Page 88 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“Aye, me laird!”
And then he was running.
As he ran through the teaming crowds his heart leaped in his chest as he saw two figures struggling ahead of him. As they came upright again the cap on the man’s head was knocked to the floor and he recognized the bright blonde hair of the priest.
He could see Keira fighting like the very devil and Noah was at a sprint before he reached them.
He was in time to hear the priest threaten her and saw the glint of the blade at her waist before he unsheathed his sword and came to a halt.
“Unhand her this instant, priest!” he shouted, and it took all of his strength not to kill the man where he stood.
MacPhee spun on the spot, turning in a graceful arc, trapping Keira against his chest with one arm and bringing the knife to her throat with the other.
“If ye touch me, I’ll spill her devil’s blood!” he said, his voice ominous and threatening.
Noah stayed still, his eyes finding Keira’s as she panted wildly, the knife at her throat.
“Let her go,” Noah said firmly. “Ye cannae escape.”
“Escape? Hah! I daenae need to escape. This is what I wanted. This is all I ever wanted. I will purge her sins and she will return to God.”
“And where were ye taking her, priest?” he spat in disgust. “How exactly are you plannin’ to purge her sins?”
“Ye daenae understand the hold she has on ye, me laird. When she is dead, ye will feel the bitter release of her evil, and ye will thank me.”
“Ye are the devil,” Noah growled, taking a step forward and stopping instantly as Lucas lifted the knife higher up Keira’s neck, forcing her head back painfully.
The priest turned his face into Keira’s hair and breathed in the scent as greedily as a drunkard downing whisky. Noah felt his own stomach convulse at the sight.
“Ye willnae kill her, and ye ken she is nay witch!” he roared.
“Ye dinnae think I’ll do it?” Macphee asked, and Noah saw a drop of blood on the edge of the blade where it had cut Kiera’s flesh.
“Ye hurt her and I’ll run this blade through yer heart,” he said, his voice so low he barely recognized it.
“Noah…” Keira’s voice was pleading, but at the use of his Christian name, Lucas’s eyes widened in fury and he bared his teeth, grinding them together like a madman.
His arm tensed, and it seemed it would be seconds before he slit Keira’s throat, but then Lucas’s eye moved to his left and Noah saw the outline of Scott lurking in the shadows.
In a moment the boy charged—his blade raised above his head.
“Ye are nay man of God!” he yelled as he ran forward.
With the priest distracted, Noah pulled, a short blade from his belt, slashing through the man’s arm where it was locked about Kiera’s neck.
The dual attacks disorientated Lucas, who shrieked as his injured arm flailed back, the handle of the blade connecting violently into Noah’s temple—disorienting him.
Keira fell to the ground and frantically crawled away as Noah recovered himself, turning back to the fight.
Keira cried out in fear as she looked back and Lucas rallied, striking wildly at Scott, slashing the boy across his torso with his blade as he advanced on him.
Noah leaped forward, his sword in hand, slicing upward with his own blade and connecting violently with Lucas’s, as the man fell back, turning to face him, his eyes growing wide with fear as Noah advanced on him.
Noah lunged toward him. He thrashed forward with his sword, overpowering the weaker man in moments. Lucas stepped clumsily backward, his blade held defensively. He glanced from Noah to his sword and back, aware of the danger he was in but lacking the skill to win.
With a wicked smile, however, he reached into the sleeve of his habit and pulled out a deadly little knife that he held between his knuckles. He slashed the air and stalked forward, the dagger hissing as he whipped it back and forth.
Noah side-stepped the assault, whipping his own sword upward and knocking the knife from Lucas’s hand as he did so.
