Page 31 of Beguiled
He bellowed his pain and frustration, this time louder. Then he brought his sword down with an expertise and fortitude that gave me pause. This seasoned knight was a better fighter than I was. Had I jumped into the fray too quickly?
Even as doubts crowded in, I shoved them aside and forced myself to concentrate. In the wake of Irontooth’s loss of the woman he loved, he was weak and vulnerable, and I would bring him to his knees to show him so.
I dodged several blows and warded off more with my spear. I could sense his vexation growing the longer I evaded him. And I toyed with him a moment longer, praying he would make a mistake before I did.
When he raised his sword above his head and lunged toward me, his momentum was too swift and desperate. It was the crack I’d been waiting for. As he swung down, I sidestepped, spun, and thrust the hilt of my sword into his back. The pressure caused him to trip and sent him sprawling to the ground, his arms outstretched. His sword slipped from his grip and clattered out of his reach.
I wasted no time in hopping onto his back and pressing my boot heel into the sensitive spot between his shoulder blades, also brushing the tip of my spear against the nape of his neck. He struggled until the blade pierced his skin and drew blood.
Even then, I remained alert. The moment I let down my guard, he’d buck me off and begin fighting again. I needed to speak reason into him now before he plotted his next move. Or before one of his men attacked me.
Already, several of the outcasts were closing in, weapons drawn, ready to bring me down.
“No doubt the Inquisitor and his men have hidden along the coast somewhere.” I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. “They are hoping to draw us out by baiting us with the captives. If we leave now, we’ll fall prey to their trap and deliver more of our group into their hands.”
The men nearing me stopped, obviously heeding the truth of my words. I prayed Irontooth would as well.
“As hard as it may be, we must wait to go after the women.”
“That’s easy for you to say when your woman is safe.” Bitterness edged Irontooth’s voice, though he made no move to oust me.
Pearl had stopped a short distance away. Her weapons were drawn, and her brow creased. I wasn’t sure if she’d intended to join the others in trying to stop my battle with the fearless leader or if she planned to come to my defense. Either way, her eyes radiated worry.
“I don’t begrudge you your concern.” I hastened to reason with Irontooth. “If our roles had been reversed, no doubt I would have insisted upon leaving forthwith. But I also know you would have stopped me from acting impulsively and forced me to see reason. And later, I would have thanked you for it.”
Silence descended. Only the crackling of the bonfire filled the air.
“As it is,” I continued, “we must not allow the Inquisitor to fool us again. Instead, we must fool him and devise a strategy not only to rescue the women but also to put an end to his terror once and for all.”
“Hear, hear!” came the calls of some of the men.
Beneath me, I felt the fight begin to drain from Irontooth. Still, I didn’t relent and kept my boot and spear taut and ready to fight this man again if need be.
“What strategy do you propose?” someone asked.
“We wait.” I forced myself to think quickly. “And we attack when they’re least expecting it.”
More murmurs and calls of agreement confirmed I was accomplishing what I’d set out to do. After several more seconds, I released the pressure against Irontooth and took a step back. As he pushed himself off the ground, I didn’t put my weapons away and prayed I wouldn’t have to repeat the attack. The next time, without the element of surprise, I might not come out on top.
When Irontooth was on his feet again, he crossed his arms and glared at me.
I stared back, unyielding. I sensed he desperately wanted to leave to go after Felicity but that he also cared too much about the rest of his people to willingly put them in danger.
A trickle of blood ran from his nose down into his silver mustache and onto his lips. “Clean up the camp.” He swiped at the blood. “Then we’ll gather for a meeting to plan our attack.”
He turned and stalked off toward his cave. The pain of his heartache radiated with each stride. But as difficult as losing Felicity was, Irontooth would do her no good if he were captured.
Sensing a presence by my side, I found Pearl next to me, staring sadly after Irontooth.
“He loves her, though he cannot admit it,” she said.
“If he loves her, then he must think rationally before acting.”
“Perhaps true love makes one do things one would not normally consider.”
I didn’t know. I’d never been in love. But I had been shaken by how close Pearl had come to being in captivity with the women. I might not love her the way Irontooth loved Felicity, but after all the time we’d spent together, I’d grown to care about her enough that I could empathize with Irontooth. Even if she was frustratingly stubborn at times...
She shifted her gaze to mine, the green turning as light as a summer meadow. My thoughts returned to the moment when she’d fallen on me, the way her touch in my hair ignited something inside me, and how soft her palm felt against my lips.
