Rockfleet_The Pirate Queen by Jennifer Rose McMahon

Author:Jennifer Rose McMahon [McMahon, Jennifer Rose]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781977527950
Publisher: Dubdhara Publishing
Published: 2018-01-15T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Tension mounted to near breaking over the days and weeks, as MacMahuna messengers taunted us with reminders and threats while we waited in limbo for Grania's return.

Rockfleet brimmed over with stores of weapons, turf, water pots, potatoes and root vegetables. She was prepared for a fight. Hugh barely slept, focusing only on preparing the clansmen for combat.

My twisting gut grew more agitated any time I caught a glimpse of a MacMahuna. I’d search their faces, looking for Rí. But he never came. His abandonment and betrayal carved out my core.

He had to feel it too. The energy between us. But somehow he was able to push it aside. It was high time I did the same. He was my weakness against facing the MacMahunas. It was time I turned that around. Time to make him their weakness. Not ours.

The bitter taste in my mouth made it pucker. Did I have it in me to turn my heart like that? To allow this strife to come between us?

I had to. He had closed his heart to me for his clan. And now, I had to do the same.

I joined in the simulations, learning new techniques for wielding my sword and understanding where to strike for best results. I had slashed and jabbed more hay bales than I could count and my fellow clansmen held me in high regard for my tenacity as well as my cunning. They looked upon me as a sword-slinging ally rather than a cellphone-wielding teen.

With the early morning mist still rising from the hills, I dragged my heavy boots through the squishing bog and joined the men, ready for another drill. Hugh had already arranged scarecrows and hay bales, set up as an army and their horsemen.

I rubbed the back of my neck, considering the impending torture to my aching muscles and stiff joints. The other men twisted their backs and bent side to side, proving they were feeling the same fallout from the rigorous training exercises as well.

Hugh stood atop a massive bale and addressed us as warriors. "No time for working the sleep out of your bodies. The attack is now!" He shouted, raising alarm in us all. He continued, "Without warning, they're upon us! Horsemen and foot soldiers. Swords and arrows. Their war cries send us into panic.” My heart rate skyrocketed. “But no! We are ready. We will defend Rockfleet and the Clan Umhaille with all we have!"

His voice echoed through the hills. "What will you do?" He pointed his sword across the group of us. "How will you respond?" His eyes moved from one clansmen to the next and landed on me.

Waiting.

"Attack them! Go fer their hearts!" A burly fighting man shouted as he thrust his sword in the air.

"Yer feckin' daft, Dom. Get yerself killed, you will," another interrupted. "Have ya learned nothin?"

"Distract them with noise and stones. Frighten their horses. Daggers to the kidneys." Voices mixed from all directions.

Hugh nodded, surveying the energy and spirit of the clan. Each and every one, ready to fight for Grania.

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