A Dark Champion by Kinley MacGregor Read Free Book Online Page A

wavering from Stryder who frowned at the mention of her name.
    “Rowena de Vitry?” he asked, that deep voice sending a shiver through her.
    “Aye.”
    He looked as ill at the mention of her name as she had felt at his. “So you’re the ogress who writes those songs.”
    She would have felt complimented had he not insulted her first. “You know my work?”
    “‘ A plague to all who carry swords and a pox on their apish arms. May they all grow sterile and fat, and perish young .’ Aye, milady, my squire informed me earlier this very day of your so-called work .”
    She stiffened at his open disdain. He wasn’t the first to hate her or her work, but for some unfathomable reason she felt cut by his glare.
    So she fought back the only way she could—with her words. “As I am aware of yours, milord. They say you have cleaved the heads off more than two hundred men and sliced five times as many in twain. I believe the Saracens refer to you as the English Butcher.”
    He curled his lip at her. “You have poisoned the mind of my squire.”
    She smiled in cold triumph at that. “I have liberated his mind.”
    Stryder took a step toward her.
    Kit was immediately between them. “Rowena, Stryder,” he said forcing more distance between them. “Remember yourselves.”
    Rowena felt her face flush as she recalled the fact that their “discussion” had an audience of the entire English court.
    Stryder’s icy gaze swept the room as well. He lowered his voice and when he spoke his deep voice resonated with powerful anger. “In the future, milady, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from liberating the mind of my impressionable squire. When someone comes at him with a sword, I would like to believe Druce will raise more than his tongue in defense of himself.”
    “If there were no swords about, milord, then he wouldn’t have to live in fear of them, and neither would you.”
    He snorted at that. “I hold no fear of a sword, only of fools who refuse to see reason. ’Tis a pity no man inyour life has ever sought to teach you your place.”
    The crowd as a whole sucked its collective breath in at that.
    Rowena had never been angrier in her life. In that moment she well understood a man’s desire to thrash another and she hated Stryder for making her feel such.
    His gaze went to Kit. “If you have any further need of me, brother, just call.” Those chilly eyes focused on her. “As for you, milady, I liked you much better when I didn’t know who you were.”
    He turned and stalked off before she could respond.
    The crowd actually applauded.
    “Here, here, Stryder,” one man shouted above the others. “You tell her, milord. ’Tis time someone took her down.”
    Rowena was horrified by the cheers that went up for Stryder.
    How dare they!
    But more than that, she was hurt to learn just how many people scorned her feelings. Her beliefs.
    Fine, let all of them perish and rot. How could they not see how wrong war and violence were?
    Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She would never let anyone in this crowd know how they wounded her.
    Holding her head high, she headed the opposite direction, toward the door that led to the stairs.
    Kit caught up with her. “Rowena?”
    “Leave me, Kit. I wish to be alone.”
    “Don’t be angry at my brother, Rowena.”
    She turned on him with hatred and anger burningfuriously in her heart. “How can you defend him to me after what he just said?”
    He countered with a question of his own. “How can you tolerate me and hate him? Do not fool yourself, love. If I were Stryder’s size and possessed his skill and strength, I would have thrashed Cyril too.”
    She scoffed at that. “You could never hurt anyone, Kit. You’re far too gentle.”
    “Trust me, life has a way of kicking that gentleness out of all of us. Stryder has been through much in his life. You shouldn’t judge him so harshly.”
    “ I judge him ? Did you not hear what he said to