Defiant Surrender by Tamara Gill

Author:Tamara Gill
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Tamara Gill
Published: 2013-08-23T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

The excruciating pain tore through her. Maddie wouldn’t have thought a piece of wood could cause so much agony. She winced somewhere between consciousness and sleep as her arm was shifted and prodded. She wanted to shout to whomever it was to leave her alone. Perhaps if she were lucky, it would come out like a splinter. Fester within a day or so and pop out. But right now, all she wanted was that blissful darkness to swallow her again.

Maddie had always fainted easily as a child and as the arrow staked her arm, that same sensation of falling through a void had enveloped her. From that point on, she moved in and out of consciousness, remembering only segments of time.

She remembered William, his grasp on her, hard and secure. The distant sound of horse’s hooves, which pounded against the ground. The wind cold on her face, the unbearable ache as her arm jostled through the ride. He’d spoken to her, a plea almost, against her ear, the words a blur, erased by the pain. However, whatever the words he spoke, they comforted her. His tone conveyed more than words ever could.

They were above her now, not only William but also Mistress Rhode. She wanted to smile to reassure them. Their words were harried, fast, scared; they frightened her. They were arguing. Why wouldn’t they go away and leave her alone?

A hand, warm and strong, clasped her arm. The other pushed down on her hip. She couldn’t move. She opened her eyes, fought the sleep that wanted to take her. Panic assailed her. They were going to pull it out. Oh, God no, please, no. Not without morphine, or whatever medieval drug they had to kick her back into oblivion. Her eyes met William’s, they somehow calmed her soul. She could do this. She could.

Okay, maybe not. She stilled, clamped her jaw about a piece of wood as the arrow pulled free. She wanted to scream but her voice didn’t cooperate. At that moment, Maddie hated them both equally, with their barbaric doctoring.

Idiotic, bastard, medieval torturers.

Another sharp stab of pain assailed her arm. Fingers prodded then clamped with excruciating pressure. It hurt like hell. Never had she suffered such agony in her life. Another arrow wound would have hurt less.

She passed out.

*

Minutes or perhaps hours later, Maddie heard them, faint at first, then louder as her senses started to work. How long had she been here? She tried to open her eyes, feeling weak as a newborn babe. She no longer hurt. She was just sleepy. Really sleepy. They said something; words lodged in her brain. Bleeding too much. Death. William, who sounded…unhinged.

She fought the blackness that wanted to take her and opened her eyes. She looked up at him. Panic marked his face. A faint smile lifted her lips as his eyes beckoned her to stay with him. They were warm and inviting, pulled at her. Begged her to give their marriage a chance. Even with herself in this precarious position, her female self crowed over the win.

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