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Yesenda secretly smiled. He was tiring much faster. Anger truly was the enemy of reason.
She took a step back and made a slight misstep, stumbling backward. The monk aimed to take advantage. He swung high. Yesenda managed to roll out of the way. The sharp end of the club sliced her arm, but it was not deep.
Yesenda rolled into a crouch position, then she ran at him. He was not expecting the move, and he tried to run backwards but tripped on his own robe and lost his balance. It was the advantage she needed. When he went down, he dropped the club. Yesenda picked it up. She now held a weapon in each hand.
The monk was back on his feet, and he roared in anger and rushed at her.
Yesenda spun both weapons and brought them both crashing down across his middle. He screamed in pain and hit the ground, writhing in agony. She placed a foot on his neck and asked, “Who sent you? Where are your brothers?”
His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he passed out from the pain. Yesenda shook her head and removed her foot.
Edmund’s foster parents, Sienna and Gideon, came running outside. They told Yesenda that the monk said there were others already in the village.
“Then you need to leave tonight and move to the next haven we discussed.”
“Aye,” Gideon nodded.
“Will you come with us?” Sienna asked.
“Not yet. I will remain to flush out the others, buy you some time, then I will join you. Pack everything and I’ll burn the cottage to the ground. I’ll tie up the monk—”
Before Yesenda could finish her sentence, Gideon pulled out a dagger and sliced the monk’s throat.
Yesenda was about to protest when Gideon said, “He kens too much, he beat a lot of information out of us, and he has seenallour faces. Even yours. We cannot let him live.”
Yesenda nodded and made the sign of the cross.
Then they set about putting their plan into place.
The next morning Edmund and his parents were gone, and news spread of a burnt-out cottage with the remains of the unfortunate owner amidst the carnage.
Yesenda returned to the Keep at pre-dawn. She changed back into a dress in the stables, being sure to stuff everything into a knapsack. By the time she re-entered the Keep, she was so exhausted she crept into the first empty bed chamber she could find and then slept like the dead.
***
That night Iain lay awake in his cottage by the glen, alone and staring at the rafters. He wondered what happened to Yesenda after the meal in the hall. He tried to find her, but Liosa would not leave his side. Seeing as the Henderson women really did not like Liosa, he spent the entire night running interference before his sister Tyra and cousin Willa scratched Liosa’s eyes out. All he thought about was Yesenda, her warm smile, and a wink. He wondered how he could get close to her. Iain’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Iain? My love? Are you still awake? I cannot sleep.”
He ignored Liosa. She banged louder.
“Go away, Liosa. Nothing has changed. Tis best we keep our distance.”
“Please, Iain, I just dinnae want to sleep alone. Tis cold.”
“Then light a damned fire.”
“I dinnae ken how to,” she whined.
“Bloody hell!” he grumbled. Iain threw open the door and stormed past her to Willa’s old cottage. Once inside, he went about lighting a fire in the hearth. Iain sensed Liosa hovering behind him, but did not look until the fire was burning. He added an extra log, then stood and made for the door.
“Iain. Please sleep with me tonight. I need to feel you inside me.”
When he turned Liosa was fully naked with a sultry look on her face.
Iain clenched his jaw, feeling torn. He had abstained from sexual relations for a long time. He would be lying if he said he felt nothing physically. But he was not eager as he had been in the past. He clenched his fists as he felt Liosa’s soft hands caress his bare chest. This is how she worked her way back into his life.
Iain took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then the strangest thing happened. The images in his head were not of a naked Liosa, but Yesenda winking at him. He opened his eyes immediately, and he stepped away from Liosa.
