m coming out.”
She didn’t wait for him to move. Instead, she scrambled out of the litter and into the open air.
And promptly saw an arrow flying toward her face.
