Page 128 of Outlaw Ever After

“ Inside !” he bellowed at her.

He flicked loose a rib slitter from his wrist and his scythe from his back. Spun them both into his grip as MacGregor whirled around.

“It’s the Outlaw Comyn!” MacGregor’s weapons were his words, slicing truer than any blade as the bastard prowled a circle around him and Faunus.

Guardsmen rushed forward. Shite. He could outsmart nine or ten. Time to see if the Reaper could outfight a score.

…

“Nay! Kendrew! Stop!” Peigi cried.

“Get inside, love,” Caleb commanded again.

But she couldn’t leave! Her heart pounded as her miracle of a man, who’d defied such odds, deflected MacGregor’s sword.

He flung a leg over Faunus’s neck and jumped down. He slapped the beast’s rear to send him trotting and Peigi hastened to gather the reins as Caleb met with MacGregor’s swing. Guardsmen circled as her brother’s men flooded onto the green from around the castle and out the doors onto the courtyard.

Sir Donegal ran forward, confused. She intercepted him, gripping his arms.

“Sir Donegal, it’s nay true, it’s nay—”

Her brother’s loyal first-in-command looked back and forth between Caleb and her.

He sidestepped her. Hooves were thundering in the distance.

“No, Donegal! He’s nay a killer!” she cried. “I swear, if ye’d just listen!”

“She nay kens the truth!” Kendrew shouted. “Donegal! This is the man who murdered the Grant’s sire!”

“Nay !” Peigi shrieked, chasing after him.

“Stay back, mi lady,” Donegal demanded, as guardsmen converged. Grappled.

A dagger swung toward him, cutting him.

“Caleb !” she screamed as he returned the stab.

He parried. Deflected. Darted to the stable and hopped up onto the wall, kicking away a sword and hopping over another swing with a taunting laugh. “That the best ye got?”

Her cocksure warrior merely waggled his brow as if this were a game, but she could see the hardened torque to his neck, the feral stance of his body. He could try all he liked to treat this like a contest, but this was much worse.

He leapt down and led the swarm into the stable, shouting at Thomas to leave.

Mon Dieu, the bairn!

She hurried to a window, reaching inside as the guardsmen funneled in and she watched her outlaw parry like a seasoned pirate, disturbing the horses that neighed their disapproval.

Were those hooves in the distance? Or was her blood pounding hot in her ears?

“Thomas!” she gasped, taking his hand and hauling him out to wrap in her arms and hurry to the safety of the courtyard steps amid the clanks of steel and grunts.

She pressed the child against her stomach.

Yet as she whirled around, Caleb emerged and slammed shut the stable door, swinging closed the bar.

The doors pounded and rattled as an uproar surged within and Caleb, bloodied and disheveled in a lopsided tunic, rushed toward Faunus, leaping and reaching for the saddle…

“Running away!” MacGregor taunted him as he made chase. “Ye’re good at that, is he nay, Lady Peigi?”