His reaction was quick and instantaneous. He smashed a fist into her cheek, knocking her to the ground. Then he was on top of her. She opened her mouth to cry out, but he pressed his arm into her neck, almost choking her. She tried to fight, but he pinned her with his weight, “Let’s see if you’re as wet for me as you are for him.”
She struggled, but against his warrior-trained strength she was no match.
THE LADY AND THE FALCONER
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The howling of the dogs filtered into Logan’s sleep-filled mind. He bolted up in his bed, his heart hammering in his chest. His gaze darted around the darkness.
Then he noticed Solace was gone. He flew from the bed, stopping only long enough to don his leggings.
Outside, the dogs were barking and growling fiercely, scratching at the walls of the kennel. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. He looked to the skies, expecting a hail of stones or a swarm of flaming arrows, but the night sky was clear and empty. What was spooking the dogs?
He glanced around the mews. Where the hell was Solace? But again he saw nothing.
Suddenly, his black falcon swooped in and landed on his shoulder. The bird’s claws felt tight against his flesh, but the falcon had never broken his skin yet. It cocked its head to the side, listening. Logan strained to hear. Beneath the raucous barking of the dogs, a cry rent the air. A scuffling sound. It sounded like a struggle. Logan grabbed his staff, which had been leaning against the side of the mews, and dashed toward the noise.
The falcon on his shoulder took flight again as he rounded the kennels, coming to the training grounds. There, in the shadows of the wall, he could barely make out a woman with a man on top of her. Fierce, protective anger consumed him as he recognized her even in the darkness. Solace! Instinctively, he charged forward and swung his staff sharply, striking the man beneath his chin. The man flew backward and landed roughly on his back a few feet from Solace, his breath exploding out of his lungs in a loud grunt as he struck the earth.
Logan dropped to one knee, pulling Solace into his embrace. She fought wildly to get free, pummeling him with her fists. “Solace!” Logan called, seizing her wrists. “It’s me. You’re safe. It’s over.”
“No!” she cried out, trying to break free of his hold.
Logan tightened his grip. “Solace! It’s Logan. Stop!”
“No! Don’t!” she sobbed.
Logan seized her shoulders and shook her. “Stop it!”
Sobbing, she looked around with wild eyes until he locked gazes with her. “You’re all right,” he soothed. “You’re all right.”
Solace collapsed against him, sobbing even harder. As Logan felt her tremble, a need to again bash the head of the man who’d attacked her struck him. He held her firmly to his chest, stroking her hair. He felt her curl against him, push her face into his neck, felt her hot tears on his shoulder.
“You’ll pay for that,” the attacker snarled as he rose to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
Logan swung a dark gaze to the man. His fingers curled tightly around his staff, and his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as he recognized Graham.
Solace continued to sob softly against him, her warm tears trickling down his chest. He stroked Solace’s soft hair again, trying to let the anger inside him fade, knowing she needed him to comfort her, but the rage wouldn’t subside. It only grew. Finally, he gently gripped Solace’s arm and eased her away from him. He set Solace behind him, touching her tear-streaked cheek with the tips of his fingers, before turning to face Graham.
The thought of his vile body pressed intimately against Solace’s struggling form made Logan furious, savage with rage.
Without warning, Logan lashed out with his staff, catching Graham on the side of the head. When the nobleman staggered, Logan came after him with a blow to the jaw. Graham went down hard on his bottom. Logan charged forward, throwing his staff aside, and grabbed Graham’s velvet tunic. With a violent tug, he dragged the man up until his face was mere inches from Logan’s. Fear haunted the cur’s eyes. But it wasn’t enough. The urge to smash his head in with his bare hands consumed Logan, and he raised his fist.
“Please,” Graham gasped out.
“Logan,” Solace pleaded, her sobs still catching in her throat.
Logan froze. His jaw clenched. And then he slowly lowered his fist. “If I see you touch her again, I’ll let the birds have you for their next meal,” he snarled. He brought his fist back up and slammed his clenched hand into Graham’s nose.
