Where's My Hero? by Lisa Kleypas

Author:Lisa Kleypas [Kleypas, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061756030
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2011-09-05T08:06:21+00:00

Kenna and Simon spoke little for the rest of the night. After supper, Caledonia took Kenna upstairs to her room while Simon went to find Stryder, who hadn’t shown himself to eat.

He found his old friend sitting up on the parapet with a flagon of ale nestled in his arms, much like a babe.

Simon let out a disgusted breath at the sight. “What is it with you and Sin that the two of you like to do this?”

Stryder didn’t answer as he finished off his ale. “Why are you here, Simon?”

“I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow.”

Stryder didn’t turn to look at him. Instead, he continued to stare out at the inner bailey far below. “I’m not going to throw the match.”

“I know.” Simon would never ask such a thing from a man who had spent his entire life running from his past. Running from the little boy he had once been. It wasn’t in Stryder to lose, and he would never ask his friend for such a sacrifice. “I don’t want you to throw it.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I wanted to make sure we are still friends.”

“Friends…” Stryder laughed, and it was then Simon realized the man was drunk.

Extremely drunk, judging by the way Stryder wobbled as he tossed the flagon aside and reached for the second one that was set down by his foot.

Stryder righted himself and returned to staring out at the yard. “You get me betrothed to a woman I don’t know and now I am told I have to fight to marry her on the morrow even though I want no wife, especially not one who is in love with someone else. If we weren’t friends, you’d be dead now, Simon.”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Stryder looked up at that, his eyes haunted. “Just as I never meant to get you and Edward captured.”

Pain swept through Simon at the reminder. Stryder had barely earned his spurs when they had followed Simon’s father down to Outremer. Still a squire, Simon had thought it a grand adventure, until they’d met up with the small band of Crusaders.

Simon’s father had scoffed at the fools, but Stryder had been young and intent on proving himself.

Stryder had wanted to follow after the Crusaders so that he could win glory and fame.

Simon had chosen friendship and gone with Stryder, never knowing what would come of his decision. Three years of their lives had been sacrificed to that fateful day. Three years of living in filth and squalor. Of fighting rats and serpents for every scrap of food.

Simon’s flesh still bore the scars of that time, but unlike Stryder, he had chosen to bury the internal scars. To try his best to forget every degradation and horror they had experienced.

“I never blamed you.”

“And I’ve never understood why you didn’t.”

“We are brothers, Stryder.” Just as he was brother to Sin and Draven. He’d had to align himself to all of them to survive. Their shared tragedies had bonded them.

Stryder took a deep breath.

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