The Assassin's Mark (Skeleton Key) (6 page)

I backed away from the melee and headed farther into the camp. The woman was nowhere to be found. My head ached as tension squeezed my temples. Before me was a tent larger and grander than the rest.

The sound of sword clashing against sword came from within, and I slashed my way through the tent’s fabric. Two heavily armored mercenaries stood before the young female I’d seen in the fields. One of the men wielded a large club while the other carried a longsword covered in crimson blood. The woman bent a little with one hand pressed against her side, her other held a sword with just a hint of blood on it. She was definitely in over her head.

Everyone’s gaze turned to me at once. The woman’s eyebrows came together, and she opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped. For a few moments, we all just stared at one another before the oaf wielding the club shoved the woman through an opening they must’ve cut into the tent.

My last glimpse of the young woman was her feebly trying to stab her abductor, but he easily used his club to knock the sword from her hand. She cried out in pain, then they were out of sight.

The mercs task was pretty clear. While the rest of the group slaughtered and distracted the guards, these two were here to kidnap the woman. They would pay dearly for that choice.

The remaining mercenary stalked forward. He gripped his longsword with two hands and placed his right foot forward, tilting the sword slightly toward the left. For the first time in a long time, I was grateful to my mother for enrolling me in those fencing classes. They might not be incredibly helpful against a professional swordsman, but I had a better chance of surviving the night with the knowledge I’d gained from them.

I kept an eye on his form and feinted to the left. The moment my foot rose from the ground, he moved. He was quick, almost too quick for me. Instead of ducking out of the way of his strike, I lifted my sword and let his momentum push him onto my blade. His eyes widened, and the soft clatter of metal rang out in the tent as his longsword fell from his grip. I jerked my sword from his gut, and he tumbled backward, disbelief in his eyes. Blood seeped from his stomach staining his leather armor. The man was still alive, but his eyes showed signs of defeat. He’d likely be dead within a matter of minutes.

I rushed from the tent where the female had been taken. A little ways off, the abductor was trying without success to get the young woman onto the back of a horse. He shook his club at her and swung it as if he’d knock her out, but he didn’t. That was just as telling. Either he didn’t want her injured or the person he worked for had ordered her to be taken unharmed. From the blood coating her hand, I bet the man wouldn’t be looked upon highly when…if…he returned, and I needed to make sure he didn’t.

The man’s sheer size was intimidating, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to handle him in combat. Not with that ridiculous club.

Bloody hell.

This was looking more and more like a dire situation. I pulled my gun from the hem of my leather pants and released the safety. He turned his head in my direction as he climbed into the saddle with the woman thrown over the saddle in front of him on her belly and howled in rage. Maybe the other bloke had meant something to him. Great. Now he’d drawn more attention to us. Taking a few deep breaths, I waited for the perfect shot between his eyes. It wasn’t as if he could fire back.

At seven feet away, I released a breath and squeezed the trigger. Simple target practice. Part of me felt sorry for the man. He’d have no idea what hit him. The big man sat up straighter and he lifted his club, then he jerked back as the bullet hit him. It was off target, but it’d still be lethal. He tumbled from the horse, nearly taking the woman with him, but she clung to the saddle as the horse reared back and came to a sudden stop.

The tall knight I recognized from the road walked out of the tent behind me, and I tucked my gun out of sight. He glanced between me and the big man with his sword warily aimed at us. The kidnapper turned his head showing off the wound in his throat before he clamped his hands to it, trying in vain to keep his blood inside of him.

Ignoring the two of them, I jogged toward the horse to check on the woman. Her grip slipped on the saddle just as I reached her, and she slid toward the ground. I caught her in my arms and cradled her to my chest.

“It’s going to be okay. You’re safe,” I said in calming tones. I’d had plenty of experience with placating others in my line of work. Now that she was safe, a strange relief welled within my chest.

She blinked up at me, giving me the first good look at her face. Her beauty was even more than I’d imagined. I wasn’t usually swept up in the fairer sex like this, but something about her enticed me, even though I knew it shouldn’t. She grimaced in pain, and I looked down toward her abdomen.

