Read Online Dauntless (Valiant Hearts Book #1) by Dina L. Sleiman - Free Book Online Page A

traveler.”
    Confusion washed over Cedric’s face, turning his rather homely features even uglier. “But I have no horse.”
    Less skilled at disguising his frustration than Merry, Allen ran a hand down his cheek. “Then pretend.”
    A grin split Cedric’s face once again. “Oh right, then.” And he trotted down the lane, leaving Merry and Allen alone.
    Merry scanned the area once more. It was by no means as perfect as their last attack point in Farthingale Forest, but no location would ever be. That spot had been all but magical. A highway often used by the royals and nobility. A long, curving road that they could watch from one side, then dash through the woods to the attack point. And the trees. The thick dense trees the local lord had failed to clear, creating a near cave-like effect. Not to mention the gossipy innkeeper in Farthingale who unwittingly kept the ghosts apprised of everyone’s comings and goings.
    That opportunity was long gone. They would never find such a place again, but at least they had not wasted the idyllic circumstances. A chest of gold lay buried in the woods near their camp. If their Masked Knight ruse was successful, they could start spending those coins and would not need to steal ever again.
    Nonetheless, she followed Allen as he scurried up the tree like a squirrel. She had missed the feel of rough bark against her skin, the thrill of the hunt, the lure of danger—the surge of energy that came with fear. And she understood that her men did as well.
    She perched herself close to Allen upon the branch. “We have no need to continue such perilous missions. I realize you miss them, but we have the little ones to consider. We should not expose them to King John, and with the gold, we now have no need to.”
    Allen turned to her, his warm hazel eyes only inches away. They flooded with compassion. That protective instinct she had always loved in him. He reached and stroked a short wisp of her brown hair behind her ear. His touch sent tickling shivers through her. Shivers, yet warmth to match his eyes. For a moment, she found herself floundering in their depths.
    She shook her head and gathered her thoughts. “We have been whispering tales of the Masked Knight long enough. We shall send Red to town for provisions soon. You shall see. We no longer have need of raids. I would think you of all people should be glad to be relieved of such a morally questionable duty.”
    Allen smiled. A roguishly handsome smile that tipped to the right. With his hazel eyes, sandy hair, and strong features, he had always been her favorite of the men to gaze upon. Although she would never admit as much.
    “You are right, Merry, as always. But I haven’t seen such a smile upon your face in weeks. I’d say the mission has served its purpose. And just wait until you see what fun we shall have when we pounce upon Cedric.”
    Merry giggled, and Allen joined with his own hearty laugh. His warm breath brushed her cheek. Merry craned away from it and looked down the road. “Where is Cedric anyway?”
    She turned back to Allen, and their gazes caught again.
    “You know,” whispered Allen, “sometimes I imagine what it would be like if you were not a great lady. Rather just Merry, a villager like the rest of us.”
    Merry gulped down a lump in her throat. “I am not a ladyanymore. I am an outlaw. A waif. The lowest of the low. We are the same now, Allen.”
    She watched his eyes. Lost in their swirl of brown and green like the forest, Merry did not pause to consider his intention. One moment he stared from a slight distance. In the very next instant, he pressed his lips against hers.
    Though one instinct bade her to enjoy the sensation, a stronger one won out. All she could think about as Allen’s lips caressed hers was a different set of lips from three years earlier.
    “No!” she squealed against his mouth. Despite their close friendship, Allen’s lips felt foreign upon her skin, causing her to draw back.
    As