He dared to look down to his feet dangling like a rag doll beneath him and wished he hadn’t. The stormy sea swirled and waves swelled up far below, threatening to drown him. The sharp rocks on the way down would most likely crack his skull open before he even hit the water. Being a baron of the coast in Hastings, he should be used to any kind of weather, but his nightmares made him seem like a coward every time a storm hit even though he was really a very brave man.
Visions of his recurring nightmare swarmed in his head. It was the fear of that awful dream he’d been having for the last fourteen years that had more than once made him think he’d gone mad. No twenty-eight-year-old baron of the Cinque Ports should be crying out in his sleep like a scared child. Tongues were already wagging about him back home, and his own friends – the other barons of the Cinque Ports, ridiculed him constantly about his frightening nightmare.
He closed his eyes and tried not to think of the horrific dream, but he couldn’t get it out of his head. It all started on his wedding day fourteen years ago to a girl he hadn’t known was a witch. He’d found a deck of her devil cards and when he’d picked them up, a card had fallen to the ground, landing face up at his feet.
It was a card that depicted a castle tower breaking apart as the ground caved in beneath it. Stormy skies all around it, two people plunged from the tower over the side and to their deaths. This card was the seed of his nightmares because somehow, he knew it was his own castle falling into the sea.
“This is just a dream. It’s just a dream,” he spoke aloud to himself. “I’ll wake up and I’ll be in my bed, and none of this will be real.”
He wished he could believe it, but this time his muscles were trembling from holding up the weight of his own body, and blood gushed from his wounds. This wasn’t a dream. His tunic had turned red from the blood that had blended with the rain soaking his body. With his fingers slipping, he finally managed to bring his hurt arm around and grab onto the vine as well.
Aye, he should have waited for his squire, Miles, to travel the road with him and could only hope now that he followed and would come to his assistance. After a few minutes, he realized no one was coming to his aid. What a stupid way to die! When he left this world, he wanted it to be a warrior’s death protecting his king or saving another noble, not from being shot by a ruffian, thrown from a horse, and falling over the edge of a cliff.
Cursed be the bandit who had done this to him. He wanted to kill that man right now, but knew his attacker was also the only one who could save him.
“Is anyone there?” he called out, hoping the man would have a change of heart and come to his rescue. “I know you’re there,” he called out. “I need . . . help. Can you hear me?”
Excerpt from Restless Sea Lord
Restless Sea Lord
(Legendary Bastards of the Crown Series - Book 1)
“I’m on my way.” Rowen walked around the corner of the building and when he did, he thought he saw movement in the shadows. Someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation and was hiding behind the rain barrel.
He ripped his sword from his side, reaching around the barrel with his free hand, and yanked the eavesdropper out into the open. He planned on slitting the man’s throat but stopped when he felt the small size of his arms. The sneak’s hood fell back revealing his face. Rowen swore under his breath when he realized it wasn’t a man at all but rather the witch lady from inside the tavern.
“Damn you!” he spat. “How long have you been hiding there?” He’d been so distracted by thoughts of his sister that he hadn’t even noticed the wench had followed him. This wasn’t good. If she’d heard their entire conversation, she could ruin everything.
“Let me go, Rowen the Restless,” she said, struggling in his grip.
“You know who I am?”
“I didn’t need to hear you and your brothers to figure it out. I saw your birds.”
Damn. Rowen knew those birds were going to give them trouble someday. His brothers had been way too careless. “You know too much,” he growled.
“Lady Cordelia, are you back here?” Her guard came around the corner. Just when Rowen was sure she was going to shout out, he did the only thing he could to shut her up. He pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his and kissed her hard.
“Lady Cordelia?” asked the guard, stopping in his tracks. “Are you all right?”
Rowen heard the sound of shouting and the war cries of his brothers and their armies, realizing the fools must have thought his kissing the wench was the signal to attack. Well, now that the plan was in action, he had no choice but to join them in their ploy.
Spinning on his heel, he hit the guard in the head with the hilt of his sword, sending the man sprawling on the ground.
“Nay!” Cordelia cried out. Rowen pulled her out of the way as a dagger whizzed past her ear and embedded itself into the rain barrel. Water spouted out, hitting the guard in the face. The man’s eyes opened and he sputtered, hurrying to get to his knees.
“God’s eyes, I don’t have time to protect you now,” Rowen said, kicking the sword out of the guard’s hand and then turning around to meet one of the king’s soldiers head on. Swiping his sword forward, he sank it into the soldier’s chest before the man could do the same to him. Cordelia screamed at seeing all the blood. She was going to ruin everything! “Keep your mouth shut unless you want to lose your head,” he warned, this time blocking her with his body as his brother, Reed, tossed a guard through the air. The man landed at their feet, and Cordelia peeked out from behind him and screamed again.
“Sorry about that,” called out Reed. “I didna see the lassie there.”
“You’ve got a girl?” shouted Rook, taking down two guards with ease. “This isn’t the time for that, you fool. Do something with her.”
“Just do your job and get the guards away from the cart and let me worry about the wench,” he spat, seeing a soldier running toward him with his sword drawn. Dressed the way she was, looking like an old hag, no one was going to think a noblewoman was right in the midst of the battle. And they wouldn’t care if a peasant was killed in the fight.
Brody climbed into the driver’s seat of the cart and waved his arm through the air to get Rowen’s attention, while his brothers kept the rest of the soldiers at bay. They had to leave now if they were to have any chance at all of getting the goods to the ship and away from the coast without being caught.
“Go,” he shouted, signaling Brody who slapped the reins and started the horses moving forward. The battle was still in full swing and he couldn’t just leave the wench there unprotected. Besides, she’d heard too much. With one word from her, their operation could be blown apart. He had no choice but to take her with him.
“Let me go,” she cried out as he pulled her by the arm toward the approaching cart. When Brody passed by with the goods, Rowen tossed her into the back of the wagon. Managing to fight off another soldier, he then jumped up into the cart with her. They sped away toward the Sea Mirage, with Rowen wondering how he was going to explain this one to his brothers and his crew.
Also by Elizabeth Rose
Medieval Series:
Legendary Bastards of the Crown Series
Season of Fortitude Series
Legacy of the Blade Series
Daughters of the Dagger Series
MadMan MacKeefe Series
Barons of the Cinque Ports Series
Second in Command Series
Medieval/Paranormal Series:
Elemental Series
Greek Myth Fantasy Series
Tangled Tales Series
Contemporary Series:
Tarnished Saints Series
Western Series:
Cowboys of the Old West Series
And More!
Please visit http://elizabethrosenovels.com
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