Read Online Dare to Defy by Breanna Hayse - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Breanna Hayse
Ads: Link
your sit-upon!” Baldric growled.
Once again, his threat did nothing to prevent her from slipping away from the bedroll that evening and entering a tavern in the nearby village. The locals did not care about her trail-worn appearance, and gleefully welcomed the woman in their midst. After several mugs, Daynel began to challenge her drinking companions to games of skill, placing small wagers upon the table. Pretending to be slovenly drunk with wine, she issued one grand wager in knife throwing and produced a gold coin from her pocket. Slamming it on the table, she hiccupped and swayed, waiting for the prey to snag her bait.
“Five silvers each. Who would refuse such a large pot?” she slurred, her sharp eyes watching the grins rise among the others. Coins piled next to hers and the contest began. Within minutes, Daynel was happily scooping the coins into her pockets. Raucous laughter passed through the crowd and Daynel took that as a warning to leave quickly. One man blocked her path, his knife tip pressed to her throat.
“You stole our money, little girl. We want it back.” His sour breath made her wish to gag.
“I won your money fairly. Now you might have a knife to my throat, but I have one to your balls,” Daynel whispered, her eyes narrowing as she pressed the tip of her dagger against him. “I have no problem deflowering you before you take my life and my money. What have you?”
“I shall…”
“Mistress!” Baldric’s frantic voice called out. “The magistrate approaches and wishes to speak with you. Please hurry, milady.”
Daynel relaxed the hold on her knife as the man quickly withdrew from her and stepped aside. She nodded regally and began to follow Baldric out. In a blur, she turned and hurled a dagger that she had picked up from a table, catching the man’s trousers between his legs, pinning him to the wall. She raised an eyebrow, pleased with the precision of her throw and simply lifted a finger to her lips. With a smile, she hurried out the door and disappeared into the dark woods with Baldric at her heels.
“I thought your sect did not lie,” she chuckled, aware that his silence depicted anger, not an attempt to stay hidden.
“I will tend to you in the morning, Princess.”
“I am certain you will,” Daynel laughed, plopping back down on her bedroll. “Don’t forget to place the charm of protection around us, just in case that man decides to seek me out and try to reclaim his loss.”
She knew that her words would send Baldric into greater concern and, with a quiet chortle, she quickly fell into a deep, and happily dreamless, sleep. She was unaware that Baldric spent the remainder of the night in prayer, begging the gods to send him either wisdom or help. She did not see the eye on her hilt blink as the purple orb surveyed the follower of the priestess, or the ruby fang upon her neck glow like a hot ember. Baldric, task complete, fell to the soft carpeted forest ground, his life force exhausted by the placing of protection over her.
As she predicted, nothing was so much as spoken to her regarding her evening’s activities, nor did Baldric even make a move to discipline her.
“Baldric, you are making the horses nervous. No danger lurks behind the blades of grass,” Daynel finally said, watching him again look behind him as they traveled from town to town. He had good reason to practice caution, for without boundaries, Daynel took the opportunity to enjoy her freedom. No longer worrying about her position as a royal, she slipped away from Baldric’s watchful eye whenever they neared a town or a village. She was more careful this time in her wagers, continuing to surprise herself with her newfound precision in knife throwing, stones, coin tosses, and archery. Baldric grew wise to her exploits, however, and managed to move her out before her image became overtly memorable. He would bundle her onto Firestar, not trying to remove the skin of wine from her hand, and return her to
Once again, his threat did nothing to prevent her from slipping away from the bedroll that evening and entering a tavern in the nearby village. The locals did not care about her trail-worn appearance, and gleefully welcomed the woman in their midst. After several mugs, Daynel began to challenge her drinking companions to games of skill, placing small wagers upon the table. Pretending to be slovenly drunk with wine, she issued one grand wager in knife throwing and produced a gold coin from her pocket. Slamming it on the table, she hiccupped and swayed, waiting for the prey to snag her bait.
“Five silvers each. Who would refuse such a large pot?” she slurred, her sharp eyes watching the grins rise among the others. Coins piled next to hers and the contest began. Within minutes, Daynel was happily scooping the coins into her pockets. Raucous laughter passed through the crowd and Daynel took that as a warning to leave quickly. One man blocked her path, his knife tip pressed to her throat.
“You stole our money, little girl. We want it back.” His sour breath made her wish to gag.
“I won your money fairly. Now you might have a knife to my throat, but I have one to your balls,” Daynel whispered, her eyes narrowing as she pressed the tip of her dagger against him. “I have no problem deflowering you before you take my life and my money. What have you?”
“I shall…”
“Mistress!” Baldric’s frantic voice called out. “The magistrate approaches and wishes to speak with you. Please hurry, milady.”
Daynel relaxed the hold on her knife as the man quickly withdrew from her and stepped aside. She nodded regally and began to follow Baldric out. In a blur, she turned and hurled a dagger that she had picked up from a table, catching the man’s trousers between his legs, pinning him to the wall. She raised an eyebrow, pleased with the precision of her throw and simply lifted a finger to her lips. With a smile, she hurried out the door and disappeared into the dark woods with Baldric at her heels.
“I thought your sect did not lie,” she chuckled, aware that his silence depicted anger, not an attempt to stay hidden.
“I will tend to you in the morning, Princess.”
“I am certain you will,” Daynel laughed, plopping back down on her bedroll. “Don’t forget to place the charm of protection around us, just in case that man decides to seek me out and try to reclaim his loss.”
She knew that her words would send Baldric into greater concern and, with a quiet chortle, she quickly fell into a deep, and happily dreamless, sleep. She was unaware that Baldric spent the remainder of the night in prayer, begging the gods to send him either wisdom or help. She did not see the eye on her hilt blink as the purple orb surveyed the follower of the priestess, or the ruby fang upon her neck glow like a hot ember. Baldric, task complete, fell to the soft carpeted forest ground, his life force exhausted by the placing of protection over her.
As she predicted, nothing was so much as spoken to her regarding her evening’s activities, nor did Baldric even make a move to discipline her.
“Baldric, you are making the horses nervous. No danger lurks behind the blades of grass,” Daynel finally said, watching him again look behind him as they traveled from town to town. He had good reason to practice caution, for without boundaries, Daynel took the opportunity to enjoy her freedom. No longer worrying about her position as a royal, she slipped away from Baldric’s watchful eye whenever they neared a town or a village. She was more careful this time in her wagers, continuing to surprise herself with her newfound precision in knife throwing, stones, coin tosses, and archery. Baldric grew wise to her exploits, however, and managed to move her out before her image became overtly memorable. He would bundle her onto Firestar, not trying to remove the skin of wine from her hand, and return her to
Similar Books
