Page 28 of Highland Guard

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Page 28 of Highland Guard

“Oh, if only I’d chosen an ugly one,” she muttered under her breath.

Dermid had to think about that for a while, not sure if it was a compliment or an insult.

The attack came while he was still trying to decide.

***

NAOMI HAD BEEN FIGHTINGfor what felt like an eternity. Three men in total had set upon them, which included the one who Naomi caught earlier. From the way they fought, she could tell two were mercenaries and one was a member of theBrotherhood.She had easily dispatched one mercenary, but now had her hands full with a monk. He wielded a war club. Naomi was finding it increasingly difficult to fight him whilst also trying to protect Dermid from the third man.

Fortunately, Dermid eventually bested his attacker, but unfortunately, in the process of killing him, Dermid tripped and hit his head against a tree, knocking himself out.

Naomi just shook her head in disbelief. Dermid may be pretty, but he was useless in a crisis. Still, she stayed locked in combat with the monk who fought with precision.

“What do you want?” she asked, taking a stance as they circled one another. They were evenly matched in skill and strength.

“The amulet. I do not want to hurt you, but my liege needs it and you.”

Naomi knew that to be a lie. None of theBrotherhoodengaged in a fight if not intent on killing.

“I have no amulet.”

“Do not lie. I can feel its power from here.”

Naomi scrunched up her face in confusion.What did that mean?

The cleric smirked at her expression. “Ah, I see the good sisters have not explained everything to you, have they?”

They continued to circle one another.

The monk continued. “That relic contains great power. But it is useless on its own. You see, it needs a certain type of blood to work.”

“What blood?” Naomi asked.

“Yours,” he replied before lunging at her. His eyes held an evil intent that scared Naomi down to her marrow. She pivoted out of the way, narrowly dodging his war club. They were locked in combat again, as Naomi began to tire. She had to work fast.

Naomi ran at the monk while he had his war club raised. He was startled and tried to take a step back but tripped. That was his mistake. She side swiped his feet and hit him on the head so hard he fell back onto the ground, his head cracking against a large rock. She watched as blood seeped onto the ground.

Naomi was busy checking to see if he was still alive, that she did not notice another monk appear from the woods. He had been hiding the whole time. He came at her so fast and she cursed her own stupidity. Brother Mateo had always warned her about this.“Never trust what you see.”

The monk remained hidden for this very reason. Naomi fell for the trick because she was lulled into a false sense of safety, thinking there were only three attackers. TheBrotherhoodalways had another close by. One distracts while the other delivers the killing blow. Before she knew what was happening, she was fighting for her life.

Naomi realized he was much stronger. He had a war club aimed right at her, still she fought hard. Pivoting and shuffling from side to side, parrying each hard blow of the war club with her quarterstaff until it flew out of her hand. She was unarmed, having lost her dagger earlier. Focusing only on what was before her, she realized it was a fight to the death and her weapon was her body.

Naomi blocked the club with her forearms and hands and pivoted out of the way. She thanked Brother Mateo for teaching her hand-to-hand combat, but still it was tense for several minutes as she fought to remain on her feet and stay alive. The cleric used that moment to raise his club high and aimed directly at her arm.

Naomi stumbled from the strength of the hits and knew if she was not careful, he would sever her arm completely from her body. She was trying to get back on her feet and dodge the hit when she heard a ferocious war cry.

In a haze of fast movements, another entered the affray, blocking the war club from taking off her arm as a claymore clashed against it, mere inches from her head.

Naomi gasped and stared up straight at Kieran MacKenzie. She saw his muscled arm outstretched and blocking the war club with his sword while he swiped his targe against the cleric’s cheek, with his other hand, drawing blood.

Then, to Naomi’s great astonishment, Kieran moved from defensive to offensive. He was like nothing she had ever seen before; his hits were so fast and powerful the monk was now on the back foot shuffling backwards as Kieran effortlessly moved forward with a barrage of fast quick hits and jabs.

His entire body was moving in a quick succession of effortless motion. Gone was the grumpy man who irritated her to no end and in his place was a fearsome Highland guard whose sole focus was to vanquish the enemy.

Naomi could not help but think he was magnificent. Pure perfection and he had protected her and come to her rescue. She noticed for the first time every muscle ripple as he moved. From his torso to his lean thighs wrapped in the MacGregor plaid. He pivoted as if in slow motion. His long hair swayed menacingly in the breeze from side to side as his masculine grunts sounded like a sensual song in the morning’s frosted dew. For a moment, it was as if the heavens had revealed one of their very own handsome angels sent to save her.

How had she been so blind to the sheer brilliance of him?For the first time in her life, Naomi realized why the women flocked to him. Kieran MacKenzie was indeed a man who could induce a woman to lustful urges. While she gazed with open mouthed wonder, her heavenly daydream shattered as she plunged headfirst back to earth. Because the stupid man had the nerve to open his big mouth.