Graham howled as blood erupted from his nostrils.
Logan dropped him to the ground before turning to Solace. Her cheeks were pale, her green eyes wide with fear. He moved to her, putting his arms around her shoulders. “Are you all right?”
She pressed her wet face to his bare chest.
Feeling her tremble, Logan squeezed her tightly, soothing her. Behind him, he heard receding footsteps and knew Graham had fled. As he stroked her hair, his fingers brushed against a stray piece of straw trapped in the rich velvet of her hair. He gently untangled it and let it float to the ground.
Solace raised her eyes to him, and the moonlight reflected off the misery in those large orbs. “I couldn’t get him off of me,” she told him in a ragged breath. “He was so strong and –”
Logan pulled her tight against him. “It’s all right,” he whispered. “You’re all right.” He squeezed his eyes shut. If he had lingered in his room for just a moment longer, he would have been too late. The thought sent immobilizing fear through him. He opened his eyes, and they burned with rage.
That was when he saw something in the dirt. He focused his eyes on the object. The clouds parted and the moon shone down on it. A dagger. A gold-tipped dagger, its handle etched with flowers. Did the dagger belong to Graham? Or had it inadvertently been dropped by someone else? His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Logan moved to grab the dagger, but he felt Solace’s fingers dig into his shoulders and he returned his attention to her. With a backward glance at the dagger, he guided her toward his room, whispering comforting words to her.
Logan pulled her with him to his mattress. They lay together, she on top of him as he held her against his heart. “It’s all right,” Logan whispered to her. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not ever.” Logan let her cry, stroking her hair. After a long while, he realized she was asleep. He smiled against the top of her head, pressing a kiss to her scalp.
***
With a violent crack, the door to Logan’s room exploded open and three soldiers stormed inside! Startled from sleep, Solace quickly sat upright, trying to get her groggy mind to function. Was the castle under attack? The men quickly descended upon Logan as he reached for his sword hidden beneath the hay. They pulled him to his feet, wrenching his arms behind his back, quickly binding his wrists with thick ropes.
“No!” Solace screamed. “What are you doing?”
She recognized two of the three men as castle guards and ordered, “I command you to stop this.”
“Now isn’t this a compromising situation?”
Solace glanced up to see Graham lounging against the doorframe, his lecherous gaze plundering her body. A cloth stretched across his nose, the fabric stained with blood.
Logan lunged toward Graham, but the guards easily caught him and shoved him toward the doorway.
Graham took a step to the side, letting the guards roughly usher Logan outside. He glanced at Solace. “What will lady Alissa say?” Graham asked.
“You can’t do this,” Solace retorted.
“It’s already done.”
Graham approached Solace, but she slipped by him to race after Logan. She quickly reached his side, and cried, “I won’t let them get away with this.”
“Just stay away from Graham,” Logan ordered as the guards shoved him forward. “Do you hear me?”
Solace nodded to Logan. She whirled on Graham. “Where are you taking him?”
“The dungeon, of course
,” Graham answered.
Tucked neatly into Graham’s belt was a gold-tipped dagger, its handle etched with flowers.
THE LADY AND THE FALCONER
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next morning, Solace waited at the back of the courthouse beside Logan. He was flanked by two guards, his wrists bound behind his back with thick rope. She cast a nervous glance at him to find his cool, metallic eyes on her. She tried to force a smile to her lips, but found she could not.
His eyes lidded just a little, and a warm flush swept through Solace. A shy smile formed in her heart and worked its way up to her lips. She quickly looked away from him. She couldn’t think about how he made her feel. She couldn’t think about kissing his lips, nor about his hands on her body. She had to concentrate on getting Logan set free.
She lifted her gaze to the platform. Alissa was seated at the head of the courthouse, listening to Captain Montgomery reporting on the current security of Castle Fulton. She barely stifled a yawn as she nodded to him, waving him away. Then her eyes locked with Solace’s, and a stern look of disapproval thinned her lips and eyes.