“May I see your wound?”

“Yo-you saved me. Tha-thank you, sir.” Her voice was thready, and she was cool to the touch. The young woman was going into shock. I needed to get her somewhere safe where I could inspect her wound. There was still fighting around us, but it seemed like the full force of the knights were gaining the upper hand against the mercenaries. “Are you a doctor?”

“It’s not a problem. And no, I’m not a doctor, but I’ve learned a thing or two when it comes to wounds on the battlefield.” I lowered my hand to her side to try to gain access to the wound.

The tall knight thrust his sword at me before I could do much, pressing the tip against my chest hard enough that I felt a pinch of pain. “Unhand the princess of Freehaven, or I’ll take your arm. She deserves your respect, soldier. She doesn’t need your help. I shall have the camp’s doctor brought to her at once.”

I looked between them. “Princess? Are you kidding…?” My voice trailed off when I met her gaze. “She shouldn’t be moved far. She needs a few warm blankets and to have her wound looked at immediately.” I stared back at the knight. “I can help her. You have to trust me for her sake.”

Brigit

My savior had stayed by my side doing what he could for the wound until the camp’s doctor came, then Sir Alan had him taken away. Perhaps a little more forcibly than necessary.

Something about the man was strange. He wore the clothes of a guard, but he didn’t appear from the area neither in physical appearance nor in accent…and that loud bang that had happened shortly before my kidnapper fell off the horse. How had he been able to attack from range without a bow and arrows?
It had to be magic.
Honestly, I didn’t care. What mattered was that he’d saved my life.

“Sir Alan, please bring me the man who rescued me. I have a few questions for him.” I propped up on the mattress so I wouldn’t be flat on my back when I saw him again. I didn’t even know his name, yet something about him stroke curiosity within me.

When Sir Alan returned with the man, he guided him to the table on the far side of my tent away from me. Rope bound his wrists, and the man kept glaring at the Sir Alan who stood between us as if he’d suddenly attack me.

I wanted to shake my head in frustration, but we still didn’t know much about him. Maybe he’d shown up to make himself look like a hero. Could he have been part of the attack? I didn’t want to believe he was. He’d risked his life for me.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“Edward Emerson, and yours?” His tone was bland, and the frown on his face deepened as Sir Alan started to withdraw his sword. I knew the tirade he’d launch into. Did Edward truly not know who I was? That hadn’t happened often in my life. He didn’t uphold the pretense that many others clung to when they spoke to me.

“Put away your sword, Sir Alan.” I held my hand up. “My name is Brigit Ó Ruaidh, Princess of Freehaven. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Sir Alan slid the sword back into its sheath. “Yes, Your Highness. It would be wise to greet the princess in the manner proper of her position,” he growled at Edward.

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” Edward said. He looked between us but didn’t say much.

“Where do you come from? Sir Alan doesn’t you know, so I don’t think you’re actually a guard here. Besides, I’ve never heard that accent before.” I repositioned myself but stopped as pain clenched my side. The memory of Edward’s tender touch on my skin as he inspected the wound came back to me, and heat caressed my cheeks. Now wasn’t the time to think like that. He might be attractive, but I still wasn’t sure if I should trust him considering that someone tried to kidnap me not long ago.

“I’m not from here.” He watched me with an intense stare that put me a little on edge. His gaze slid lower when I moved, then he met my eyes again.

“I know. That’s what I just said.” I sighed, and it took all my dignity not to clench my hands into fists and rest my head against the pillow. It probably would’ve hurt quite a bit, and I’d end up looking like a petulant child who didn’t get what she wanted. My reputation was already in tatters. Sir Alan would surely scold me for letting myself be injured when we were alone. “Please, answer the question.”

“London, England.”

Geography had always been one of my favorite subjects as a child, but I’d never heard of any such location. “London?” I exchanged a glance with Sir Alan who shrugged at me. So I wasn’t crazy. “Where is that?”

“I came through a large door with a skeleton key lock that disappeared when I got here.” He shook his head, disgust plain on his face. “Your name sounds Irish, so I’m surprised you haven’t heard of England. But maybe you lot are in some alternate past. I don’t know.”

