by Sasha Lord
Curtis looked at his father in frustration, then at Kassandra with the beginnings of true anger. “You are distracting Cadedryn from what he must do. As I explained earlier, he must impress the king and gain a royal pardon.”
“Do not chastise the miss,” David interrupted. “Let her ride with Caenmore and let us enjoy a moment as father and son. It has been a long time since we spent time together without Cadedryn.”
Curtis shook his head. “I want to ride with Cadedryn and reach the front of the pack so I’m present at the killing.”
David frowned and flicked a jealous glance at Cadedryn, but said nothing more.
Kassandra’s eyes widened and she raised a hand in defense. “I merely thought he needed someone to stand beside him. I did not mean to cause trouble.”
Cadedryn answered her. “You did not disrupt anything. The McCaffertys were about to leave. I will catch up with them later.”
Curtis drew a quick a breath at the abrupt dismissal. “Cadedryn,” he declared. “This woman’s interference must be stopped!”
“I will meet up with you this eve,” Cadedryn insisted. “I have other business to attend at this moment.”
Curtis yanked his horse around and spurred him, causing the creature to explode into a gallop with a neigh of distress. David McCafferty bowed toward Kassandra, then sent his own horse trailing behind his son’s.
As the dust settled, Cadedryn motioned for Kassandra to walk her horse next to his. “You do not need to ride beside me,” he informed her. “I do not require your sponsorship. Despite what Curtis believes, the king will do as he wishes, and if he chooses to delay discussing the reinstatement of my title, neither I nor anyone else has the power to persuade him.”
Kassandra shrugged and urged her horse to match strides with his. “I spoke the truth. It is inappropriate to ride with a stranger.”
He grinned as his annoyance faded. “It was a kind thought,” he acknowledged. “You are forever championing the unfortunate.”
“Why would you consider yourself unfortunate?” Kassandra asked. “You are widely respected . . .”
“But not loved,” he finished for her.
It was her turn to grin. “You denounce love. You cannot have it with some and reject it with others. If you are loved by one, you can be loved by all.”
“And conversely, if you reject everyone, you must reject the one.”
Kassandra rode in silence, considering his reply. “You have been cast out from your people,” she said softly. “You have been rejected and thus you reject them.”
Cadedryn’s green gaze flicked over her face, noting the similarities to the woman he had met last night. He opened his mouth, about to ask about her illegitimate sister, but she suddenly reined in her mare and glanced back at the castle.
“I forgot something,” she improvised, trying to find a way to detach herself so that she could make her way to the hut before he did. “Go ahead and ride on. I will not be saddened to miss the hunt, but I encourage you to enjoy yourself.”
“Do you find the hunt distasteful, or is it my company?” His voice was suddenly guarded and cold, and he leaned away from her as if he found her offensive.
Kassandra shook her head. “Not you. I admit I am not fond of the killing.”
“The boar rarely suffers.”
“Rarely?” She shuddered and turned away.
On impulse, he reached for the reins of her horse. “I will kill it for you. It will die a clean, painless death.”
They stared at each other, each unsure of what to say, until Kassandra dropped her gaze and nodded. “Thank you. That would . . . I . . .” She turned away, embarrassed that she could not express herself. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
Clucking to her horse, she turned her mare away and lifted her hand to wave good-bye.
Cadedryn watched her for a moment, an odd feeling rumbling at the pit of his stomach. Lady Kassandra was unusual, but her oddity made him feel strangely protective of her. People such as Lady Corine could say that Kassandra was uncultured and misplaced, but he found her refreshingly honest. She was the only woman he had ever met who reminded him of his mother.
The blast of a horn pulled him from his reverie and he sent his stallion galloping up the slope. He had promised to kill the boar, and he would not fail her.
Kassandra rode back to the castle yard and whistled to Triu-cair, who was up in the barn’s hayloft, searching for his lunch. The weasel scampered down from his lofty perch and hastened to join her.