To Solace’s left, a few villagers stood in a line, awaiting their turn to voice their complaints.
Graham lounged against a pillar not far from them, gingerly rubbing the cloth that covered his nose. Despite her best resolve, fear surged within Solace at the memory of his body pressed to hers, his hands moving up her thigh. She shivered and glanced away...
...to lock eyes with Logan. His brows furrowed, and he looked in the direction she had been gazing moments before, his eyes searching the faces until he saw Graham’s. His frown deepened and his body tensed before he returned his look to Solace.
She read the anger in his slitted eyes, the hatred in his clenched jaw. During the battle, she had seen that same look on his face, that same single-minded purpose. She had seen that look before, thirteen years ago when Peter was a prisoner. He had looked at her father with the same fury and loathing, with an intensity that was so disturbing she had not forgotten it in all these years. They were very much alike, Logan and Peter, the same build, the same height. Why, they could be kin... Something tugged at her mind. A distant memory. But just as a picture began to form, the guards urged Logan forward.
Solace quickly took up pace with him, as if she, too, were a prisoner. She tried to keep her chin up and her back straight as the courthouse became hushed and all eyes turned to them. Graham stepped before them, leading the way up the aisle.
Alissa’s gaze swept over Logan, then moved by Solace to land on Graham as they halted before her. “What is the complaint?” she wondered.
Solace glanced at Beth. Beth was seated with her long legs crossed, leaning back in a chair beside her mother.
“He struck me,” Graham answered, indicating the bandage on his nose.
“You struck a noble?” Alissa exclaimed in disbelief.
“I did,” Logan replied.
“He was defending me,” Solace proclaimed, taking a step forward, placing herself before Logan. “Graham attacked me.”
A murmur spread through the courthouse.
“It’s a lie!” Graham replied. “I found them together. Apparently the falconer didn’t like being interrupted.”
Solace’s mouth dropped and a blush rose to her cheeks. “That’s not true!”
“Then where did you get those scratches on your face?” Logan wondered.
Graham’s eyes pivoted to Logan. “From our battle.”
“Women scratch,” Logan pointed out. “I use my fists.”
“Enough!” Alissa shouted, standing. When all eyes turned to her and the room quieted, she continued with a regal air. “It is very clear to me that someone is not telling the truth.” Her gaze burned into Solace. “To discern the truth, I have no other choice but to proclaim a trial by fire.”
Solace stiffened. Trial by fire! It hadn’t been done in years! The accused had to carry a piece of red-hot iron in their bare hands over a long distance. If there were no burns, then the accused was innocent. No one ever passed this test.
“If the falconer’s innocent, God will surely protect him,” Alissa said.
Solace cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at Logan. Her mind worked furiously. She had to do something to help him! She caught the smug look in Graham’s eyes, the smile twitching his lips. Bastard! Coward!
Suddenly an idea came to her and she turned back to her stepmother. “Why not make it trial by combat?”
“Surely you jest,” Alissa said in disbelief. “You’re giving your falconer no chance at all. He knows nothing of the art of fighting. Graham is highly trained.”
“You’re right, Mother,” Solace said, quickly, slyly, and looked away. “Forget I even mentioned it.”
Alissa stood silent for a moment, thinking. Beth leaned over to whisper something into her mother’s ear. Alissa’s face darkened with a cunning sneer, and she nodded at Beth’s comment. She then turned to face the assembly. “The guards need a distraction, as do the peasants. It shall be trial by combat,” she proclaimed. “They shall fight until one yields.”
***
An hour later, the castle courtyard was overflowing with expectant onlookers. Soldiers packed the battlements. Villagers watched from their shops. An alewife moved through the crowd, collecting wagers on the coming fight. She had to stop as Logan was ushered through the crowd before her by two guards. Graham awaited him in the makeshift circle the crowd had created.
