“No!” Rather than pushing, I withdrew, catching him off guard so he stumbled. I tried to take advantage with a quick s***h but he recovered quicker than any man I had fought before and parried without effort.
“Nice try, Ill Will!”
Seonaid's cry came clearly above the roar of the crowd and I flinched; she had told me that she was going to run when I fought. Now I knew I must win, for Lachlan did not look the kind of man to act like a knight with a lady; there would be no romantic poetry before his brutal conquest.
I slashed sideways, hoping to catch Lachlan by surprise, but he blocked so casually he seemed almost weary, turned my blade with a flick of his wrist and sliced at me. The tip of his sword ripped through the leather strap on my left shoulder so my breastplate slid down. As I tr
