Page 143 of Bride of Ice
“’Tisn’t true, is it, Colban?” Ian said. “You don’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“Nay,” Colban lied. “Not unless they deserve it.”
But the silent rage burning in Colban’s smoldering eyes told a different tale. The man knew exactly what Archie was up to, and he’d kill him for it.
For the moment, however, Archie held a valuable hostage. They both knew it. Without further prodding, Colban slowly unbuckled the swordbelt draped diagonally over his shoulder and let the weapon drop to the ground.
Archie was no fool. “Your dagger as well.”
The twitch in Colban’s eyes told Archie he’d guessed correctly. The man had hoped his surrender of the claymore would lull Archie into complacency. He was wrong.
As the man yielded his dagger with a scowl of frustration, Archie felt some of his self-assurance returning. Things were going to be all right now. He was regaining control. Recovering his wits.
He could sort things out. For Ian’s benefit, he would say it was all a simple misunderstanding. He was only doing a bit of research. Ian would back him up. After all, he helped the lad with his research all the time. Surely, he could convince Ian he had his best interests at heart.
As for this meddling fellow, who would the clan believe? Hallie’s husband and brother? Or a stranger who’d burst upon them?
Eventually, of course, he’d have to tie up the loose ends of his indiscretion, as Geoffrey was often obliged to do. He’d send someone to silence the interfering Colban forever.
Archie quirked up a corner of his mouth. Already, he felt himself becoming Geoffrey’s Old Cock again.
Hallie might not have shared Colban’s urgency as he fled the castle, but she had a long stride to match his. And the instant Isabel came running to her—wringing her hands at the knowledge she was breaking her word to Colban and praying he would forgive her, and then revealing that he’d set out after Archie with fire in his eyes and his claymore on his back—Hallie grabbed her sword and followed in his footsteps.
What she expected to find, why Colban was after Archie, she didn’t know. But Archie was her husband and a member of the clan now. She owed him her protection.
She heard raised voices coming from the crannog before she even reached the walkway. She hurried forward, straining to hear their words.
In the past, her cousin Feiyan had remarked that Hallie’s one weakness was that she was more like hail than mist. Hallie preferred to meet challenges head on, striking hard, rather than using wiles and stealth.
Her cousin Jenefer thought Hallie’s vulnerability came from her careful consideration of all outcomes before she took action. A fire might rage around her while she froze in indecision.
But the instant Hallie saw Archie dangling Ian over the icy loch, she proved them both wrong.
Drawing her dagger, she stole through the shadows of the crannog. When she was within striking distance, she saw three things that made up her mind instantly.
Archie’s trews were open, his genitals on full display.
His jar of wool grease lay overturned on the floor.
And Ian was squirming in his arms.
Before she even finished fully calculating the significance of those ugly facts, Hallie pinched the dagger blade between her thumb and finger and fired it forward.
Time slowed as the dagger flipped through the air.
For a protracted instant, the only sound was the whistle of the blade before it sank into Archie’s thigh, followed by his long, shocked gasp. Then his face paled, his eyes widened, rolling white, and he emitted a high-pitched thread of sound as the pain registered.
At a snail’s pace, Colban swung his head toward her to find the source of the attack.
Hallie returned his fierce glare with a grim gaze of her own, before her attention was drawn again to Archie.
Archie took one staggering step, and his heel slid sideways on the grease-slickened floor. At that moment, he lost his balance. And his quarry.
Ian dropped onto his hands and knees at the edge of the planks. But before he could dodge away, Archie, trying to regain his footing, flung out his arm, knocking the lad off the end of the platform.
Hallie gaped in disbelief. She surged forward, battling her way toward Ian. But it felt like she was running through thick honey.
Despite her best efforts, she still didn’t get there before Colban. By the time she fought her way past Archie to peer into the water, Colban was diving past her into the icy depths.
