Part 19 (2/2)

He remained kneeling beside her. ”Well, you've the right of it.” He shook his head, smiling slightly. ”Still, it was thoughtless, la.s.s. Reckless and incredibly-”

”Yes, I know! Stupid and foolis.h.!.+ I'm lucky I wasn't killed!” She knew the speech. She'd heard it plenty of times, mostly recently from Ridley shrieking about her incredible stupidity. Red Alex was the last person she wanted to hear it from now. The idea of him chastising her left her hot with humiliation.

He looked taken aback. ”Well... aye, though Eliot's a fine shot and wouldn't have killed you.” His face tightened slightly, as if he didn't quite believe his own words. ”What I'm trying to say, if you'd let me finish, is that it was thoughtless, reckless-”

She scowled at him, waiting to see what new insult he meant to add.

”And incredibly courageous.”

She blinked. The hot resentment that filled her dissolved into something else that fluttered deep in her chest and belly as he held her with his dark blue gaze.

He laughed, though not at her, but in amazement. ”My G.o.d, la.s.s, I've never seen the like. You just ran, arrows flying around you. Even when you were hit, you kept going.” He shook his head. ”And you, naught but a wee la.s.s.”

His praise made her uncharacteristically fl.u.s.tered. Her face burned and she averted her eyes, shrugging with one shoulder. ”The moment presented itself, so I seized it. I knew I could outrun Armless Eliot and the other man. No one was attending me, except Laine, and I didn't think he'd shoot me.”

He regarded her for a long moment, increasing her discomfort. ”Is that what you always do, Fayth Graham? Seize the moment?”

”If I think there's a chance of success... then, yes.”

He tilted his head slightly, snagging her gaze again. She forced herself not to look away, though she desperately wanted to. His gaze was warm, admiring even. For an odd moment he reminded her of her father. Hugh Graham had been tolerant, indulgent even, but rarely proud. Fayth's dearest memories were those times his eyes shone with pride, that his voice was rich with it.

Fayth was on fire, even her scalp tingled with it. ”Stop looking at me like that.”

His gaze dropped to her arm. ”How does it feel?”

Relieved at the change of subject, she looked down at her bandaged arm. ”Fine, I suppose. You tended it?”

”Aye, Davie and I. I didn't think you'd make it, to be honest. Couldn't rouse you for a bit. But you're a stubborn la.s.s. I suppose you just refused to die.”

She frowned. ”It's only an arm wound. How could it be so bad?”

”There are places on the body-here,” he indicated the inside of his biceps, ”here,” he pointed to the inside of his thigh, near his groin, ”where a wound is fatal if not staunched. You had already bled so much...” He shook his head. ”Well, I know men who've lost less blood and not lived... and here you are, speaking to me.”

”There was another man...”

Alex nodded. ”That was Davie. He'll be back to check for corruption later. He's staying behind to see to you.”

”Staying behind?”

”Aye-the others are going on ahead, to Gealach. We'll follow when you're ready to be moved.” He looked into the trees, as if his tower were in sight, his eyes strange, faraway. ”Ridley and Carlisle might be headed there now, looking for you. I need all my men there.”

”So it's just you, me, and Davie?” she asked uneasily.

Alex grinned slightly. ”And Skelley and Eliot. Probably Laine. Laine is sore upset that you escaped and almost died on his watch.”

”It's only an arm wound!”

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