“Hurry,” Kassandra grumbled as she looked up at the sun. It had taken much longer to return to the castle than she had anticipated, and she still needed to find the crofter’s hut before Cadedryn arrived there. She turned and sent the mare trotting up the path she had traveled last night. Just as they entered the forest, she pulled up and allowed Triu-cair to scramble up her leg and sit in her lap before she continued on. Halfway up the winding road, she turned off the path and cut through the trees until she reached a beautiful, open ridge. If her sense of direction was correct, she could reach the hut in less time if she followed the ridge to the next line of trees. From there, she should be able to spot the cabin and enter far ahead of Cadedryn, provided the hunt was still in progress.
She leaned over and asked her mare to leap forward in a full gallop, welcoming the brief moment of freedom before she was forced to act on a daring plan that made her tremble with anxiety. The mare’s hooves pounded the ground with reverberating force and she stretched her legs farther with each stride. The tall grasses whipped across the mare’s chest and snagged on Kassandra’s boots, and the wind whistled in their ears. All worries were swept behind her and only the glorious meadow lay ahead, when suddenly the mare stumbled.
Kassandra shrieked as she stared with horror at the vicious crossbow arrow protruding from Briana’s shoulder.
A strand of trees rose in spindly formation to her right while a thicket of trees at the end of the ridge stood dense and forbidding—a perfect hiding place for someone intent on an ambush.
Another arrow streaked across the meadow and thudded into the mare’s haunches. The mare reared in fury and pain as Kassandra scrambled to dismount and drag her to the relative safety of the thin trees. Triu-cair was flung to the ground and pressed himself flat as Kassandra shouted to the horse and tugged on the reins. “Come along, Briana!” she urged.
The rearing mare dropped to all fours and jumped forward, almost trampling Kassandra, but she leapt out of the mare’s path and managed to position themselves between the trees and the source of the crossbow while calming the terrified beast.
A sudden sound coming from behind made Kassandra spin and she beheld a black stallion racing across the ridge toward them. Fearing that the other horse bore another attacker, she sprinted to the far side of the trees, but a third arrow whistled past her, only inches from her face. Trapped between the crossbow at the far side and the rapidly advancing stallion on the near side, Kassandra crouched low to the ground and released her mare’s reins.
“Run,” she whispered as she used a stick to strike the horse’s hind legs. “Run!”
The mare bounded out of the strand of trees and careened through the grass and over the other side of the ridge, disappearing from sight.
A hooded person on horseback wielded a crossbow as he burst out of the forest and chased after the riderless horse, but as the pair was about to plunge down the other side, the cloaked face glanced toward the stand of trees.
Kassandra ducked her head and covered her face, trying to melt into the ground, but the attacker swung his horse toward her and lifted the crossbow once again. Knowing her assailant had spied her, Kassandra scrambled backward and picked up a sturdy branch to use in her defense. She swallowed, her hands trembling. Why was this person seeking to harm her? What had she done? Whom had she angered?
She lifted the branch and waved it toward the attacker, who halted several lengths from her and began stringing another arrow. Fear snaked through her
heart as she stumbled backward, well aware that she could do little to defend herself. Suddenly, the black horse she had spied earlier barreled past her and raced directly toward the rider stringing the crossbow. With a gasp, Kassandra recognized Cadedryn’s stallion. A flash of last night’s dream flickered before her, and she cried out as she clung to the spindly tree.
“Take care!” she cried, deathly afraid that the attacker would release the arrow directly into Cadedryn’s chest, but before the attacker could finish stringing the bow, Cadedryn closed the distance and pulled forth his sword. He swung the shimmering weapon over his head and swiped, dashing the crossbow to the dirt.
The attacker yanked on his horse’s reins, trying to pull him around, but Cadedryn slammed into them both, knocking the horse off balance. The assailant tumbled to the ground, but rolled quickly to his feet and drew a sword.
