Page 144 of Bride of Ice
Chapter 37
Archie had never been stabbed before. He stared down at the leather-wrapped haft protruding from his leg in disbelief. Watched the blood oozing onto his fine velvet trews with dismay.
The pain was incredible. Moving was unthinkable.
And yet he knew he had to get away. Flee before either of the two emerged from the water.
He expected the lad would die, either from the cold or drowning. He was small and weak.
But his coldhearted wife likely thrived in icy water. And the claymore-toting warrior looked like the sort who would brave the frozen north to seek revenge.
There was nothing left for Archie here now. If either of them survived, Archie’s sins would come to light. And he’d probably be strung up by his ballocks in the courtyard of Rivenloch.
He had to escape. Now.
He felt lightheaded, and his breathing was fast and shallow. He’d pass out soon if he didn’t remove the dagger, which grated against the bone of his thigh every time he shifted his weight.
So when he heard the splash behind him of someone surfacing, he gritted his teeth and, using both hands, pulled the blade free of his leg.
Sobbing in anguish, he struggled to keep from fainting, dropped the dagger, and hobbled forward.
Each step was torture. Blood pulsed from the wound with every beat of his heart. But somehow he managed to limp through the crannog, across the walkway, and off into the safety of the woods.
Colban never felt the cold. Pumped full of fear, driven by desperation, he dove into the loch with only one thought. Saving Ian.
Thrice he came to the surface emptyhanded. Each time he lost a measure of hope. But the fourth time he emerged, he heard Ian’s thin cry.
The clever lad had swum to one of the crannog supports and was clinging to the timber with blue fingers.
Colban lunged toward him. But as he neared, Ian screamed, “Hallie!”
Colban frowned.
“Where’s Hallie?” Ian cried at him.
It was then Colban suddenly felt the ice in his veins.
He glanced up at the platform. WherewasHallie? Had Archie taken her? Had he hurt her? Or worse?
A soft splash sounded behind him, and he turned in the water to see the Valkyrie surfacing. The impetuous lass must have dived into the loch after him.
But as relieved as he was to locate her, he glimpsed a Hallie he’d never seen before. Her eyes were bleak with despair. Her hair hung in wet threads over a face as pale as snow. Her lips were blue and trembling. Never had he seen a face so lost and full of dread. Never had he longed so fiercely to remove her pain.
“Hallie,” Colban breathed. “He’s fine. Ian’s fine.”
“I’m here, Hallie!” the lad cried out.
She clapped a hand to her mouth in relief, and tears spilled from her eyes. She didn’t bother to hide them as she swam toward her little brother.
Colban helped lift them back onto the platform, first Ian, then Hallie. Finally, he pulled himself up. Only when they were all safe inside the shelter of the crannog did he notice the killing cold.
“Here,” he said, handing them the wool cloaks Ian and Archie had brought. “If ye change out o’ your wet clothing, these should keep ye warm for the journey home.”
“What about you?” Hallie asked, shuddering violently.
“Wh-where’s Archie?” Ian asked with a shiver, eyeing the cloak his friend had left behind. “Wh-wh-what did you d-do to him?”
The look Colban exchanged with Hallie was brief, but it spoke volumes.
