Page 141 of Bride of Fire
Desperate to save Miles, Morgan quickly stepped between the archer and her target. With trembling hands, he placed the bairn in Danald’s arms. “Go!”
Then he wheeled back around to deal with Jenefer.
Jenefer watched in dismay as Morgan put his precious son into the hands of a lad who couldn’t even tie his trews properly.
What was he thinking?
It was bad enough that Morgan had dragged his murderous wife into the courtyard. But now he was leaving his sole heir under the protection of a beardless boy?
Her arrow was still trained on the lad. But it was an idle threat. She dared not shoot him now, not while he had Miles in his arms.
Focused on the retreating lad, she was stunned when Morgan suddenly knocked her bow aside with a powerful sweep of his arm.
But it was nothing to the shock she felt when the Highlander seized her by the throat in his steely grip.
Stunned by the fierce rage in his eyes, she dropped her bow.
Then he lifted her up by the throat, leaving her feet to dangle. The quiver fell from her shoulder, scattering her arrows.
He wasn’t quite choking her. But she couldn’t exactly speak. One hard squeeze of his fingers, and he’d throttle the life out of her. And by the fury in his gaze, she wondered if he might do just that.
She scrabbled at his hand, trying to pry his fingers loose. They wouldn’t budge.
“Ye’re comin’ with me,” he bit out. “And unless ye want to see your clan slaughtered before your eyes, ye’ll do as I say.”
She blinked. What the devil was he talking about?
“Do ye understand?” he said.
Nay. She didn’t understand. Not at all. But when his fingers tightened on her neck, she gave him as much of a nod as she could manage.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alicia mince by, heading casually toward the great hall where the women and children were gathering. The evil witch gave Jenefer a knowing smirk as she passed.
Jenefer twisted in Morgan’s grip, trying to choke out an alarm and stabbing a frantic finger toward the departing Alicia. But Morgan only gave her a silencing shake.
Rage quickly erased her fear of strangling. She began kicking at the Highlander. Maybe he’d drop her long enough for her to warn him he’d just set a fox loose among the hens.
But she could get no purchase to get in a good kick. Instead, he dodged her flailing limbs and circled her waist with his free arm, setting her on his hip. He finally released his grip on her throat, but before she could cry out, he clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. His clansmen cleared a path for him as they crossed the yard.
“Make no trouble,” he said as he climbed the steps to the wall walk, “and there will be no bloodshed.”
Trouble? What kind of trouble could she make? Her weapons were strewn on the courtyard grass. She was helpless to free herself. Hell, at the moment, she couldn’t even scream obscenities at him.
“Ye said ye were a woman of honor,” he said. “I expect ye to tell the truth.”
What the devil was he going on about? With his hand locked over her mouth, she couldn’t even spit out a few choice oaths, let alone concoct a good lie.
“I won’t have ye tellin’ your uncle I harmed ye in any way.”
Jenefer froze.
Her uncle?
What did her uncle have to do with…
Her eyes widened as she realized his mistake.
Morgan thought the invaders were from Rivenloch. He thought they were her uncle’s men.
