Page 13 of Highlander the Conqueror

His words infuriated Slayer and he wanted to kill him there and then, but he needed answers first. “Why? Why do you want her dead?”

“I will tell you nothing, so kill me and be done with it. It is a fate I deserve for failing my mission and dying without honor.” The man snarled. “She deserves to die.”

Slayer landed a blow on the man’s jaw that would have knocked him off his feet if his warriors hadn’t been holding him.

The man laughed, blood dripping from his mouth. “Do what you will to me, I will not give you a shred of information. I am as loyal to him as your men are to you and I would suffer the torments of hell before betraying him. So do what you will.”

That he almost challenged Slayer to torture him gave Slayer reason to pause. He could be trying to gain time for more men to join him. He could not take the chance, not knowing how many men might follow him.

“Your reputation is well-known and well-respected. I would have enjoyed fighting you. At least then I could die with honor.”

Another delay tactic. He had to move fast. “I would give you such a chance, but you intended to kill the woman I protect and for that you can die without honor.”

Slayer moved so fast that the man’s eyes bulged with shock when he grabbed his hair on the top of his head, yanked his head back, and slit his throat.

The two warriors released the man after Slayer wiped the blood from his dagger on the man’s shoulder. They let him drop to the ground as his life spilled out of him.

“Take his weapons and make haste. We leave here now,” Slayer ordered, then pointed at two other warriors. “Go find out if anyone follows him and find out how he reached the camp without being noticed.”

While his men saw to the task, Sky watched as Slayer approached her. He slid his dagger back into the sheath at his waist while the muscles in his arms remained taut. The death of the man had not diminished his anger.

“Are you in pain?” he asked, crouching down in front of her.

“I don’t feel anything right now,” she said, thinking it odd, then realizing she did feel something. She felt numb and that frightened her. She had witnessed a horrible sight and all she felt was numb. Was she as unkind as Slayer himself claimed to be, not feeling any sorrow for what she had just seen? Or was she simply too shocked to feel anything?

“I fear that numbness you are feeling might not last once we are on our way. You will tell me if you are in any pain as we travel,” Slayer said.

“How long before we reach our destination?” she asked, praying it was soon.

“Two days at the least.”

She cringed inwardly, fearful of causing her nose to bleed more. She did not want him to be aware of her worries, so she kept her voice light. “I will do fine.”

She did not do fine. After riding for a while, not only did her nose hurt, but her head did as well. She was left with no choice but to rest her head on his shoulder, the pain of holding it erect too much for her. She tried not to tense when a wave of pain washed over her, knowing he would feel it. But it was senseless, and she gave into it. Besides, it would not matter to him.

Slayer steeled himself against the pain he knew she suffered, or at least he thought he did. His anger sparked every time he felt her tense in pain. He thought to stop and let her rest, but a short reprieve would do her little good. It was better they kept a good pace so once they stopped, she could rest for the night. He would, however, stop earlier than planned, so she would have longer to rest.

When Sky woke from a fitful sleep, she tilted her head back to look at him. “I need to stop for a bit.”

“We stop just ahead to camp for the night,” he said and saw the relief on her face. He also saw that the hit to her nose had caused some bruising to form under her eyes and again, his anger sparked.

It sparked again a short time later when he saw how exhausted she appeared as he reached up, his hands taking hold at her waist to lift her off the horse.

Alarmed at the strange way he looked at her, she could not help but ask, “Do I look that bad?”

The fact that she was able to detect the slightest display of expression on his face stunned him, though more so that he allowed it to show. He had to be mindful not to let that happen again. It was far easier and wiser to never let anyone get a hint of what he felt, or it could prove disastrous.

“Your eyes are bruising some, not badly but enough to last a few days,” he said after lowering her to stand beside him.

She sighed. “I must look a fright.”

“I doubt there is anything that can rob you of your beauty.”

His unexpected remark left her speechless and with a strange, yet pleasant flutter in her stomach. Her da had been the only man to ever tell her she was beautiful. Most men made disparaging remarks about her or avoided acknowledging her at all.

What the bloody hell was wrong with him?He never spoke such flowery words to a woman.

“We camped by a creek. Go clean the blood from your face,” he ordered gruffly, annoyed with himself, and grabbed his stallion’s reins and walked away to settle the horse for the night.

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