“You are pathetic, old man.”
Dawn turned to see Seth standing in the open doorway.
“And you are more the fool if you think Cree trusts you,” Rem said.
Seth shook his head. “Of course he doesn’t trust me but that doesn’t matter since my plan worked. Goddard freed me while that ignoramus Colum charges head first to his death thinking to regain Dowell and save face with Roland Gerwan. In the meantime I will succeed in carrying out my mission and be paid handsomely for it.”
“You are an idiot,” Rem said and started coughing.
Dawn sat on the bed beside Rem patting him on the back. Her helpful gesture wasn’t for Rem alone. She wanted to be sitting. It gave her closer access to the dirk in her boot she had taken to carrying. Never wanting to be caught without protection again.
“I will finish what Cree failed to do… cut out your tongue, though I will not give you the satisfaction of killing you.”
“Do what you will; you’re still a dead man.”
“Cree will never find me. I will be long gone before he realizes I’m missing.”
“You idiot, it isn’t Cree who will kill you, it is the person who hired us. He wants no one left alive who can speak of this. We were dead men as soon as we agreed to kill this woman.”
“Not me,” Seth sneered. “I will let no one take my life. I will get what I deserve.”
“That you will,” Rem said and began coughing so badly that he doubled over.
“I have no time for this,” Seth raised his sword and charged toward Dawn.
Dawn was suddenly slammed back on the bed, and she watched wide-eyed as Rem jumped up, her dirk in his hand and as Seth’s sword pierced his chest, Rem drove the dirk into his neck.
Seth stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock and collapsed to the ground. It took only seconds for him to take his last breath.
Dawn jumped off the bed grabbing Rem and going down with him as he crumpled to the floor.
He grabbed her hand. “I have no right… but… please… I’m afraid to die alone.”
She patted his shoulder and gently lifted his head to rest in her lap, then took hold of his hand.
He squeezed it tightly. “I hope God forgives me and lets me see my wife and daughter again.”
Dawn nodded vigorously patting her chest and pointing to Seth.
“You believe… I redeemed… myself… by saving… your life.”
She nodded again.
“You are… an angel… and I am grateful to you… for forgiving me. Be careful… someone… wants you dead.” He squeezed her hand even harder. “And be… even more careful… the devil… loves you… and will never… let you go.”
Rem coughed, smiled at Dawn as if he had found peace and died clutching her hand.
She sat there frozen, too numb to move, too numb to barely think, though Rem’s last words echoed loudly in her head… the devil loves you and will never let you go.
What would make him think such a thing?
Elsa appeared in the doorway, though Dawn had no way of telling if it was minutes or hours later that she did. The woman took in the scene in one glance then stepped back out shouting. The next thing Dawn knew, Cree was there filling the doorway.
She hadn’t known she was crying until Cree knelt beside her and gently wiped away her tears with his finger.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
She shook her head, patted Rem’s head, pointed to Seth and then tapped her chest.
“Rem took the sword meant for you?”
She nodded and the next thing she knew she was lifted into Cree’s strong arms. She pointed to Rem.
“He will be given a decent burial.”
Dawn nodded and rested her head on Cree’s chest as he carried her out of the cottage. Her head popped up once outside. She was surprised to see that no damage had been done to the village. And there looked to be no wounded. Men walked laughing toward the keep no doubt to collect their wives and children. Another rule Cree had laid down; no women or children were allowed to leave the keep after an attack until their husbands or fathers came for them.
She looked to Cree and shrugged.
“Curious as usual.”
She nodded.
“It was no fight at all. Why the fool Colum thought he could retake the village with such few men bewilders me.”
Dawn shrugged again wondering over Colum’s fate.
“Colum got what he so richly deserved and what I had wanted to do to him ever since he laid a hand on you. He will never hurt anyone again.”
Dawn now understood why the men laughed and appeared so joyous. Colum was dead. There was no fear that he would one day return. He was gone forever.
Once in her cottage, Cree lowered her to stand, though his hands went to clasp at her waist. “Are you sure you’re all right?”