Yet she couldn’t move, paralyzed with fear.
The fear of the same sword piercing her own belly, of dying in an instant, of never seeing her family or her loved ones again. Of losing Broc or what could have been.
She should have been able to go after Kelvan, but she was frozen with shards of fear.
Fear of dying.
Chapter Eighteen
Broc
Broc got the one fool who Merryn kicked in the bollocks, but there were two men to replace him, both reaching for the bairns she held. He battled the two, spearing one with his weapon, pulling it out, and lifting his sword over his head to come down hard on the next man’s arm, knocking his small sword from his hands.
That attacker ran to the wall. Broc spun to follow him, but his gut dropped to his toes.
One burly man punched his mother in the face, knocking her out, then he tossed her over his shoulder and retraced his steps.
Broc wanted to vomit. Merryn was behind him, his mother in front of him, but he made a quick assessment, heard a whistle that called all the attackers back to the boat and chased after the men going over the wall—one with his mother, one with Shealee, and two others with Magni and Tora. Lia suddenly appeared next to the two bairns and jumped down, presumably to stay with the kidnappers.
Here we go again.
Kelvan stopped at the highest point of the stone border and waved to Merryn who promptly screamed. Broc went after him, grabbing the rope before he could pull it back up, and scaled the wall. He landed hard on the other side and raced down the hill in time to see the men leap into three different boats and take off faster than he could reach the coastline. There were Grant warriors everywhere behind him, but none could reach the boats before they got away.
His mother was on the boat along with four others.
Shealee, with Lia right behind her.
Magni.
Tora.
Who else did they have?
He scanned the boats, looking for other captives, but didn’t see any. Then he made his way back to the front gates. “Open up. They’re gone.”
Trudging back inside, he wiped the sweat from his brow. He’d failed again. When was he going to be strong enough to protect someone? Visions of a boar racing at him, its tusk coming at his face overpowered his mind. He shoved it back into the recesses of his brain, wishing the awful memories would leave him be.
Merryn came flying toward him, launching herself at him, still holding both bairns.
His father came out of the keep. “Kyla? Where the hell is Kyla?”
Broc closed his eyes and took Sylvi from Merryn while she kept hold of Sandor. Then he strode toward his sire, who took one look at his face and roared. Derric was behind him, Dyna next, and they tore over to grab their two bairns.
Dyna asked, “Tora again?”
Broc nodded.
Derric said, “I was coming from the other side, but I couldn’t get to her fast enough. I saw Merryn grab Sandor and Sylvi, and Broc protected them.”
His father said, “What about your mother? Did you try to protect her?”
Derric said, “Finlay, Broc was protecting a woman holding two bairns. He couldn’t leave them to go after Kyla. There were men everywhere.”
Merryn said, “But he did. Once he took care of the three men after us, he went after the man who had his mother. There were so many of them.”
Finlay hugged his son. “Forgive me. I know you fought hard. I can see the blood on you and the bodies of the menyou stopped. Your mother is strong. She’ll survive. Is Lia with them?”
“Aye, and Magni. Shealee, Tora, Lia, Magni, and Mama are all on the ships.”
