Return to Caer Lon by Claude Dancourt Read Free Book Online Page A

had paid dearly to have them paired up . He sighed.
    “What is done is done, isn’t it? Didn’t you say something about food?”
    She jumped at the reminder, and quickly put the tray on his lap. Sebastian peered at the soup with a groan . Knowing both his cousin 's and his friend 's usual behaviour around each other, he doubted the greater risk for them came from their enemy, whoever that was.

Chapter 7
     
     
    Lann Stefan was barely more than a village. But compared to Haven ’s castle and its dozen houses, it felt like a small city to Sacha .
    With s pring, merchants had started to travel again, and the coming May Day festivities were bringing a colourful crowd out to venture happily around the shops and bargain the prices with the tenants.
    Derek had decided they were to stop at an inn to bath e and rest before they looked for the monastery. He doubted a day was going to be enough to find anything , even with the help of the monk-librarian . F or once, Sacha had agreed with him.
    Her clothes were stiff and itched from an entire day on horseback and a night i n the hayloft. In addition, Sacha was in no hurry to repeat their performance of the morning. Her horse made a step aside and she had to pull on her reins to restrain it. The movement enhanced the sting in her sore arms. She was pretty sure she would sustain a bruise in the morning. She had not expected him to react so violently. Derek was certainly prompt to react and tempest, but with her he had always kept a strict rein on physical expressions of his temper, settling for arrogant retorts or mocking remarks.
    It amazed her to know she could shatter his control like that. It made her feel… powerful . T he idea of possessing that kind of influence over a man like Derek intrigued her , though s he was n’t sure she liked it. Much.
    Sacha glanced at her companion. Derek was riding beside her, his posture almost casual. She noticed he had only one hand on his reins; the other rested on his thigh, inches away from his blade. His blue eyes were scanning the crowd while his face was blank. Nothing in his attitude indicated he too was fazed with the stony road or the numbers of two story buildings. He looked like the known sleepy cat, which waited for some heedless mouse to come a little too close. The young woman shivered involuntary. Those were the moments that truly reminded her that Derek was lethal , more than his random outbursts of rage.
    A bell rang to announce Terce. She pushed up on her stirrups looking both ways for the church. Derek ’s stern voice reminded her about discretion and she sighed before settling back on her saddle.
    Some minutes later, Derek stopped his mount in front of a building larger than the rest.
    “We will stay here.”
    A sign h ung above the door. A big animal with twisted tusks was painted on the wood panel to announce the establishment’s name: ‘The W ild Boar’. Derek jumped down. Sacha didn’t wait to dismount, ignoring his offered hand . The prince said nothing and gestured a servant to pick up their bags.
    When he stepped forward to push the door and enter in front of her, Sacha had more than enough with his patronizing .
    “You have more experience of taverns than I do. Please lead the way.”
    Derek frowned, visibly displeased by her comment . Shrugging his shoulders, he preceded her inside.
    The room was brighter than she expected, almost welcoming. A few costumers were seated in front of a carafe in spite of the early hour. Others were eating. More than half of them snatched a glimpse at the newcomers and Sacha felt like a rabbit surrounded by foxes. Maybe having him entering first had not been such a bad idea...
    Derek pushed his hood back and she could only imitate him, but she kept her face down, glad her long braid was caught beneath her cloak. At least the thick cloth protected her from more probing. With her delicate face and slender frame, she could hardly be mistaken for a boy.
    The prince chose a table near