Page 50 of Laird of Smoke
“I do.”
He saw them now.On both sides.Hiding in the shadows of the trees.
“I asked forthreeells o’ the rose,” she said, waving an arm to the left.“Andthreeells o’ the blue.”She gestured to the right.
The clever lass was using code to tell him how many outlaws she’d seen.He prayed she didn’t mean to try to save their souls again.
“Sosixells in all?”he replied.He could fight six men.“That doesn’t seem unreasonable.”
“Indeed,” she said, glancing at his dagger.“If one has a sharp pair ofscissors,I should think—”
The outlaws emerged with a cry that was likely supposed to startle their victims.
But Adam was prepared.So was Aillenn.
She swung her satchel about, knocking the first outlaw off his feet.
Adam dropped his satchel and thrust his dagger forward at a man wielding a cudgel, wounding him just inside his shoulder, which forced him to release his weapon and stagger off.
The next outlaw swung out with a knife blade, leaving a shallow slice in Adam’s arm where he couldn’t dodge fast enough.
He sucked a quick breath of pain between his teeth and returned with his dagger, slashing across the man’s wrist.The man screamed, and his knife clattered to the forest floor.He clenched his wrist to stop the bleeding as he sought the haven of the trees.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aillenn swinging her satchel forward again.This time, the outlaw leaped out of the way.And already the first man she’d knocked down was getting back up.He’d have to finish off the third outlaw on his side and come to her assistance.
The third man gave Adam a black-toothed, menacing grin as he advanced, twirling a staff before him.
Adam caught the staff mid-twirl and violently shook off the man’s grip.Commandeering the staff, he shoved the man backwards with the butt of it, hard enough to make his head collide with a pine.He slithered unconscious to the ground.
When Adam turned back to Aillenn, she had somehow managed to knock one of the outlaws senseless.But the other two were on the attack.One of them had a makeshift club.One of them had a dagger.
Before he could reach her, she dropped her satchel, hiked up her skirts, and dove in front of the man with the club, bowling him off his feet.Then she hopped back up as if she did such acrobatics every day.
Whowasthis lass?
There was no time to wonder.While the man on the ground scrambled to right himself, the outlaw with the dagger charged at her with bloodlust in his eyes.
Adam only killed when it was necessary.And he hated to surrender a weapon.But he had no choice.The outlaw was too close to Aillenn.
Flipping his dagger around to pinch the blade between his thumb and fingers, he hurled it forward.It lodged in the man’s throat.The outlaw dropped his weapon and clutched at the wound, gurgling as he dropped to the ground.
Now Adam was defenseless.And the second man had the same thought as the two of them raced to claim the dropped dagger.
But the outlaw was closer.He dove for the weapon, wrapping his fingers around the haft just as Adam skidded toward him.
Chapter 8
Eve had to do something.
Unfortunately, she had limited resources.Out of desperation, she attacked the outlaw clutching the dagger.She kicked him repeatedly in the arse, so hard she bruised her toes.
But it worked.Distracted by her pesky jabs, he rolled over to snap at her.In that instant, Adam was able to seize his wrist and wrench the dagger free.
She wondered if Adam meant to stab this outlaw in the throat as well.The idea sickened her.
But for now, he seemed content to take ownership of the dagger.The man was no threat.
For a moment, victory filled her veins.They’d done it.They’d defeated the six outlaws.She didn’t even feel the least bit of remorse.After all, it had hardly been a fair fight.
