The Reckless Oath We Made - Bryn Greenwood Page 0,111

and from the barn came the fourth man, the one called Tague Barnwell. He carried not a long gun, but a pistol. I struck Scanlon upon his temple with my pommel, and twisted his wounded arm that I might use him as a shield.

There was naught to be gained by retreating and so I advanced, Scanlon before me til we came to the rail of the porch where Barnwell approached.

“This be no tournament. Thy rules aren for naught,” the black knight said. “If thou fightest not for thy life, certs thou wilt it lose.”

Scanlon ceased his bemoaning, and I felt in his back that he meant to fight. Where before his shoulder was drawn tight to protect his injured limb, he lowered it, for he meant to lunge right. Had I followed the black knight’s entreaty, I might have spared myself all harm, but as I forced Scanlon from me, I felt a burning wound upon my thigh. I heard it not, nor anything, aside the black knight’s admonishment and mine own breath. I ought have done it sooner, but the deed lay clear before me, once I was wounded.

I swung my blade and cleaved Scanlon’s bared neck. His blood was as a warm bath upon my arm and, as he fell at my feet, I leapt down upon Barnwell, ere he could fire his gun.

On the ground, breast-to-breast with me, his gun was of no use, but my blade found his foot, and I drove my head into his chin. ’Twas well for me the wound to my leg was a distant thing, for pain made Barnwell a fool. He grasped my sword with his hand to draw it from his foot, thereby wounding himself a second time. He cried out, I knew not what, and seeing how poorly he fared, he ceased his futile defense and attacked. He hit his arm hard upon my elbow so that I must release him, and ere I regained my hold, he pushed me hence. To free his gun, he meant, but he was unready when the moment came.

I was ready. The movement of his arm as he made to steady his gun twisted his trunk all unarmored toward me, and I thrust my sword into him. Under his ribs, through to his back, until my hilt pressed flush against him. His arms dropped, the gun with them, and I held him up til the weight upon my blade was too much. He fell upon the ground, and when I drew my sword from his body, blood poured into the soil. His mouth opened in a cry, and tho I would hear his last words, none came, only the sound of pain.

I tossed his gun from his reach, but left him lie in peace, for he could no more menace me. Tho Barnwell still had breath, certs I had killed two men. I knew not how I lived while their lifeblood drained away.

“’Twas well done,” the black knight said.

“’Twas necessary,” the Witch said.

“If thou wert as steady with the thrust of thine other blade,” Gawen said.

Hildegard said naught but a prayer:

God that is mightful

Speed all rightful

Help all needful

Have mercy on all sinful

I echoed it that I might remember these fallen men had souls as frail as mine. Then I lifted my hand to signal Sir Edrard but there came no arrow in answer. All round me was a great pall of silence that set my raised hand atremble, but the hand that held my sword remained resolute. I turned to the cabin and mounted the steps to find Lady Zhorzha and her sister.

CHAPTER 43

Zee

The scary thing was how the gunshot came from two places at the same time—outside and the open phone line in my pocket. One loud, one quiet, like a firecracker and a pop gun going off at the same time. I fumbled the phone out of my pocket and almost dropped it.

“Edrard? What’s going on?” I said, but he didn’t answer.

There was another gunshot, and with the phone to my ear, the secondary pop was louder. I wondered if it was closer to Edrard.

I said his name again and heard a bunch of scrambling noises.

“I don’t know,” he said, breathing hard. “It’s too dark to see anything. I’m going up to bring one of the trucks down the main road. Hang on.”

I was going to tell him to wait, but before I could, there was another gunshot, so close it sounded like it was inside the cabin.