Read Online Grace of the Goddess (The Death Dealer Book 3) by Katie Roman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katie Roman
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nights.
“Calvin!” she hissed into the darkness. The candle light moved and the door to the cottage opened.
Her cousin waited in the door frame as Grace trudged up from the well. He was dressed in the tunic of the house guard, looking angry and undignified. His nose was swollen and dark patches were evident under his eyes. Grace wondered if she had broken his nose. It would make for an interesting wedding, with his face battered as it was. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She knew she shouldn’t have hit Calvin, but her pride still smarted so she offered no apology.
“You have guard duty!” she said. She stood outside the cottage with hands on her hips.
“Funny how a bit of coin turns heads and silences men. What about you? Running away?” He reached around her and tugged at her pack. “Do you ever think that maybe it is your impulsive nature that gets you in all the trouble you so often find yourself?”
“I will not stay where I am not wanted.”
Calvin pulled Grace into the cottage and shut the door. The floor was dirt, but a heavy layer of dust settled over the walls and windows. A battered chair and table were pushed into a corner, covered in dust as well. No other furnishings remained. Calvin put the candle on the ground.
“Don’t act childish,” he scolded.
Grace gave him a shove. “Why didn’t you ever say you were mad at me? Why did you wait until poor Donald was here?”
“And tell you what? That it took months to even start to undo the damage you did?” He shoved her back, but she stood firm, with her feet shoulder width apart. “I heard gossip everywhere and received dirty glances. ‘Was I bewitched? Did I train my cousin to use a sword? What sort of home did I grow up in that women acted so shamelessly?’ I was very nearly stripped of my knighthood because His Majesty thought I allowed you out in my armor. And Cassandra? She’s lucky my father didn’t thrash her when she returned. She wasn’t allowed to work in the castle for almost a year. And have you noticed, dear cousin, that my father no longer trains any of the village girls in self-defense anymore? Did you ever stop to wonder why? Under threat of heavy fines and possible confiscation of our lands, Frederick said we were not to teach girls anything like that. He reasoned that if one girl got ideas above her lot in life, others would too.”
Calvin paused to take a breath, but his eyes remained fixed on Grace. Her breath caught in her throat at all he revealed.
It never occurred to her that Leon’s self-defense classes were forcibly canceled or that Cassandra suffered for her folly. She stuck out her chin and squared her shoulders.
“I did not mean for any of that to happen.”
“Of course – you didn’t think, and neither did I. I defended you, not thinking how I would be perceived. I gave you gold and sent you on to Glenbard, thinking we’d all be happier for it. But no. I suffered for your crimes. And what of you? You can’t even go back to Glenbard! You’re a wanted criminal now!”
Grace tried to move away and back out, but Calvin blocked her path. “Let me leave, Calvin.”
“You are not running out of here.” Again, Grace tried to move around him, but this time he took hold of her bag, yanking it hard, and the strap ripped under the pressure. “I demand satisfaction!” He shook her bag in her face before dropping it into the dirt.
Grace kicked her bag to the side and pushed Calvin again. “Get out of my way, dolt!”
Calvin reached for his
“Calvin!” she hissed into the darkness. The candle light moved and the door to the cottage opened.
Her cousin waited in the door frame as Grace trudged up from the well. He was dressed in the tunic of the house guard, looking angry and undignified. His nose was swollen and dark patches were evident under his eyes. Grace wondered if she had broken his nose. It would make for an interesting wedding, with his face battered as it was. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She knew she shouldn’t have hit Calvin, but her pride still smarted so she offered no apology.
“You have guard duty!” she said. She stood outside the cottage with hands on her hips.
“Funny how a bit of coin turns heads and silences men. What about you? Running away?” He reached around her and tugged at her pack. “Do you ever think that maybe it is your impulsive nature that gets you in all the trouble you so often find yourself?”
“I will not stay where I am not wanted.”
Calvin pulled Grace into the cottage and shut the door. The floor was dirt, but a heavy layer of dust settled over the walls and windows. A battered chair and table were pushed into a corner, covered in dust as well. No other furnishings remained. Calvin put the candle on the ground.
“Don’t act childish,” he scolded.
Grace gave him a shove. “Why didn’t you ever say you were mad at me? Why did you wait until poor Donald was here?”
“And tell you what? That it took months to even start to undo the damage you did?” He shoved her back, but she stood firm, with her feet shoulder width apart. “I heard gossip everywhere and received dirty glances. ‘Was I bewitched? Did I train my cousin to use a sword? What sort of home did I grow up in that women acted so shamelessly?’ I was very nearly stripped of my knighthood because His Majesty thought I allowed you out in my armor. And Cassandra? She’s lucky my father didn’t thrash her when she returned. She wasn’t allowed to work in the castle for almost a year. And have you noticed, dear cousin, that my father no longer trains any of the village girls in self-defense anymore? Did you ever stop to wonder why? Under threat of heavy fines and possible confiscation of our lands, Frederick said we were not to teach girls anything like that. He reasoned that if one girl got ideas above her lot in life, others would too.”
Calvin paused to take a breath, but his eyes remained fixed on Grace. Her breath caught in her throat at all he revealed.
It never occurred to her that Leon’s self-defense classes were forcibly canceled or that Cassandra suffered for her folly. She stuck out her chin and squared her shoulders.
“I did not mean for any of that to happen.”
“Of course – you didn’t think, and neither did I. I defended you, not thinking how I would be perceived. I gave you gold and sent you on to Glenbard, thinking we’d all be happier for it. But no. I suffered for your crimes. And what of you? You can’t even go back to Glenbard! You’re a wanted criminal now!”
Grace tried to move away and back out, but Calvin blocked her path. “Let me leave, Calvin.”
“You are not running out of here.” Again, Grace tried to move around him, but this time he took hold of her bag, yanking it hard, and the strap ripped under the pressure. “I demand satisfaction!” He shook her bag in her face before dropping it into the dirt.
Grace kicked her bag to the side and pushed Calvin again. “Get out of my way, dolt!”
Calvin reached for his
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