Page 155 of Highland Queen

“I am sick to death of everyone’s regrets,” I said, launching an attack once more.

Macbeth backed toward the wall. Unable to retreat further, he blocked my moves, but he was out of space.

“Loose,” a soldier called again, fire illuminating the sky.

In a final effort to save himself, Macbeth swung his blade hard.

To my shock, Uald’s Gift flew from my hands and clattered across the flagstones.

Macbeth lowered his blade. “Gruoch,” he began, but I rushed him.

I punched him hard in the face, hearing his nose crack, then I wrenched his sword from his hand, throwing it over the wall behind him.

From deep within the castle, there was a terrible commotion. Something crashed.

“The gate is down. The castle is breached,” someone screamed.

“Gruoch,” Macbeth whispered.

I grabbed the collar of his nightshirt and stared him in the eyes.

With my free hand, I pulled Scáthach from my belt. I sneered at Macbeth then said, “Join your father.”

Macbeth’s eyes went wide when he eyed the dagger.

With a slash, I opened Macbeth’s neck.

Blood splashed all over me as his head lolled, his eyes rolling back into his head.

With a hard shove, I pushed him over the wall. Gripping the stones, I watched as Macbeth fell into the tangle of men, stones, and trees below. The forest swallowed him.

From the castle yard, I heard screaming and the sounds of metal clashing.

“Madelaine,” I whispered. I grabbed my sword then raced into the castle. Everywhere I looked, people were fleeing in terror. I ran to Madelaine’s chamber and flung open the door.

To my surprise, she was standing by the window, gazing out placidly at her impending doom.

“Madelaine,” I called.

Gasping, she turned and looked at me. “Corbie?”

I took her hand. “Come on,” I said, then pulled her from the room.

“You’re covered in blood,” Madelaine said. “Are you hurt?”

“Not yet, but we better move quickly.”

We raced down a back stairwell to the second floor. At the other end of the hall, I spotted Siward’s men. They were already in the castle.

“This way,” I said, pushing aside a tapestry to reveal an opening that led down a flight of stairs to the first level of the castle. When we reached the bottom of the steps, I peered out. Everywhere I looked, I saw soldiers. Luckily, most of them were so engaged that Madelaine and I had a chance to pass through unseen.

I nodded to Madelaine, and we slipped out.

“We need to get to the old part of the castle. Quickly,” I told her. We rushed down the corridor. Turning, I spotted one of Siward’s men in the hallway ahead of me.

“You there, stop!” he yelled at me.

I grabbed Scáthach by the handle and lobbed her at the man. She hit her mark, knocking the man off his feet as he fell to the floor.

---