Page 29 of Dark Seduction

“You go ahead of me,” Sibylla ordered and she gripped Claire’s shoulder, her nails breaking Claire’s skin through all of her clothing. “If we are espied, you die.”

“Fine.” She walked slowly ahead, still holding the stone, which was cool now. When she realized she had been clutching it to her throat like a child’s ragged security blanket, she dropped it. She started down the narrow, circular staircase carefully. Adrenaline began.

Sibylla was a single step behind her.

Claire whirled and seized her ankle, pulling her forward as hard as she could. As Sibylla fell, Claire dashed to the steps above her, screaming as loudly as possible for help. Sibylla started to leap up, her expression murderous. But as she straightened, Claire was waiting for her. She kicked her in the face, a front kick her personal trainer would have been proud of.

But Sibylla only teetered slightly backward and then she kept on coming.

Claire turned and ran, reaching for her Taser, thinking, holy shit! The woman was a female Terminator and she was two steps behind her. Pissing off that woman was not a good idea. And then she heard racing footsteps coming up the hall below them and Malcolm shouting for her.

Of course he would save the day! Claire burst onto the ramparts, then realized Sibylla was gone.

She turned, shocked, breathing hard, as Malcolm, Royce and six men leaped through the open doorway, swords ringing as they were unsheathed.

“She’s gone!” Claire was in disbelief. Sibylla hadn’t passed her and she couldn’t have turned to flee back into the keep without running directly into the men. She had vanished into thin air.

Malcolm sheathed his sword, reaching for her. Claire didn’t think twice; she went into his arms. “It was Sibylla.”

He tilted up her chin, his eyes blazing, as Royce barked orders to the men. “She hurt ye.”

“I’m fine.” She began to tremble. “That woman has the strength of a dozen men.”

His nostrils flared. “Yer bleeding on yer shoulder.” But he was looking at her throat, as if he knew what Sibylla had done.

“I’m fine,” she cried as Royce strode over, looking even more enraged than Malcolm.

“Sibylla will pay,” he said. “No one enters Carrick without my pleasure.” He turned to Malcolm. “Two men are dead.”

That woman had so casually murdered the guards, Claire thought, shivering. But Sibylla was pure evil. She had seen the darkness in her soulless eyes—and she prayed she would never look into her eyes again.

But it was worse than that. Like Malcolm, she could time travel.

Royce turned to Claire. “If she wanted ye dead, ye’d be dead, as well.”

Claire wet her lips. “She thinks I have the page.”

Both men stared, eyes wide. Malcolm turned to Royce. “Sibylla does nay ha’ it, but I ken who does.”

Royce looked unhappy then. “Malcolm.”

“Nay, dinna try t’ stop me now.”

Claire had no idea what the exchange meant. But now that her adrenaline was gone, she realized she was shaken and exhausted. She felt violated by what Sibylla had done—and what she had wanted to do.

Instantly, as if he knew, Malcolm turned, putting his arm around her and holding her upright. “Come, lass. We’ll speak inside.”

Claire nodded and they went back down the stairs. Images flashed and she saw her brief struggle with Sybilla and the woman’s pale, furious face, her black, frightening eyes. “How did I make such an enemy?”

Malcolm guided her into the chamber and directly to the bed. Claire’s insides instantly tightened and she glanced at him. His steady regard met hers. “This time, Claire, ye obey me.” He threw the fur cover aside and took her arm, guiding her onto the down pallet.

Claire jerked off her cowboy boots and slid under the covers. He arranged the pillow behind her head, his expression deadly serious, his mind clearly not on his actions. But he was fussing over her and something melted in her heart. How could such a powerful, arrogant and presumptuous man reduce himself to fixing her pillows? Maybe she should not be so quick to stereotype him, she thought.

She touched his hand. Sparks ignited, but then, they were never really extinguished, not when he was nearby. “What is it?”

He met her gaze, hesitated, then sat down by her hip. “I have vowed t’ protect ye an’ ye almost died today. Not once, but twice.”

Claire did not want to think about everything that had happened on the ramparts with Sibylla. “Why does she think I have the page? Because I own a specialty bookstore?”