Cadedryn leapt off his horse and faced him. “Remove your hood and fight with honor,” he demanded as he brandished his weapon. “You attack a defenseless woman? Are ye’ coward, or are ye’ brave enough to fight a man?” he drawled as he lined up his sword with his assailant’s head.
The attacker lunged forward, striking at Cadedryn’s face, but he deflected the strike easily, then countered with a rapid assault. Swords flashing and steel clanging, the two engaged in a deadly battle, each determined to strike a fatal blow.
Cadedryn advanced quickly, pushing the attacker backward. His sword whistled through the air, slicing the black cape and drawing first blood. The assailant cried out and clutched his arm, but was forced to raise his sword once again as Cadedryn pressed his advantage.
Kassandra rose from her hiding place and stared at Cadedryn in stunned amazement. He was no longer the elegant jouster, nor was he the angry, shirtless fighter. This was a superb master, a swordsman who used his weapon as gracefully as a dancer. He wielded it as if it were an extension of his own body, like a hawk using his deadly talons.
The other man stumbled, falling to his knees. “Halt!” he cried as Cadedryn’s sword touched his neck. “Mercy!”
Cadedryn paused. Then, his voice throbbing with anger, he said, “Show yourself. Only a coward attacks a lone woman and hides behind a hood.”
The attacker bowed his neck and lifted his hands to his hood as if to untie it. Then, with the suddenness of a striking snake, he drew a throwing knife from behind his head and flung it at Kassandra, narrowly missing a fatal strike.
She screamed and collapsed to the ground just as the man scurried backward toward his horse and raised his hand as if to throw another missile.
Cadedryn leapt toward Kassandra and inserted himself protectively between her and the attacker, but the man did not throw another knife. Instead, he sprang atop his horse and yanked on the reins. Then, with a vicious kick, he sent the animal galloping up the slope.
Feeling an eerie sense of recognition, Cadedryn took several running steps after the fleeing man. “Who hides behind the hood?” he shouted as he brandished his sword.
The man abruptly pulled his mount to a stop several lengths away from the couple and twisted around to face Cadedryn. “Someone who has heard of your disloyalty and will do anything to ensure that you do not follow down the path to ruin like your father,” the man shouted back, his voice muffled and unrecognizable through the hood. He pointed to Kassandra. “Stay away from that woman, or hers will not be the only death the court must mourn.”
“She had done nothing wrong!” Cadedryn answered angrily. “She is an innocent.”
The man turned away. “Beware the illusion of innocence,” he called as he cantered over the ridge and disappeared from view.
Cadedryn spun around and dropped to his knee beside Kassandra. “Are you hurt?” he said gruffly as he gripped her arm and pulled her close.
“My arm . . .” She twisted her shoulder and gazed at the torn sleeve of her dress.
Cadedryn touched her, sliding his fingers in the hole and exploring her flesh beneath. “No blood,” he told her, his voice husky.
Kassandra’s breath caught and she shivered. Tiny goose bumps spread from her shoulder and down her forearm, then across her abdomen.
His hand stilled.
She jerked back and drew the edges of the torn dress together. “He missed me,” she stammered.
Cadedryn pulled away and helped her to her feet. “Poor aim,” he replied, although his voice shook. Her skin was as soft as velvet and she smelled as fresh as Highland flowers. “Why are you riding alone? You said you were returning to the castle.”
Kassandra stepped away, and took several steadying breaths. She straightened her mantle and self-consciously stroked her black wig, which peeked from beneath the fabric.
Cadedryn waited for a response.
“I wanted a moment of solitude,” she finally replied, unable to express a more plausible excuse. “What about you? Why did you leave the others?”
“I saw you through the trees,” he answered, swinging back to face her. “You seem to land yourself in trouble no matter where you go.”
Kassandra narrowed her gaze and placed her hands on her hips. “I only have difficulty when you are around.”
“So the man was not attacking you before I arrived?”
She lowered her eyes and her hands fell to her sides. She scuffed her toe in the grass, then looked down the hillside. “My horse is injured. I pray she returned to the stables.”
