Page 139 of Bride of Fire
Jenefer scowled at the lump in the bed that was Feiyan. How her cousin could manage to sleep through the commotion, she didn’t know. But Jenefer had heard enough.
“I’m not going to let that happen,” she promised.
She shouldered her quiver and plucked up her bow.
“What will ye do?” Bethac asked.
“Whatever I need to.”
“Wait!” Bethac interjected, seizing Jenefer’s arm. “Whate’er ye do, lass, don’t harm her. Morgan will ne’er forgive ye.”
Jenefer nodded. She realized that. But Miles’ safety was more important than Morgan’s forgiveness.
She climbed to the top of the castle wall walk where she could keep an eye—and an arrow—trained on the treacherous woman.
True to his word, Morgan didn’t let Alicia into the keep. He motioned his approval to the guard at the palisade gates and met her just outside the wall.
At first, they appeared to be having a civil discussion. Morgan held Miles securely in his arms. Alicia’s head was bowed in a semblance of remorse.
Then she dramatically burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.
Morgan took a step forward, extending one hand to her.
She suddenly clutched his hand in both of her own and sank to her knees, like an urchin begging for bread.
“Shite!” Jenefer spat, knowing Morgan was about to be sucked into the whirlpool of pity Alicia had created.
When Alicia stretched her hand toward Miles, Jenefer tightened her grip on the bow.
“Oh nay, you don’t,” she muttered.
Before Morgan could surrender the babe for whatever it was Alicia had pleaded for—a last embrace, a final kiss, a fond farewell—Jenefer sent a shaft spiraling into the ground between them.
To her satisfaction, they both visibly started.
“Back away, wench!” she called down. “Or my next arrow will find your deceiving heart!”
Alicia came to her feet then. But she didn’t recoil in fear or enlist Morgan’s sympathy or make a desperate grab for her babe. Instead, she gave Jenefer an icy glare and then turned toward the palisade gates.
Jenefer followed the woman’s gaze through the swirling gray haze. And her eyes widened in horror.
Alicia hadn’t come alone. Dozens of soldiers began pouring through the gates, like ants boiling out of a nest.
Chapter 60
Morgan didn’t notice the soldiers at first. Clutching Miles protectively to his chest, he was too busy glaring up at the meddlesome lass atop the wall.
Damn the wench! That arrow had come far too close. What if it had gone astray? Her gesture had been reckless and unnecessary. Hadn’t he told Jenefer he wouldn’t let his wife have Miles?
“Run!” Jenefer suddenly screamed at him.
He scowled. What was she carrying on about now?
“Run, damn you!”
He scowled and stood his ground. Was she giving him orders?
Only when he turned back toward Alicia did he finally see the hostile army charging toward them through the fog. Jenefer must have been ordering them to attack.