A skeleton key and a disappearing door? A chill ran up my spine, and I leveled a hard stare at Edward. “Do you know what you’re saying? If you’re telling the truth, then you traveled here from another realm. Those doors appear to very few people. The people of my kingdom supposedly journeyed through one of those doors to Freehaven from The Emerald Isles in another realm we call The Gauntlet…”

He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned forward. “The Emerald Isles? That’s Ireland. I’m pretty sure your people came from my realm. Do you know where to find those doors?”

Sir Alan smacked his fist on the table in front of Edward with his gauntlet making Edward lean back a little. He shot a glare at my knight that might have made others shrink away. “You’re not in a position to ask questions of the princess. You’re in my custody here, if you didn’t notice.”

“If
you
didn’t notice, I saved her life. Where were you when she was being dragged onto the back of a horse and almost carried away?” He moved his arms as if to cross them over his chest, but they were still bound so he placed his hands in his lap.

Sir Alan raised his arm as if to backhand Edward. “You’ll regret that arrogant attitude, boy.”

“Stop it! Now.” I pushed to my feet and pressed a hand gently against my side, pushing down the incredible pain. If I needed to break up their fight myself, I would. Something about Edward attracted me to him. I couldn’t help it. But I refused to endure their bickering. “Do not take him far, Sir Alan, and if he’s hurt when I next see him, we shall be having words.” I waved them away with a flick of my wrist and started to sink back into bed. “Wait.”

The two men stared at me. Neither of them had moved yet.

“How did you injure my abductor? You were at a distance from him.”

“I shot him with a gun, Your Highness. My people have more advanced technology than yours. I used that weapon because I knew if I didn’t he would take you away, and I hoped to prevent that. The ammunition for my weapon is limited, so I only used since I felt it was absolutely necessary.” He rose to his feet and looked at the knight. “We should let her rest.”

“I’d like a report on the troops, Sir Alan, and how the camp fared during the attack in a few hours.”

He bowed his head toward me, then followed Edward out of the tent.

As they left, Tabitha walked in carrying an herbal paste to rub across my bruises where the larger man had grabbed at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a small smile. “I’m glad you’re here. Those men were starting to infuriate me.”

At least dealing with bruises didn’t involve a doctor. Tabitha was well able to take care of them. As she applied the paste, I thought back on my parents. How would I be able to take care of the Freehaven if I had to keep one eye over my shoulder? The constant fear of who would attack me next might drive me insane.

“What do you think of him, Your Highness?” Tabitha asked as she laid a bandage over the paste to keep it from rubbing away.

“Who?” I asked, looking away from her. From the intensity of her stare, I could only guess. “He seems different, maybe dangerous. It’s difficult to know who we can trust. His sudden appearance was either planned or magical. I’m not sure which would make me feel less anxious.” Even as I spoke of him, thoughts of his strong jawline and piercing blue eyes came to mind.

“It would be a shame if something were to happen to him before we found out,” Tabitha noted. “He saved your life. It’d likely be wise to keep him close. If he’s one of our enemies, we can leverage him. If he’s not, he would be too good of an ally to lose.” Her voice was more soothing than the bandages on my wounds. She gave wise advice.

I readjusted my dress back into place. “Could you do me a favor, Tabitha? Please check to make sure he’s okay. I trust Sir Alan, but I’m uncomfortable with the idea that they might be roughing him up. He appears to have talents we might need in the future. He saved me once, so maybe he’d be willing to side with us against whoever is after me.” Hope crept into my voice before I could stop it.

With a deep bow of her head, Tabitha rose to her feet, then retreated from the tent.

My parents had never shown discomfort in while walking among the masses wherever the crown required them. Neither had they shown fear or concern about being assassinated at any given moment. I longed to have the strength they did. The least I could do was take their guidance to heart and press on.

Whoever was behind all this would suffer. I wasn’t blinded by hate, fury, or rage. It was a promise that whoever kill them would find themselves in a most unbearable position, and I’d watch them slowly perish. Not because of hate, but I had to know justice had been served.