Choose the Sky: A Medieval Romance (Swordcross Knights Book 2) by Elizabeth Cole
Authors: Elizabeth Cole
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strangers eating out your larder? Be honest. You have no champion.”
“Then I’ll fight for myself!” she said. She pulled her small knife, such that ladies always carried about them. A weapon of war it was not, but it could still draw blood.
He released his hold. “That much spirit is not becoming in a lady.”
“As if you would know,” she snapped. Underneath her bravado, she was scared. She knew how a fight between her and Haldan would end. Escaping the building was her only option.
He grinned when he saw her look to the doorway.
“Don’t think about it,” he hissed, just as he stepped forward.
Mina screamed and lashed out wildly with her knife, not even seeing how she struck him. Her knife dragged against something, and he howled, stumbling back.
She gasped when she saw him clutch a hand to his face, red dripping between his fingers.
“You wicked little whore,” he snarled.
“Watch your tongue,” she snapped back, “or I’ll cut that too.”
“You won’t have a chance.” Haldan recovered enough to lunge at her. Mina screamed out in alarm, ducking beneath his arms as he grabbed for her.
“Get away from me!” she warned, holding the knife out again.
Haldan hit her outstretched arm. Mina stumbled back, the knife flying from her hand. Her elbow smarted terribly. Part of her couldn’t even believe that the man had the temerity to touch her at all, and the other part realized he was just beginning his assault.
“This castle needs a master,” he said, stepping forward again. “I’m as good as a knight, so why not me? After all, I’ve been the man putting up with you for all this time.”
Mina edged back, only to hit the wall. He’d backed her into a corner. “Get back,” she said.
“You can’t do a thing, woman. I’ll take you, and then you can’t say no to a marriage, can you? Over and done in a night…and tomorrow I’ll take Trumwell for myself. I’m sick of waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” she gasped.
He didn’t answer. He reached out again, seizing Mina by the shoulders. She pushed back with all her might, clawing at his injured face with her nails. But he weighed twice as much as she did, and he was a trained soldier. Mina winced when one meaty hand closed around her throat.
A few seconds later, she could no longer breathe, and strange colors pulsed in her fading vision. Mina’s hands dropped, and her head rolled forward as darkness threatened to take her.
Dimly, she heard, “Get away from her!”
Out of nowhere, Luc appeared, rushing at the larger man from the side.
Haldan threw Mina to the ground in an effort to regain a fighting stance. She took huge gulping breaths, too focused on inhaling sweet, sweet air to see much of what happened next.
Whatever Haldan did to get ready for Luc’s attack, he was too late. Within moments, Luc twisted the other man’s arm behind his back, then shoved him hard up against the wall. Haldan growled, but the sound turned into a undignified whimper.
Haldan lurched, pushing Luc off him. However, the knight recovered his stance instantly, drawing his sword, the sound soft but ominous.
At the moment, Haldan had no weapon larger than the dagger he drew. He plainly didn’t like his odds in this new round of the fight.
The sound of metal striking metal made her ears ring. Haldan and Luc circled, the hits following one another.
Haldan snarled. “You should stay out of this.”
Luc only flicked his blade toward Haldan. The movement was so swift, Mina didn’t see the hit, but Haldan gave a hiss of pain.
Mina struggled to sit up, choking with the effort.
Luc looked at her, and Haldan seized the moment to bolt past Luc and out the door. Mina expected Luc to give chase, but he instead moved toward her, laying his sword down and reaching for her shoulders to help pull her upright.
She tried to speak once, twice, before sound came out at all.
“What are you doing here?” she gasped out. It was the first thing that came to her
“Then I’ll fight for myself!” she said. She pulled her small knife, such that ladies always carried about them. A weapon of war it was not, but it could still draw blood.
He released his hold. “That much spirit is not becoming in a lady.”
“As if you would know,” she snapped. Underneath her bravado, she was scared. She knew how a fight between her and Haldan would end. Escaping the building was her only option.
He grinned when he saw her look to the doorway.
“Don’t think about it,” he hissed, just as he stepped forward.
Mina screamed and lashed out wildly with her knife, not even seeing how she struck him. Her knife dragged against something, and he howled, stumbling back.
She gasped when she saw him clutch a hand to his face, red dripping between his fingers.
“You wicked little whore,” he snarled.
“Watch your tongue,” she snapped back, “or I’ll cut that too.”
“You won’t have a chance.” Haldan recovered enough to lunge at her. Mina screamed out in alarm, ducking beneath his arms as he grabbed for her.
“Get away from me!” she warned, holding the knife out again.
Haldan hit her outstretched arm. Mina stumbled back, the knife flying from her hand. Her elbow smarted terribly. Part of her couldn’t even believe that the man had the temerity to touch her at all, and the other part realized he was just beginning his assault.
“This castle needs a master,” he said, stepping forward again. “I’m as good as a knight, so why not me? After all, I’ve been the man putting up with you for all this time.”
Mina edged back, only to hit the wall. He’d backed her into a corner. “Get back,” she said.
“You can’t do a thing, woman. I’ll take you, and then you can’t say no to a marriage, can you? Over and done in a night…and tomorrow I’ll take Trumwell for myself. I’m sick of waiting.”
“Waiting for what?” she gasped.
He didn’t answer. He reached out again, seizing Mina by the shoulders. She pushed back with all her might, clawing at his injured face with her nails. But he weighed twice as much as she did, and he was a trained soldier. Mina winced when one meaty hand closed around her throat.
A few seconds later, she could no longer breathe, and strange colors pulsed in her fading vision. Mina’s hands dropped, and her head rolled forward as darkness threatened to take her.
Dimly, she heard, “Get away from her!”
Out of nowhere, Luc appeared, rushing at the larger man from the side.
Haldan threw Mina to the ground in an effort to regain a fighting stance. She took huge gulping breaths, too focused on inhaling sweet, sweet air to see much of what happened next.
Whatever Haldan did to get ready for Luc’s attack, he was too late. Within moments, Luc twisted the other man’s arm behind his back, then shoved him hard up against the wall. Haldan growled, but the sound turned into a undignified whimper.
Haldan lurched, pushing Luc off him. However, the knight recovered his stance instantly, drawing his sword, the sound soft but ominous.
At the moment, Haldan had no weapon larger than the dagger he drew. He plainly didn’t like his odds in this new round of the fight.
The sound of metal striking metal made her ears ring. Haldan and Luc circled, the hits following one another.
Haldan snarled. “You should stay out of this.”
Luc only flicked his blade toward Haldan. The movement was so swift, Mina didn’t see the hit, but Haldan gave a hiss of pain.
Mina struggled to sit up, choking with the effort.
Luc looked at her, and Haldan seized the moment to bolt past Luc and out the door. Mina expected Luc to give chase, but he instead moved toward her, laying his sword down and reaching for her shoulders to help pull her upright.
She tried to speak once, twice, before sound came out at all.
“What are you doing here?” she gasped out. It was the first thing that came to her
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