day or three to check out the local Karrik maidens.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
She half-snorted and half-laughed. “Don’t get us kicked out of Karrik country by angry papas wanting to bash your brains in.”
‘Twould be another two eves afore they reached the McClintock’s holding beyond the Highland border. They could have ridden faster were it not for Niall’s damaged knee and Lady Octavia’s sore backside. Still, Angus wouldn’t complain since ‘twas his lap her backside became bruised upon.
He’d insisted after the first eve that Lady Octavia keep her cloak on at all times. He told her ‘twas because the Highlanders would think her tunic and breeches too odd—which was true—but in earnest he simply didn’t want his men ogling her form. ‘Twas already nigh unto impossible to get them to stop staring at her beautiful face—a feat only more unmanageable after hearing stories of her cunning. Even Niall told his story of the lady and the dagger in such a manner as to be boastful of Lady Octavia.
Their group rode farther on the following day, though still not at full capacity. ‘Twas around the fifth hour of riding that Lady Octavia asked Angus to stop. When he didn’t immediately do so, she yelled out, “I said stop!”
The laird frowned, but did as she bade. “What? What is it?” He looked around for signs of an impending ambush—anything—but he saw nothing.
Lady Octavia looked back at him just as the others were coming to a halt behind them. “That body over there,” she whispered. “I need to get down and look at it.”
“Why would you wish for this? No gentle lady should want to see death.”
“I’m not terribly gentle.” At his snort of laughter, she placed one of her hands on his. Her expression was serious. “I need to see it. Please.”
He could not understand why this was so important to her, yet clearly ‘twas. He nodded then turned his mount and galloped to where the dead body lay. Instead of sobbing or fainting as any woman he’d ever known afore would have, Lady Octavia jumped to the ground from his lap and stood over the corpse.
“James!” she called out. “Come here!”
Angus frowned, not having a care for her calling out to another mon. He kenned James was her trusted knight, yet the jealousy remained. When the two of them started speaking to each other in their foreign tongue, the jealousy intensified.
“His brains are gone! And his innards!”
“Fuck me if the Xenocann isn’t heading north! What the hell?”
“I didn’t see this one coming.”
“Who would have?”
“This is definitely the work of the feeder, James.”
“This is crazy.”
“I guess we are now officially tracking instead of regrouping.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are.”
Angus’s nostrils flared with anger. The only word he’d understood was Xenocann—the knight Lady Octavia had ran from rather than be wed to. “Speak so I can ken what the deuce of you are saying!” He slashed a hand through the air. “Now!”
“I’m sorry,” Lady Octavia said uncharacteristically demurely. “I—this—I just wasn’t expecting this.”
Her green eyes were round, her breathing noticeably hitched. Angus’ jealousy gave way to worry. “What has happened? If we stop every time we see a dead mon we will never get to Karrik land.”
“Oh my God,” Doctor said. He pointed at the corpse from where he sat in front of Colban. “The Xenocann is here?”
Lady Octavia reacted as if she’d caught fire. She reached for her death stick in the sack hitched to Angus’ mount, whirled around in a circle, and started watching for something—or someone. The expression writ across her face was so intense that Angus unsheathed his sword.
“If something comes after any of you,” James shouted to the group, “aim for its heart. The only way you can kill it is by stabbing it through the heart!”
The laird stilled. Every Highlander present unsheathed their swords. None knew who they were looking for, only that they were looking.
“Lady Octavia!” Doctor called out. “It’s okay—well kind of. Those wounds are almost a day old.”
“Damn it!” the lady returned. Her breathing heavy, she came to a stop. She rested the butt of the death stick on the ground and cursed again under her breath. “We can’t let it get away!”
James’ hands went to his hips, his fingers splayed out. “It got away. But at least we know we’re heading toward it instead of away from it.”
“And you two find this comforting?” This from Doctor.
Lady Octavia’s teeth visibly ground together. “We can’t kill what we aren’t near.”
“What’s going on?” Colban asked Angus