Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

" I hear you, Quint," Brother Peter said. "Are you going to show yourself or will you be a coward and kill me from where you stand hiding in the woods?"

Quint stepped out from behind a tree and approached the campsite. "Did you stop to think I purposely let you hear me?"

"I did consider it, but then I thought how much you love that wife of yours and how you probably promised her you'd return to her, so sorry she will be disappointed, and thought better of it. Besides, I figured you had questions that would plague you if you didn't get them answered. So, I will give you time to ask me before I kill you."

Brother Peter gasped and looked down in shock at the handle of a dagger sticking out of his stomach and he slowly dropped to the ground.

Quint walked over to him and crouched down beside his prone body. "I'm told I'm so fast with a dagger that no one ever sees it coming. I guess they're right. And you're right about me promising my wife I'd return home to her. As far as questions are concerned, Asher is doing a good job of answering all of them. But if I wanted answers, I'd still be able to get them from you since it is going to take you a while to die. You know what is so great about having a healer as a wife? She can tell me where to strike the body with a dagger if I want an immediate death or a slow, painful one. That pain you're feeling is just the beginning. It's going to get much worse and you're going to suffer just like you made Amara suffer."

Brother Peter tried to reach inside his robe.

"Nay, you don't want to do that," Quint said, his hand pushing Brother Peter's aside and digging in his robe to retrieve the dagger the cleric searched for and without hesitation jammed it into his thigh.

Brother Peter screamed out in pain.

"That one is for Shade and what you made her suffer." Quint sat on the ground. "We have a long night ahead of us and while I am looking forward to it, I doubt you are. And just to clarify, I did purposely let you hear my approach, so you would call out to me and draw me closer. It made it that much easier to hit my target. In a few hours, you will die a horribly painful death, and your body will be left for the forest animals to feast on and the rest of it to rot until there is nothing left but your bones, which no doubt some vulture will pick at. It is a fitting ending for such a vile man."

"Amara screamed for you over and over," Brother Peter said with a pained laugh.

Quint warned himself not to reply, but he couldn't stop himself. "You were there?"

Brother Peter struggled to speak through the pain. "Of course, I was. I wanted to make sure Amara suffered for daring to leave me and not rid herself of the bairn. I instructed each man what to do to her and I got great pleasure from watching it. Of course, I threatened their lives if they told anyone I was present."

Quint stepped away from him, if he didn't he would drive his blade through him and end his life.

"Amara had courage. She told me how much she loved you and how you would avenge her. I laughed at her."

Quint turned and drove a dagger into his other leg.

Brother Peter screamed in pain and when he calmed, he laughed. "You are no different than me, killing and making people suffer. Shade deserves someone far better than you since she truly is a decent person, an angel for sure. If she was here now, she would never see me suffer."

"But she is not here. I am, the devil himself… no wait. You're the devil."

"What does that make you, Quint?"

"An avenging angel," Quint said with a snarl. "And you're right, Shade does deserve better. She deserves a husband who doesn't waste any time on a loathsome man who none will miss or remember. And as for Amara, she is the one victorious here tonight because she finally has her revenge." He pulled his dagger from the cleric's stomach and with one swift slice, ended his life.

Quint looked up at the night sky, sparkling with endless stars. "Rest well, Amara, and know that I loved you." He smiled when it appeared as though a bright star winked at him and he grabbed the reins of the cleric's horse and walked away, eager to get home.

It was the second night Shade would sleep alone, and she did not like it. She had grown accustomed to Quint being there beside her and his arms wrapped around her. She didn't know what she would do if he never came home to her. Of course, she would survive, just as her mum did when she lost her husband and countless other women, but would she ever truly live again?

She pushed the distressing thought from her mind. Quint gave her his word that he would return to her, but she was not foolish enough to believe that there was a chance he wouldn't. She had to believe, have faith that he would return.

With sleep avoiding her, she paced in front of the hearth in their bedchamber, wishing for something to keep her mind busy so that she wouldn't dwell on her fears that her husband might not return to her.

She got her wish.

A knock sounded at her door, and she opened it to see Ena standing there. "A bairn is demanding to be born. I thought you might like to help with the delivery."

"Bless you, Ena, a joyous birth is just what I need."

The birth went quick, though Shade fussed over mum and daughter a bit longer than usual, not wanting to return to a bedchamber where she would get no sleep.

Ena entered with a bucket of water.

Shade hurried to take it from her. "I would have gotten that."

"Nonsense. You have done enough. Now go, a warrior waits to escort you to the keep."

The new mum and da agreed and she was chased out of the cottage to see a warrior leaning against a tree, his hood pulled down nearly covering his face. No doubt he was tired and wished he was in bed.

"I need no escort. Go home and sleep," Shade called out, tucking her cloak around her against the chilly night air.

"Aye, I'll seek my bed, but it isn't sleep I want."

Quint didn't have to put his hood back for Shade to see it was her husband. She recognized his voice immediately and ran to him. He hugged her with a crushing strength she welcomed and kissed her with a passion that she shared.

"I have missed you so much," she said when they finally stopped kissing.

"You will miss me no more since I am not going anywhere. You are stuck with me forever," he said and kissed her again.

"Never will I be stuck with you. I will be grateful to always have you by my side."

He scooped her up in his arms. "I have a hunger for my wife that cannot wait."

They barely stepped inside their bedchamber and closed the door when they shed their garments.

"I cannot wait," Quint said.

Shade agreed. "Either can I."

Their joining was quick but more than satisfying and Shade lay in his arms afterward, pleased beyond measure, not only from their lovemaking but relieved her husband had returned home safely.

"All is done? Your revenge complete." Shade asked.

"It is finished."

Shade snuggled closer against her husband. "Even with Asher still alive?"

"He will eventually get what he deserves, but I care not. It ended with Brother Peter's death. I want no more of it."

"You are free," she said, pleased for him that it was finally ended."

"Aye. I am free to love you and share a happy life with you. You are all I need, Shade, all I want." Quint kissed her brow, then yawned, tired from his long ride home.

He soon fell asleep, though not before shifting Shade on her side to rest up against her, his arms wrapped around her, keeping her snug against him.

Sleep would not avoid Shade tonight, she felt it creep over her and her hand drifted down off her husband's hand to rest on her stomach. Her eyes popped wide with what she saw… the wee beginnings of a bairn about to start growing within her.

She smiled softly with thoughts of Brother Emmett and Amara, and whispered, "Thank you for the miracle."

THE END

Intrigued By A Highlander

Book 2 Highland Revenge Trilogy

Knox and Autumn's book.