Jayce gasped and pressed her fingers to her lips. Reese wavered on his horse as it continued to gallop to the other side of the field. Her heart froze in her chest.
Reese clutched the reins of the horse, righting himself. Jayce wasn’t aware she had stopped breathing until she had to draw a large breath. Reese’s steed circled, and the squire handed Reese another lance.
Again, the two horses raced toward each other, jousting poles leveled.
Jayce held her breath again as the horses closed on each other. Reese jerked away and just missed being hit in the same shoulder. He turned his lance at the last moment and struck Morse’s stomach. The blow glanced off Morse’s armor as the horses galloped past the viewing platform, but Morse stayed tall in the saddle.
Reese rode straight to his squire, grabbed the offered lance and whirled, spurring his steed on toward Morse. Morse matched his older brother’s speed, driving his horse on. Reese leveled his lance, again aiming for Morse’s midsection.
Jayce’s heart pounded as the Harrington brothers collided in a large cloud of dust and a thunderous roar.
Reese tumbled backward over his horse and fell heavily to the ground.
For a brief moment, the entire field was silent.
Jayce ducked beneath the rail to race to Reese’s aid, but something caught her wrist and held her back. She fought against it, tugging at her arm to free it. A frantic second later she realized it was Nicole.
“Morse fell, too,” she told Jayce breathlessly.
Jayce scanned the field to find Morse laboriously climbing to his feet. Jayce straightened, leaning toward Reese, silently begging him to get to his feet. The crowd’s returning roar rang in her ears. Finally, Reese pushed himself to a sitting position. He swayed for a moment before reaching up to pull his helmet from his head and toss it aside.
“Sword!” Morse shouted to his squire.
Jayce saw Reese clutch his side. His face contorted in a grimace of pain.
A boy ran up with a large sword, its handle outstretched to Morse.
Panic welled inside Jayce. No, her mind screamed. He’s hurt. She heard Nicole gasp. Jayce ducked beneath the railing and jumped from the platform to race onto the field, her heart thundering in her chest.
“Jayce!” Nicole cried.
Jayce knelt before Reese, scanning his face, her hands splayed before her in helplessness. Agony dulled Reese’s deep blue eyes; his jaw was clenched hard. As he stared at her, Jayce thought she saw a wavering of resolve in his eyes.
She thought for a moment he was beseeching her. But for what she didn’t know. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Morse approaching, sword in his hand.
She stood to meet him, “Let him be,” she commanded. “Everything you said was true. He cares nothing for me. I forced myself on him. I knew all about the plan to kidnap Nicole.” As she spoke, tears rose in her eyes. “Let him be,” she repeated, desperation creeping into her voice.
Morse’s gaze shifted from Reese to pin Jayce where she stood.
“My honor means nothing,” she proclaimed. “Just don’t hurt him.”
“You,” Morse growled. He lifted the blade above his head. “I would gladly take your life instead of my brother’s.”
Jayce winced, stepping back, lifting her hands to block the blow.
Suddenly, another sword shot forward to intercept Morse’s death blow. Jayce turned to find Reese on his feet, sword clutched in his hand. His blue eyes twinkled at her for a moment before he shifted his gaze to Morse. His hand encircled Jayce’s arm and gently set her aside.
Morse moved forward with a lightning reaction, arcing his blade high over his head. Reese caught the blow easily, grabbing Morse’s arm. They locked blades, and the sunlight reflected off the crossed weapons and into Jayce’s eyes.
“Reese,” Morse said, through the crossed swords, “if she means anything to you, admit it and I’ll lower my weapon.”
Reese tensed, his shoulders stiffening. He stared hard at Morse before shoving away from his brother. He cast a quick glance at Nicole on the platform. But never once did he look at Jayce.
“I’m fighting for the respect owed my family, Reese. I’m fighting for our honor. It was her father that kidnapped Nicole! It was her family that forced you into marriage. I don’t want to fight my brother.”
“There is no one left to defend her. She is now my responsibility.”
“So, you don’t care for her?”
Jayce tried to close off her emotions. She watched Reese’s back. And prayed for the right answer.
“No,” he proclaimed.
Jayce hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until she released it in a disappointed rush. Humiliation flamed across her cheeks. She wanted to crumple to the ground; she wanted to disappear into the earth so no one could see her. Instead, she stood immobile in the middle of the field of honor, honorless and alone. A crack speared the center of her heart like a fracture in the earth.