Logan couldn’t help but overhear the odds were not in his favor. His eyes scanned the crowd. He didn’t care about the damn odds. He had faced far worse before. He continued searching for Solace, knowing she would be here somewhere. Then his gaze came to rest on her. She stood near the garden fence, her hands folded, her eyes on him. It had been a stroke of genius to suggest trial by combat. No one knew him as a fighter. He felt a strange stirring of pride.
He lifted his gaze to the sky, having to shield his eyes with his hand from the glare of the sun to see the falcon circling high overhead like a vulture. “Damn bird,” Logan grumbled. It seemed even the falcon was betting against him.
Alissa stepped forward. “Let the trial begin!” she announced. Then she turned to Graham, bowing slightly. “At your leisure, lord Graham.”
Logan caught the handle of the blade Graham threw to him, but didn’t have time to inspect it as Graham attacked immediately. Logan blocked his blow, feigning a stumble backward. He was far too good a warrior not to expect an immediate attack. But Logan also knew that if he didn’t pretend unease with the sword, his cover could be blown. He stumbled again, allowing Graham to push him back.
The crowd parted as the two fighters moved too close. Graham was a weak fighter. Logan saw it immediately, the way he struck and pulled back in case Logan attacked. The man was incapable of anything but a one-swing attack. He was doomed.
Logan felt the press of a wall behind him. A grin stretched Graham’s lips taut. The image of those lips pressing on Solace’s flesh distracted Logan for a moment. Graham sliced at Logan and was rewarded by a slash on his arm. Logan grimaced, pushing aside any thoughts of Solace.
Then, more confident, Graham swung a blow at Logan’s head. Logan ducked and sidestepped, the blade whizzing in the air just above his head. He quickly moved around Graham to trap him against the wall, raising his weapon to attack. He lunged, pinning part of Graham’s tunic to the wall.
The crowd gasped. All around him, Logan heard shouts of encouragement, but none directed at him.
Logan withdrew the blade in time to block a frantic swing of Graham’s. There was panic in the noble’s eyes, and it would have been Logan’s turn to grin, if he were prone to that sort of thing. He stepped forward, arcing the blade toward Graham’s neck.
Desperately, Graham brought his sword up, blocking the blow. As the blades hit, Logan’s gave way, splitting cleanly in half.
Again the crowd gasped, this time louder than before. Coins began to exchange hands as murmur
ings of the falconer’s imminent defeat swept through the crowd.
Logan stared in shock at the straight break in the blade. Then his eyes lifted to Graham’s. There was no surprise there, only acceptance. He had planned it this way! That was why he hadn’t given Logan the chance to look at the sword. Logan threw the useless blade to the ground.
He then backed away as Graham waved his blade before him, toying with him. Logan doubted the man would stop with a yield, and he’d be damned if he would give him one.
Graham chuckled low in his throat as Logan retreated. He swung his sword, and Logan leapt aside. The man was out for blood.
“Logan!”
Logan turned and Solace tossed a piece of wood at him. He caught it easily and turned back just in time to block Graham’s swing. With his new weapon in hand, Logan attacked relentlessly, driving Graham back to the herb garden fence near the east wall. He was tired of this game, tired of this man. He wanted to bash his head in and spill his brains into the earth.
Suddenly, Logan stepped on the pointed tip of the broken blade and his ankle twisted. He fell to the ground, the wood tumbling from his hands, sliding across the courtyard.
In the next instant, Graham was standing over him, his blade raised. Logan reached out to his sides, groping blindly in the dirt, searching for something, anything. His fingers closed over the handle of the broken blade. He raised it to protect himself just as Graham plunged forward to slam the sword at his skull.
THE LADY AND THE FALCONER
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Logan moved his head to the side and Graham’s sword plunged into the earth beside his cheek. Grimacing, Logan thrust his broken blade up.
He stared at Graham’s shocked face. Graham coughed, spraying Logan with blood, before he slowly slumped to the side. Logan sat up and was greeted by absolute quiet. Hundreds gaped at the bloody scene, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Slowly, Logan stood and looked down at Graham, who lay unmoving, blood soaking through his tunic.
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