Free The Seduced by Donna Grant Page B

wide as his emotions took over.
    He waited for Donald to get close and then plunged his sword into the man, feeling it sink deep into Donald’s body. Surprise showed on Donald’s face, as if he couldn’t believe he was dying. Daman then shoved Donald off his blade and turned around.
    “Daman!” Innes shouted as she came running at him.

CHAPTER NINE

    Daman gathered Innes in his arms and held tight, turning his face against her neck. She had lost both brothers that day. Daman should have paid closer attention. He might have been able to save Alistair.
    “It’s not your fault,” she whispered, her hands stroking his head. “Alistair should never have turned his back on Donald.”
    Daman opened his eyes to find Ronan and David watching them. A moment later, two more men rode up beside Ronan. Daman released Innes and pushed her behind him as he glanced over his shoulder to see if any of Donald’s men would attack. There were just two men who walked out from behind trees to stand over Donald and Alistair’s dead bodies.
    There was no doubt Daman could take Ronan and the others. He would rather do it after Innes was back at the castle, but he doubted David would allow her to leave.
    David’s lips compressed for a moment. “What a waste,” he said. “Alistair was a good man. That was quick thinking, Daman.”
    Innes stood behind him, her hands gripping his tartan. Daman gave her a push. But just as he thought, she wouldn’t leave.
    “Daman has always been quick,” Ronan said.
    David grunted. “So you told me.”
    Daman looked between the two before his gaze shifted to the newcomers. One man had sandy blond hair and yellow-brown eyes while the other had light brown hair and hazel eyes. Their gazes were a mixture of shock, surprise, and happiness.
    “Daman,” said the man with the blond hair. “You know us.”
    He snorted and shook his head. He didn’t know these men.
    “He doesna recognize us, Morcant,” said the second man.  
    Daman took a step back. He needed to get Innes to safety. There was no way he was turning her over to David Sinclair. Not now. Not after she had lost her family.
    “Where have you been?” Ronan asked. He nudged his horse and guided it across the border onto MacKay land. He drew up before getting too close. “We’ve been looking for you. It’s been a long time since the gypsy camp.”
    A flash of brightly colored skirts in the grass flashed in Daman’s mind a heartbeat before an old gypsy woman’s face, her dark eyes filled with anguish and fury.
    Ilinca.
    The name sprang into his mind, but Daman knew that was the old woman’s name. She was a witch. A gypsy witch. She was the one responsible for putting him in the cave and having him sleep for two hundred years.
    He hated gypsies for what she had done.
    Daman jerked his head to Innes to see her dark coloring. Gypsy. He squeezed his eyes closed and turned his head back to Ronan.
    Ronan slowly dismounted from his horse and dropped the reins. It made Daman frown because he had seen Ronan do that action before, he just didn’t know how or when. Somehow, Daman also knew that he had picked up the reins from Ronan afterwards.
    “It was my fault,” Ronan said. He ran a hand down his face. “I can admit that now. I should never have gone to see Ana those times. I was the one who urged the three of you to accompany me,” he said, motioning from Daman to the other two men.
    Ronan cleared his throat. “You were the smart one. You remained outside the camp.”
    Daman closed his eyes as his head felt like it was splitting open. He grabbed it, doubling over from the agony. As if from a great distance, he could hear Innes calling his name. It took Daman a moment to realize he had fallen to his knees.
    More flashes of faces and events filled his mind in rapid succession. He opened his mouth and tried to bellow, to ask someone for help, but there was only silence and the roar of pain.
    Three pairs of large hands gripped him, steadying him.