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?”
She smiled and patted her chest.
He grinned and gave her a quick kiss. “You are a courageous woman.”
He sounded as if he admired her and the thought caused her breath to catch.
“The warrior guarding Seth was knocked on the head from behind and never saw his assailant. Did Seth say who freed him?”
Dawn gestured as she did once before when she wanted to identify Goddard to Cree and he remembered.
“Goddard, I thought as much. He was nowhere to be found.”
Dawn tensed.
His hands tightened at her waist. “Do not worry. I will find him and put an end to him. Then he will trouble us no more.”
Us. It thrilled Dawn to hear him refer to them as us. Could Rem have been right? Did the devil love her?
“I’ll return later,” he said and lowered his lips to hers to savor for a moment.
It was far too many minutes before they broke apart and reluctantly, then quickly joined again. She knew he had to go, though she wished he wouldn’t. She wished he would stay and...
The thought that perhaps she could make him stay if only for a short...
Dawn didn’t think on it, she daringly acted, slipping her hand over the bugle between his legs and teasing it. He groaned and his kiss deepened as his mouth grew hungrier against hers. She felt empowered by his eager response and she continued tormenting him into submission.
“Damn it, Dawn,” he all but moaned as he tore his mouth away from hers. “I have no time—”
She hurried to the table, hopped up on it to lie on her back and spread her legs and stretch her arms out to him.
Cree grinned and didn’t hesitate to accept her invitation. He planted himself inside her quickly, an easy plunge since she was so wet and ready for him, which excited him even more. It wouldn’t take long for either one of them, another thought that had him thrusting in her even harder.