Without replying, Cadedryn walked over to his own horse and gathered the reins. “I will bring you to the castle,” he said. “Perhaps you have learned your lesson. The rules of society are designed to protect women like you, thus you would do well to heed them.”
“Your swordsmanship was impressive,” she said after a long pause in which both of them struggled to hide their feelings. “Why do you think that man was trying to harm me?”
Cadedryn grunted. “I would not want to speculate upon his nefarious intentions, but thankfully, he was not highly skilled. He utilized ambush and trickery, not excellence. You are lucky his aim was not better.”
Kassandra snatched a leaf from a branch dipping low beside her and sucked on the stem. “Where did you learn such prowess?”
“I’d rather not discuss my swordsmanship. ’Tis not a fit subject for a lady.”
She punched him in the side.
“Ouch!” he yelled. “What was that for? I just saved you!”
“Do you know how pompous you sound?”
“I do not,” he replied, truly affronted. “I was only protecting you from the dull details of training and warfare.”
“Where did you get your sword? It looks unusual.”
“That is another thing I don’t want to talk about. A man’s weapons are personal extensions of himself and are not suitable for casual conversation.”
She lifted her hand to punch him again, but he caught her fist. “Not again,” he cautioned her. “I may be fooled once, but never twice. Now come, I must bring you to the castle quickly for I have an appointment at noon.”
Kassandra glanced at him with alarm. If she returned to the castle, she would be the one to miss their rendezvous, for she would be stranded with no sound mount. The sun was already high in the sky, and she doubted he would patiently await her arrival.
Her only other choice was to make him late. If he appeared well after the appointed hour, he would presume that his tiger kitten had given up waiting for him.
Kassandra walked very slowly over to Cadedryn and his horse as Cadedryn motioned impatiently to her. “You move as slow as a turtle,” he grumbled as he looked up at the high sun.
Kassandra’s stomach fluttered, but she kept her face bland. Her emotions rolled, churning with a mix of excitement at his obvious interest in the mysterious red-haired woman, and anger at his dismissal of her true self. She turned her back to the stallion and stared up at his face. A fine white scar ran from the corner of his eye to the edge of his jaw. How had she failed to notice it earlier? Nothing in her dreams had shown her such a
scar. Fascinated, she reached out to stroke it with her fingertip.
He jumped back, his eyes blazing with surprise. “Milady!”
Kassandra flushed and looked away. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
He twitched, and wiped his jawline to remove the sweet sensation of her caress. Without replying, he swung up on his stallion and reached down for her.
Kassandra glanced around, then looked up at him with trepidation. “Shouldn’t you lead the horse while I ride? I don’t want to travel too quickly.”
“I have no intention of walking all the way back to the castle. Weren’t you the lass who commented so derisively upon my horsemanship the first time we met? Are you now going to demonstrate your own inability to ride pillion?”
“I can ride any horse!” she retorted. “ ’Tis not fear that makes me hesitate.”
Cadedryn’s mouth curved in a half smile. She was so easy to rouse and her defiance so predictable. “Any horse?” he questioned. “I doubt you know any more about a horse than how to decipher the head from the tail.”
“I know you resemble more of the latter than the former,” she snapped, her blue eyes flashing.
He laughed, his head thrown back and his body relaxed. “Easy now, milady,” he soothed. “Must we argue? Come ride with me, and perhaps we can carry on a polite conversation. I promise to keep a slow, steady pace.”
A small smile broke upon her face as she acknowledged the ridiculousness of their argument. “I challenge you to name every marking possible on a horse,” she teased.
He reached down and swung her up behind him. As she settled, he reined the stallion around and started down the slope. “You first,” he replied.
Ten minutes later, he was laughing. Not a light, polite chuckle, but a deep-chested laugh that lifted the spirits and made his stomach ache. He twisted around and looked at her bright face and felt a sense of peace he could not recall feeling since the days before his parents’ deaths. “How did you come up with that one?” he asked her.