How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks

Author:Kerrelyn Sparks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Chapter Nineteen

Luciana slammed onto her back hard enough to knock the air out of her lungs. The fact that Jensen had suddenly tossed her aside and pounced on her was shocking enough, but she barely noticed his body covering hers. It was the arrow that had struck the ground a few feet away that held her attention.

That arrow had been meant for her.

It quivered from the force of impact. Enough force to have pierced her through.

“My lady!” Jensen lifted his weight off her. “Are you all right?”

She shifted her gaze to the brilliant, blue sky overhead, and with a gasp she resumed breathing. But too quickly. The clouds swirled, and for a moment she had trouble focusing. “I—I…”

Above her, something shot across the sky. Another arrow? She blinked. Now there was a rope going from the keep to the turret on the southern tower. The rope shook as it was pulled taut.

“What—” As the initial shock faded away, she found her senses suddenly sharpening to a keen edge as if an inner, instinctual need for survival had seized hold of her. In a few seconds, the time it took her to sit up, she understood everything that was happening.

The second assassin had shot an arrow at her from the battlements atop the keep. Jensen had saved her, and two of Leo’s personal guard and his squire, Edmund, had joined her other guards. She now had a total of six men circled about her to protect her. Three wore the blue and white colors of Vindalyn, while the other three wore the red and black of the royal army.

As she scrambled to her feet, she spotted movement on the top of the southern tower. Her heart lurched. By the goddesses, had Leo lost his mind? He had looped a belt over the rope and was swooping down it, his feet dangling in the air. He zoomed past them, then swung his body over the crenellated battlements to land on top of the keep.

Is he trying to kill himself? Luciana thought. “How does he do that?”

Edmund chuckled. “That’s normal for the Lord—”

“My lady,” Jensen interrupted. “We should take you to the tower immediately.”

“I’ll be safe as long as I’m with you.” Luciana dashed toward the south gate to the keep. “It’s more important that we help Leo catch the assassin.”

“But, my lady—” Jensen jogged to keep up with her.

“Where do you think the assassin will go?” Luciana asked as the six men entered the courtyard and surrounded her.

“He’ll head down the stairs to the courtyard,” Jensen replied.

“Then we should close the gates!” Luciana motioned for the men to go. “Hurry!”

Four of her companions sprinted toward the gates, yelling at the soldiers posted there to bolt them shut. Jensen and Edmund remained at her side, their swords drawn.

Luciana looked around. The newly built scaffold was next to her, the hangman’s noose dangling from the top beam. Workers in the courtyard stopped what they were doing when they noticed swords being drawn and gates being shut.

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