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Crispin left his mount with Davis and started up the hill His mistress had told hi to stay close to her side until Connor's stepbrother left again

The closer he got to the keep, the quicker he h hisintensified until he was running to get to her

And then he heard her scream His heart slammed inside his chest as he reached for his sword "Son of a bitch" He whispered the curse the first ti to the courtyard The silence after such an anguished scream terrified all of them

Crispin reached the top of the path when he heard a man's shout Jarred, he looked up There in the as Raen clutching at his shoulder, teetering and swaying like a tree giving way to the ax, then plunging backward into the air He twisted in a useless atte in horror, and then crashed, face first, into the ground with a soft thud

And on Crispin ran Dear God, let her be alive, he prayed He leapt over Raen, raced up to the door, and pulled it open as Brenna ca outside

He stopped dead in his tracks The look on her face was lazed over, her face was stark white, and there was blood everywhere Her left arm was covered in it, for the skin was splayed open from the top of her shoulder to the bottom of her wrist More blood covered her shoulders and neck, and her clothing looked as though an animal had shredded it with its claws

He didn't kno she was able to stand He reached for her, but she evaded him and ran down the steps

"Hurry, Crispin, Hurry You have to help me," she sobbed "We have to hide him"

A crowd of soldiers surrounded the body They stepped back when she ran closer Their expressions showed their shock and their outrage

"I didn't push hiht in his plaid when I thrust roin… yes Ier was in my hand then… When he rolled over… it went… and he jurabbed hold of Crispin's hand and tried to pull him forward "Don't you understand? We have to hide him… She can't see her son like this Oh, God, I have to tell Connor… I couldn't let him… He touched me, his mouth was on my skin, Crispin… I couldn't let him… She told me I should, but I couldn't… No, I wouldn't," she screamed

"Euphee

"Yes, but I couldn't… He tried, but he fell before he could…"

She stopped rao of his hand, bent down to take hold of one of Raen's feet, and tried to drag hio of him Let me help you," Crispin said

"Yes, help ht?"

"Yes," he prooal to reassure her "We'll hide hier is in his back," Ohispered "Do you want et it for you?"

"No, no," she cried out

Crispin shook his head at Owen, telling him without words to keep his ive me Oh, God, what have I done? I've killed his brother… No, she can't see him Help me, Crispin Please I want Connor"

He slowly put his hand out to her She frantically shook her head at him "No, I'm not clean He touched me with his hands and his mouth…"

And then she threw herself into his arht?"

"Yes, mi'lady," he lied "I'll take you to the lake"

She patted his arone and done it, haven't I?"

"Done what?"

"I killed him"

"No, he destroyed himself He deserved to die Connor would have killed him for you"

"Will he hate me?"

She fainted in his arger in his hand, pulled his plaid fro strips to his waist

Crispin held Brenna in his arms and turned so that Donald could bind the injury with the ave his orders "You're taking the watch for as long as I' her to Lady Kincaid She'll need stitches," he added "Giric, you take others, surround the three soldiers waiting for the bastard in thethem inside the keep and make them stay by the stables"

"What about Connor's stepmother?"

"Donald, you tell her what happened If she wants to take his body home, let her, but not one of Connor's soldiers escorts her Understand?"

"Yes," Donald answered

"Aeden, find Connor and tell hiht Don't paint it any darker than it already is"

"Will she die?" Ohispered, terrified by the possibility

"No, she won't die Donald, no one but our own comes inside the fortress until Connor, Alec, Quinlan, or I come back"

"Will you leave her with the Kincaids?" Owen asked

"No I'ets to her"

"Do the three soldiers with Raen stay even if Euphemia leaves?"

"They leave with her"

Donald finished binding her injury, nodded to Crispin, and went to the stables to get his commander's horse He called orders as he ran He wanted a full contingent riding with his mistress, and everyone was ready to leave ier in his shoulder," Crispin ordered He was so furious now, his voice shook with rage

"She told Connor's wife to submit to her son God help her when our laird finds out"

"Do you want , but rown extremely fond of his wife"

Crispin started across the courtyard, stopped, and then turned back toward Raen and spit on him

Blessedly, Brenna didn't awaken until they were dis in Kincaid's courtyard Alec and Jamie stood in the doorway Alec blanched when he saw Brenna's condition Jaan to weep She put her hand to herout

Brenna asked Crispin to let her walk She took hold of his arm and slowly lazed look was still in her eyes and kneas going to take her a long while to recover from the horror she'd endured

Brenna stopped in front of Alec "I killed Connor's stepbrother"

And then she turned to Ja to like me"

Alec lifted her into his arht, Brenna Your husband likes you, and so do we"

"Alec?"

"Yes?"

"I'land eave his accounting to his laird

"MacNare had already dispatched troops to England We followed their tracks from the Lowlands on, knew their number, and exactly that many returned from Baron Haynesworth's fortress"

"How many were they?"

"Twenty-six soldiers, all fully armed"

"But they didn't have Faith with them"