Desired by Virginia Henley Read Free Book Online

fastened its claws into his long hair and held on for dear life. Paddy helped Christian back aboard as calmly as if Hawksblood had been for his daily dip.
    The captain and crew were having fits. “You must be insane to risk your life for a rat catcher!”
    Christian looked at him with scorn. “You must be insane to fear a six-inch scrap of fur.”
    Paddy helped him replace his mail, then his doublet, and the shivering ferret disappeared inside. The captain opened his mouth to speak, saw the savage ferocity on the dark face and thought better of it.
    Paddy murmured, “He’s affeared if he opens his gob again, ye’ll set the little gnasher on him.”
    Christian’s lip twitched as he moved aft. The sea had been unbelievably cold. As he felt the wet chausses cling to his body, he separated his mind from the physical discomfort, knowing the stiff sea breeze would soon dry his garments.
    The sky darkened and one by one the stars appeared. Astronomy had been a favorite subject when he was eight. After initiation into the Mystic Order of the Golden Dawn he’d been expected to name the stars down to the fourth magnitude, and see those as faint as the sixth. His gazepassed over Rigel and Regulus, Alpha Centauri and Altair. They seemed like old friends to him. It was another hour before the moon rose. When it did, however, Hawksblood became aware of a faint reflection, leagues behind them, but gradually gaining.
    He stood transfixed, concentrating, focusing his full attention. He penetrated the barriers of distance and darkness for a few split seconds, but that was enough to tell him it was a French cog, small but swift. Logic told him piracy was best done in daylight, so this was probably a raiding party on its way to the English coast.
    He moved toward the prow and again focused all his attention. Eventually, he saw the faint outline of the stone fortress atop the chalk cliffs of Dover. Hawksblood spoke quietly to the captain, who shuttered the ship’s lantern. Then he went to the navigator at the wheel, pointed out the cliffs, which were only just becoming visible, and swept his arm to the south, indicating the direction he desired. The navigator, uncertain in English waters, followed Hawksblood’s instructions to the letter. Hawksblood spoke with such confidence that he generated confidence.
    The vessel was able to drop anchor in a sandy cove long enough to discharge its cargo, then slip away into the darkness.
    “Since Dover is the gateway to England, it is bound to be garrisoned.” Christian kept his voice low, knowing how sounds were magnified by wind and water.
    “There’s a watch all along the coast. They use a system of signal fires,” Paddy explained.
    Hawksblood smiled grimly. “You alert the watch; I’ll set the signal fire.”
    Ali did not feel slighted that the task of seeing to the extra horses and baggage fell to him. After a lifetime together, he and Drakkar could communicate without words.
    Hawksblood tightened the girth on his destrier and rode slowly along the coastline. His eyes were fixed on a black dot out to sea that sailed ever closer. He waited silently over an hour for the cog to sail close enough to disgorge its raiders. Every instinct screamed to descend upon them like death on the wind, but he schooled himself to patience until the last mounted man spurred from the sands.
    He boarded the cog stealthily, listening for the skeleton crew. His nose led him to the tar barrels. A ship’s lantern did the rest. By the time the explosion came, he was safely ashore.
    The fire lit up the sky, drawing Paddy and the soldiers from the garrison of Dover. They killed or captured every last raider, for the French had no retreat. The prisoners were herded into Dover Castle, where the Admiral of the Cinque Ports, Robert Morley, extended his personal thanks to Christian Hawksblood and offered hospitality.
    “Too bad His Majesty wasn’t here to witness this. He was here until yesterday recruiting ships to