Read Online A Knight With Grace: Book 1 of the Assassin Knights Series by Laurel O'Donnell - Free Book Online Page B

reason he was so angry, he knew. It was the sight of her small hands holding that cross. That golden cross. He had cleaned it, of course. Many times. But he knew he could never get all the blood from it. And Grace had been holding it. Her innocent, delicate hands had held it reverently. Reverently. He glanced down at the golden cross, into the unseeing eyes he had stared at a hundred times. He had found the cross covered in blood in a temple in Jerusalem after a huge battle. It had been a massacre and many on both sides had lost their lives. But the cross had survived. It was a reminder of all he had endured, all he had done. It had been Hugh de Morville who came up beside him when he was holding the bloody cross in his hands. Hugh had looked at the cross for a long moment and then glanced at William. Something had passed between the two of them in that look. They were brothers. Brothers in all ways except blood.
    Hugh was a good man, perhaps a bit overly ambitious at the time, eagerly wanting to gain the king’s favor. But weren’t they all? William thought of the night again, that night that had forever changed his destiny, wishing he had a chance to do it over again.
    They were donning their armor, as if to go to war. Reginald was insistent the armor was needed. “The monks will protect him. We don’t have a choice.”
    “They are defenseless!” Hugh exclaimed. “What kind of knights are we if we cannot overpower a man of the cloth?”
    “There are many of them and only four of us,” Richard le Brey said. “We will use whatever force we must to take the archbishop to King Henry.”
    “Aye!” Reginald agreed.
    William glanced at Hugh. He read the concern in Hugh’s eyes. William often wondered if he could have stopped it with Hugh’s help. Hugh began to put on his armor. Richard followed his movement. Only William hesitated. They didn’t need armor to overcome the archbishop. He didn’t like it. He put a hand on Reginald’s arm. “No harm will come to Becket.”
    Reginald jerked his arm free of William’s hold. “We will take him by force, if need be. But he will return to Henry.” He held out his hand. “Are you with us?”
    William glanced from Richard to Hugh and then back to Reginald. These men were his friends. They had all hatched this plan together. He would not abandon them now. He nodded and clasped Reginald’s arm. “With you.”
    A grin spread across Reginald’s lips .
    “Quickly, sirs!” A monk raced out of the doors of the hall toward them. His cold breath formed a puff with each breath he took. He pushed his hood from his head. “He has escaped into the cathedral! This way!”
    The four knights finished putting on their armor and followed the monk toward the cathedral. The wooden doors were closing as they approached and the monk came up short, stopping on the stairs to the cathedral. The four knights raced by him and shoved at the large wooden doors.
    At first, there was resistance and William pushed as hard as he could. Then, the doors swung open. As they entered, a group of monks fled to the side wall. They had been trying to keep the doors shut to prevent them from entering the cathedral.
    “King’s men!” Reginald shouted as he entered. His voice echoed through the large vaulted room.
    At the front of the church, monks crowded together around the altar. As the four knights made their way toward the altar, William noticed even more monks had gathered in groups along the side walls, all of them cowering in fear.
    The four knights approached the altar.
    “Where is Thomas Becket, traitor to the king?” Reginald demanded.
    The monks near the altar remained silent, fearful. They clung to each other.
    As the knights approached, moving past statues of saints and angels filling the cathedral, William saw the statue of the Virgin Mary on one side of the altar. She watched with cold eyes, her arms outstretched. Imploring. On the other side of the altar was a statue of Saint Benedict.