Page 76 of Legacy of Thorns
Finley lunged forward, sword outstretched, forcing Barlowe to cut off his curse and jump backward to avoid him.
Barlowe pulled out his own blade, and Finley heard the sharp intake of Daphne’s breath. They were both all too aware that Barlowe carried an Oakdenian blade.
Barlowe backed up further, returning to the fireplace where the older lady still waited. He shoved her in front of him, holding his sword point against the small of her back.
“Put down your sword,” he ground out, every bit of his smooth charm gone. “Unless you want to see me gut the old lady.”
“Put it down,” Daphne urged quietly, her eyes on the woman.
Finley reluctantly obeyed. He couldn’t let Barlowe hurt the woman, especially not when it was obvious she had been a willing part of Daphne’s charade.
“You nasty man!” the woman exclaimed. “Going after my Gabrielle! At least she’s safe out of your clutches.”
“It’s not too late for me to find her, I assure you,” Barlowe hissed, but his face was white and his eyes wild.
Fury swept over the woman’s previously placid features, swelling her from the inside out. She pulled something long and wooden from her skirts and turned on Barlowe, stabbing wildly at him.
“Nanny! No! Be careful!” Daphne cried, starting toward them.
Barlowe responded instinctively, slashing the tip of his blade across the woman’s arm as she swung at him. Her attack faltered, and she fell to the ground.
As she fell, Finley finally saw what was in her hand. A wooden spindle.
The woman hit the ground, managing one final effort of movement as she flopped down. Flinging out her arm, she sent the spindle rolling across the floor toward Daphne.
Daphne didn’t hesitate. Throwing herself forward full length, she slid the final distance to snatch the rolling spindle from the floor. Barlowe shouted in rage and raced toward where she lay stretched out and defenseless on the ground. But Daphne didn’t even look at him, turning back toward Finley instead.
Seeing Daphne’s response, Finley thought of the spindles Archie had carved and knew instantly what Daphne held. He knew also what she would do next, their teamwork instinctive. Reaching forward, he caught the spindle he already knew she would throw to him.
Snatching it from the air, he lifted his arm and threw it like a javelin, piercing Barlowe’s shoulder just as the man reached Daphne.
Barlowe shouted in pain, staring at the wooden spindle protruding from his shoulder as he swayed in place.
“You…you…” He didn’t manage to finish the thought before he crashed to the ground.
Daphne clambered to her feet and rushed to meet Finley. He reached her in two strides, lifting her off her feet and swinging her through the air.
“Are you truly all right?” he asked as soon as he put her down. “Barlowe’s men didn’t hurt you? I’ve been thinking…” He swallowed, not wanting to voice the terrible thoughts he had fought to keep at bay. “How did you get here so quickly?”
“I’ve been even more scared for you!” She buried her face in his chest for a moment, babbling a list of events almost incomprehensibly. “Lorne arrived back at the manor in time to save Archer and me. He’d brought everyone with him, so Barlowe fled with only you. Archer and I came after you as quickly as we could. Avery loaned us her horse.”
“Who’s Avery?” Finley asked, bewildered, but then decided he didn’t care.
The nanny would wake up at any minute, and then reality would intrude, and Finley would have to work out what to do with the other sleepers. Finley had only a few precious seconds of solitude with Daphne, and he much preferred to spend those seconds kissing her rather than talking about the mysterious Avery, whoever she might be.
He wrapped his arms firmly around Daphne and kissed her hard. She must have felt the same way because she kissed him back without hesitation.
Chapter 27
Finley
Nanny hadn’t been awake for long before Archer and Gabrielle arrived back, a squad of guards with them. From the excited babble of the guards, it quickly became apparent that the whole town was agog with Gabrielle’s reappearance.
“It’s insulting, really, that they’d forgotten all about us,” Gabrielle complained to Nanny. “I mean, surely they could see the brambles across the lake!”
“That’s the work of the Legacy, I’m sure,” Daphne said, but Gabrielle only sniffed.
“I’m sure it was the Legacy’s fault,” Archer agreed. “You shouldn’t hold it against them.”
