Forbidden Alliance by Diana Cosby

Author:Diana Cosby
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2019-04-26T14:15:12+00:00

Chapter 12

Cailin grabbed her arm to keep her from sliding on top of the boulder; heart pounding, Elspet jerked free, stared down to where her stepbrother sat with the small band of Dalkirk’s knights. “Sir James is going to murder Blar!”

“Blast it,” Cailin snarled, “get behind me.”

“As I suspected,” Blar spat, his gaze smug, “Sir Cailin is with my whore of a stepsister.”

Whore? The air rushed from her at his foul accusation, and she wanted to retch. How could he say, believe such? “I–I slept with nay man.”

Blar grunted. “Rumor is that you open your legs quick enough for any man.”

Cailin’s arrow flew, sank deep in Blar’s arm.

Her stepbrother screamed, and his horse snorted and stepped to one side. A trickle of blood slid from the wound as he glared up at Cailin. “You will die for that!”

“Apologize,” Cailin ordered, “or the next one will be in your worthless heart.” His gaze cut to the others. “If anyone else moves, ’twill be his last.”

“I am sorry,” Blar said between clenched teeth.

But he wasn’t. Hate spewed from her stepbrother’s eyes, a darkness so vile that shivers swept Elspet. How had she never noticed his true feelings for her before? Pain welled in her chest. Foolishly, she’d believed Blar had accepted her into his family, cared for her, and would protect her with his life. ’Twould seem ’twas all a lie.

“Why do you ride with the Earl of Dalkirk’s knights?” she demanded.

Blar’s mouth tightened; with his good arm, he backed his horse out of arrow range; the others, except for Sir James, followed suit. “Once you come down here, I will explain.”

She scoffed. “You must think me a fool. The earl wants me dead, you ride with my enemy, dare call me a whore, and now I am to listen to you?” Her finger wrapped around an arrow, and she wished he was within range. “’Twould seem there is little to explain.”

“Always stubborn.” He spoke to her as if she were a child. “There is much you dinna understand.”

“Like what?” At this moment, she doubted she’d believe anything he ever said again.

Blar scowled at Cailin before turning to her. “This isna the place to talk. What is important is that I have spoken with the earl and he has agreed to forgive you.”

She gave a cold laugh, her anger spiking up another notch. “After Dalkirk ordered his men to murder my mother and your father and burn our home, he should be begging us for forgiveness.”

Face taut, Blar rubbed his bleeding arm. “You should be thankful that I convinced the earl to spare your life.”

“For what, to sleep in his bed?” She narrowed her haze. “I would die first.”

“You will rue the day you disobeyed me.” Blar started to turn his horse, then glanced toward Sir James with shrewd eyes. “And yet… I am thinking that mayhap ’tis not the coin offered for their capture that draws your interest but that you plot against the earl.”

The lead knight’s face darkened further.

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