Read Online Angie Arms - Flames series 04 by The Strongest Flames - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: The Strongest Flames
Ads: Link
mended Kennett’s cloak. The touch was a perfectly innocent one, but Cyrille had a hard time joining the woman who enflamed him, and his brother’s wife, into one. How long had it been since he benefited from a woman?
All day he watched her hips sway with her horse, how she cared fo r her children. Earlier she unbound her hair, brushed it to retie, and all he could think of was running his hands through it. It lay loosely about her shoulders now, the fresh smell of it even after all day of travel, intrigued him. He forced himself not to lean closer. The children lay on the other side of the fire, fast asleep after a long day.
“What did you mean by we can be thankful if Garrick is fighting with Richard.”
Cyrille turned and looked down at her , and quickly looked away. He could forget he looked the way he did when he was next to her, especially the way she looked up into his face, with open interest in what he had to say, not disgust. “Surely you know in what capacity Garrick serves the King.” Cyrille was careful to keep his voice at the tone that made him sound like a normal person.
“In the same as Damien I assumed.”
“He is the King’s assassin. Anyone who threatens the crown, Garrick can find and kill without having to send an army.”
“Is that not why you and Damien fight, to keep the crown safe?”
“Damien and I fight, Garrick is the one that is sent to kill a lord quietly, while he sleeps in his bed. If the King still has use for the lord, he will send Garrick to kill the lord’s loved one, to make him fall into line. That is the difference between us and Garrick.”
He watched Keri swallow as she digested the information. She had such a delicate neck, he wondered what it would taste like if he were to run his tongue over it.
“Would the King see Damien as a threat, because he did not go to some stupid war?” The fire jumped in her brown eyes, and he admired her spirit.
“The King has thought Damien a threat since he took the crown.”
“Do you think he will send Garrick to kill Damien?”
“We think it likely, or more likely , he will be sent to make Damien comply.”
“You think he will be sent to kill me?”
Cyrille nodded, “The King killed Roland’s wife for much the same reason.” He watched the reality of the entire situation wash over her face.
“We have to go back,” Keri said rising.
Cyrille took her by the arm and pulled her back down, nearly into his lap. “We cannot. I promised Damien.”
“You will just have to break that promise,” she replied, his grip a little tighter than needed, as he held her still.
“I do not break my promises. What do you expect we can do?”
Keri shrugged, and in her eyes he read the trust she had in him to make things right. For a heart stopping moment it ran through his mind he could force her to ride far away, and she would never see Damien again. Eventually she would be able to forget, if not forget, at least move on. But Cyrille could never live with himself. He knew where Keri was coming from, he knew what the right answer was, as well as she. It wasn’t to run, but to find more soldiers, and stand with him, come what may. How many times had they done the very thing against the odds?
“You forget this is news to you , but not to me. This is why I go to Kinsey. There is a chance Richard has sailed, and taken Garrick with him. If that is the case, we only have an army to worry about.”
“Truly, an army is better than one man?”
“Truly.”
He felt her shiver and wanted to put a comforting arm around her, instead he forced his fingers open , and released her all together. She did not do what he expected, which was move away, but settled in the crook of his arm, against his side, close to him. She looked up at him again, and he saw the worry written plainly on her face, and the hollow of her neck vulnerable.
His hand came up and his thumb and index
All day he watched her hips sway with her horse, how she cared fo r her children. Earlier she unbound her hair, brushed it to retie, and all he could think of was running his hands through it. It lay loosely about her shoulders now, the fresh smell of it even after all day of travel, intrigued him. He forced himself not to lean closer. The children lay on the other side of the fire, fast asleep after a long day.
“What did you mean by we can be thankful if Garrick is fighting with Richard.”
Cyrille turned and looked down at her , and quickly looked away. He could forget he looked the way he did when he was next to her, especially the way she looked up into his face, with open interest in what he had to say, not disgust. “Surely you know in what capacity Garrick serves the King.” Cyrille was careful to keep his voice at the tone that made him sound like a normal person.
“In the same as Damien I assumed.”
“He is the King’s assassin. Anyone who threatens the crown, Garrick can find and kill without having to send an army.”
“Is that not why you and Damien fight, to keep the crown safe?”
“Damien and I fight, Garrick is the one that is sent to kill a lord quietly, while he sleeps in his bed. If the King still has use for the lord, he will send Garrick to kill the lord’s loved one, to make him fall into line. That is the difference between us and Garrick.”
He watched Keri swallow as she digested the information. She had such a delicate neck, he wondered what it would taste like if he were to run his tongue over it.
“Would the King see Damien as a threat, because he did not go to some stupid war?” The fire jumped in her brown eyes, and he admired her spirit.
“The King has thought Damien a threat since he took the crown.”
“Do you think he will send Garrick to kill Damien?”
“We think it likely, or more likely , he will be sent to make Damien comply.”
“You think he will be sent to kill me?”
Cyrille nodded, “The King killed Roland’s wife for much the same reason.” He watched the reality of the entire situation wash over her face.
“We have to go back,” Keri said rising.
Cyrille took her by the arm and pulled her back down, nearly into his lap. “We cannot. I promised Damien.”
“You will just have to break that promise,” she replied, his grip a little tighter than needed, as he held her still.
“I do not break my promises. What do you expect we can do?”
Keri shrugged, and in her eyes he read the trust she had in him to make things right. For a heart stopping moment it ran through his mind he could force her to ride far away, and she would never see Damien again. Eventually she would be able to forget, if not forget, at least move on. But Cyrille could never live with himself. He knew where Keri was coming from, he knew what the right answer was, as well as she. It wasn’t to run, but to find more soldiers, and stand with him, come what may. How many times had they done the very thing against the odds?
“You forget this is news to you , but not to me. This is why I go to Kinsey. There is a chance Richard has sailed, and taken Garrick with him. If that is the case, we only have an army to worry about.”
“Truly, an army is better than one man?”
“Truly.”
He felt her shiver and wanted to put a comforting arm around her, instead he forced his fingers open , and released her all together. She did not do what he expected, which was move away, but settled in the crook of his arm, against his side, close to him. She looked up at him again, and he saw the worry written plainly on her face, and the hollow of her neck vulnerable.
His hand came up and his thumb and index
Similar Books
