“Aye,” Rory Mac answered, doing thesame. “I saw the snake. What do ye want to do?”
Iain scratched his stubble. Frosteneeded to suffer for what he had done to Neil. The question was, how best toget retribution. Before he could decide, a woman’s scream filled the night. Hescrambled toward the shadows of the side street and motioned for Rory Mac tofollow. He stopped near enough to see but not be seen or heard. A lass withhair pale as the moon, a face sculpted in determination, and a beautiful bodywrapped in a gown that fit her form rather than hung loose like those thehighland lasses wore, gripped a dagger with her slender fingers. She held itsteady and pointed it at Froste. Behind her, a man lay with his back to thesky. The man on the ground groaned.
When Froste began to advance towardthe woman and man, the fair-haired Sassenach held her dagger higher. “Do notcome a step closer.”
Iain started, then quickly shed hisshock like snake skin. He smiled in grim satisfaction as he readied his swordto aid the woman and seek revenge on Froste. It was a stroke of good fortunethat he’d come upon the knight.
“Should we help now?” Rory Macasked in a low tone.
“Hold for one moment. We will usethe distraction the woman is sure to provide to our benefit.”
Rory Mac frowned. “Why do yethink—”
“You wouldn’t dare stab me,” Frostesnarled at the woman, cutting off Rory Mac’s question.
“I most certainlywillstabyou in the heart if you come closer,” she snapped. “I’m offended that you believeI would lie.”
Iain gave Rory Mac a triumphantsmile while biting back a burst of laughter at how outrageous the woman’scomment, given her situation. The Sassenach looked as though she meant it trueenough to Iain.
Froste offered her a bored look,and when he did, the Sassenach, to Iain’s astonishment, turned the dagger onherself and held it to her throat. “If you or any of your men move againwithout giving me your solemn vow that you will not kill this man”—she motionedto the man on the ground—“I will slit my throat, and you’ll not get what youmost want.”
Now this was a most curious plan.Iain exchanged an amazed look with Rory Mac. With the bold claim she’d justmade, he hoped the woman knew what she was doing.
“And what is it I most desire?”Froste asked.
“Me,” she answered promptly andwithout a trace of boastfulness. “And you want me alive, to be sure. Itcertainly makes it easier to acquire the land you covet from my father if I’malive, now doesn’t it?”
Iain felt himself gape. Marion deLacy was alive? And she was no cold, proper Sassenach after all, and she mostcertainly was not weak. His wonder vanished with his next breath. She wasalive, and she would soon be his wife.
“Iain, is—”
“Aye, that’s my bride,” Iainanswered, fierce anger now flowing through his veins as he determined how tomost effectively attack Froste while ensuring Marion would not be harmed.Marion waved her dagger in the air, stealing Iain’s attention for a moment.
“I’ll have your vow to let the Scotgo,” she demanded in a voice of steel, as she tilted her head toward the formon the ground.
As Rory Mac hissed in disbeliefbeside him, Iain found his gaze drawn briefly to where the man lay. He wasdressed in a plain wool cloak, and whoever the man was, he’d taken pains not tobe noticed. Was he here for Marion? Had she planned to escape marrying Froste?Iain found he hoped so.
As one of the knights moved hishand to his weapon, Iain’s thoughts raced forward, establishing a plan in hismind. He nudged Rory Mac. “Ye take the two men farthest from us. I’ll getMarion and take out Froste and the other knight.”
Rory Mac nodded.
“Now!” he said in a fierce whisperas the knight closest to Marion lunged toward her.
Iain surged forward, withdrawinghis sword and closing the distance between himself and the knight who hadgrabbed Marion. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of him, and her daggerflashedupward, then hovered as if she wasn’t sure who was the greater threat. In arush, her lips pressed grimly together, and she plunged her dagger into theknight’s arm. The man roared, drawing his sword up to counter. Iain knocked thesword away with his own, then brought his blade down to finish the knight. He fellto the ground in a heap.
Iain glanced over at Rory Mac, whohad already felled one knight and was engaged with the other. Iain looked awayjust in time to see Froste launching toward him. Behind Iain, Marion screamed.Iain raised his sword once more and his weapon met Froste’s in midair, thesound of metal against metal echoing in the night. They withdrew, circled eachother again, and met once more in midair, but Iain spun, brought his sword downquickly, and struck a blow to Froste’s back.
He stumbled and cursed, butstraightened. He stared hard at Iain, as if he only just realized who Iain was.The knight wiped a hand across his face and moved his sword from one hand tothe other, his gaze moving from Iain to behind him where Iain could feel Marionhovering near his feet. He had no idea what she was doing until suddenly shemoved to his side, her bloody dagger in her hand. He barely knew the woman, buthe already respected her courage.
“What are you doing in England,MacLeod?” Froste thundered.
“I came to speak to yer kingregarding David’s release, and now I’m here to collect my bride, Lady Marion,by orders of yer king.”
Beside him, Marion stiffened, buthe could not chance looking at her to see her face and being distracted.
“You sniveling, lying swine,”Froste bellowed. “I’ll see you dead before I let you take Marion anywhere.”
“And I’ll see ye quiet,” Iaingrowled. He rushed forward as Rory Mac came at Froste from the side. Rory Macknocked the sword out of the unsuspecting knight’s hands, and Iain shoved hisopen palm into the man’s throat. Froste doubled over, gasping. Iain pulledMarion to him, shifted her behind him, and kicked his foot into Froste’sstomach to send him sprawling onto his back. Iain placed his boot on the man’sheaving chest and his sword at the knight’s throat.
