The Rose Bride by Nancy Holder & Mahlon F. Craft

Author:Nancy Holder & Mahlon F. Craft [Holder, Nancy & Craft, Mahlon F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance Speculative Fiction, cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9781417822294
Publisher: Turtleback
Published: 2007-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Rose woke to velvet on her cheek. And to screaming. And to a whisper.

“Vite, vite.”

Rose opened her eyes to find a brown doe gazing down at her. She bolted upright. Monsieur Sabot, Desiree, and Ombrine lay unconscious in a tangle beside her.

“Alors, Monsieur Sabot.” She reached for the elderly man. “Sir, wake up. We must get out of here!”

“Non. Leave him,” something whispered against her ear, as the deer nudged her again.

The coach had fallen into a rut mere feet away from a wooden bridge spanning a rushing river. The coachman, the footman, and several of the guards were attempting to right it. A few yards away, the remainder of the king’s men clashed on horseback with the first line of the Pretender’s foot soldiers. Crimson blood splashed a black-and-gold breastplate as an arrow caught one of the soldiers in the chest and he tumbled from his horse.

“Vite,” came the whisper again, and the deer stared hard at Rose. Slowly, woozily, Rose got to her feet.

Lightning flashed overhead, and rain began pouring down on battling men, the deer, and Rose like a waterfall. The deluge was so strong and unexpected that Rose nearly lost her balance. She grabbed on to the little doe’s back as she shielded her head.

Then, to her utter amazement, the deer gathered up the hem of her skirt. It turned and began trotting across the road. Stumbling behind reluctantly, Rose gazed over her shoulder at Monsieur Sabot, Ombrine, and Desirée.

“They have a god,” the voice whispered through the rising wind and rain. “The god of the Severines will protect them.”

But it was clear to Rose that the battle was hopeless. The Pretender’s men outnumbered the kings a hundred to one. What would they do to the king’s loyal advisor and two defenseless women?

“They are not defenseless. Wait and see.”

She tried to go back but the deer held her fast as it picked up speed. Then it made a wheezing sound and raced down the embankment toward the river.

Hoofbeats pounded behind Rose. The deer dragged her closer to the rushing water.

Rose glanced over her shoulder. On the horizon, the clouds moved and boiled. But they were not clouds. They were large blackbirds. Hundreds of them. They were falling from the sky like stones, swooping down on the Pretender’s men with sharp claws extended and beaks aimed at the men’s eyes. Rose cried out and covered her eyes with her hand, and the deer yanked harder.

“Et voila,” said the voice. “Now have no fear. Remember that a wish was made. A lesson must be learned. And then all will be well.”

Hoofbeats shook the ground. Hot breath steamed against the back of her neck; she looked over her shoulder to see a mounted knight in the Pretender’s colors. His sword was raised over his head as he galloped straight at her.

The deer tugged insistently and Rose lost her footing. Down she tumbled onto her side, rolling in the rain, sliding in the mud. Then before she realized what was happening, she fell into the river.

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