Onyx by Elizabeth Rose Read Free Book Online Page B

know my father,” said the baroness, taking the ring from the guard and placing it on her finger. She blew her breath on the stone and then shined it on her gown. “But this woman also stole from my mother, and I will see to it my mother’s things are returned.”
    “Ye have yer ring back, now le t it lie,” spat Onyx. “Go now afore it’s too late. Trust me, ye dinna want te start a fight here and wit’ so many Scots present. Ye dinna stand a chance.” Onyx took a step toward his mother, but a guard moved forward and blocked him.
    “That’s where you’re wrong,” said the guard. He nodded to one of his men who opened the door to the pub. A cold gust of wind blew in, and with it snow. Onyx looked up to see another half dozen soldiers standing in the doorway, and this time he recognized the king’s coat of arms upon their chests. “You see, we have the king’s men on our side as well.” He motioned with his hand and the men marched into the room. Then the guard took hold of Fenella and pushed her toward them. “Take her back to King Edward, and he’ll see she gets what she deserves for killing one of his barons.”
    “Nay!” shouted Onyx , raising his dagger and rushing forward, but Storm was faster and blocked his way, gripping him by the wrist.
    “Put away the dagger,” Storm told him. “Ye dinna make a move like that against the king’s men unless ye want te answer te King Edward yerself.”
    “We canna let them get away wit’ this,” he ground out. “Storm, ye need te do somethin’.”
    He not iced the Englishwoman taking her gloves from the guard, and slapping them against her hand. “There’s naught he can do,” she said, walking right up to him. “That is, unless you find what she stole and bring it back to England before she’s sentenced.”
    “But me mathair is being wrongly accused,” he told her. “Isna thet right?” he asked, looking up to his mother whose arms were being held by the guard. Instead of the anger on her face he’d expected to see for this absurd accusation, he just saw his mother with her head down and shaking it sadly.
    “Fenella?” asked Storm, walking up to her. “Did ye kill this man or no’? Tell us now, becooz if ye are innocent, ye ken we will all fight te the deith te protect ye.”
    “The t’s right,” said Onyx, gripping his dagger tightly. “I’ll kill e’ery one o’ ye damned English curs.”
    “Onyx,” his mother said in a stern voice. “Ye will do no such thing. I am guilty fer the crime they say I comm itted, so put down the dagger afore ye get yerself killed, ye fool.”
    “Nay!” He started forward, but Storm held out his arm to stop him. “Ye’re our laird, do somethin’ fer crissakes,” he told Storm.
    Storm’s eyes scanned the room filled with English soldiers, and then he looked at every Scot there who was well in their cups, but willing to fight if need be.
    “We are in the Lowlands and this isna a place or time fer battle,” he reminded Onyx. And yer mathair admitted te the crime,” he said in a low voice. “And I willna risk the lives o’ me clan or any o’ the Lowlanders here tonight either, protecting a lass who is guilty. Nay, Onyx, she must pay fer her crimes.”
    “T ake her away, said Lady Lovelle’s guard, and the king’s men hauled his mother to the door.
    “Mathair,” cried Onyx, rushing a fter them in fury. Aidan and Ian grabbed him from behind and held him back.
    “Dinna be a fool,” warned Aidan . “There are wee ones, bairns, and lassies here.”
    “Aye,” agreed Ian. “Ye raise the t dagger again and they may all lose their lives.”
    “Just bring me what was stolen , and I’ll personally ask the king that your mother gets a lighter sentence,” the woman told him.
    “So if I find and return the stolen item ye’ll spare her life?”
    “If you want to see her alive instead of hanging from the gallows, find and return the stolen good. But I warn you, I won’t wait long, so do be fast