Set to Flame (Flame Series) (17 page)

Marriage came into her mind unbidden.  Wasn’t that the goal of every creature to breed and raise their children?  There was no one she would even consider binding herself to, not in a million years.  She enjoyed being with Marcus, could not imagine having a life without him now.  Was that love?  She had love for her parents, but they seemed such a distant memory, everything including that love. 
Alena was sure if she allowed herself time to think about them, she would remember, but then it would leave her vulnerable to the soul shattering pain that was a part of that memory.  Did she want to risk that pain again?  Was it possible to go through life and never care?  Was a life like that worth living?

She rested one hand on the hilt of her sword and the other on the sheath it rested in.  When did she convince herself that she did not care about Marcus or any of these men?  She had cared enough about them to take them bread and water, had cared enough she allowed their journeys to come this far together. 

She heard steel crash together from the second floor, and she looked up the steps but saw nothing, not even the movement of a shadow.  Quiet reined once again, and Alena was left straining to hear the slightest sounds but nothing came to indicate what might be happening.  Her eyes strained upward, quickly turning in a near panic because she had forgotten to guard the door too.  Her nerves stretched taught as she looked from one to the other, waiting.

Footsteps came from the stairs, down, slowly, but not too slowly she thought.  It was no one trying to escape, unless Marcus and
Halvor were injured or worse.  Quietly she drew her sword and stepped away from the bottom, waiting.  She saw the boots first, the hose on the thick legs and she knew immediately it was Halvor.  He came all the way to the bottom and gave her a nod.  What did a nod mean?  The job was done?  Get ready to fight?  More footsteps and she knew by the sound they were Marcus’s, his steps steady and sure.  He came to the bottom, nudging Halvor aside and coming toward her.

She read relief upon his brow, and she knew the job was done.  She suppressed a smile, relieved they were close to completion but knowing her joy was inappropriate at the moment and cast a glance toward the floor.  Getting herself under control, she looked up in time to see the door swing wider.

“What the…” the man’s bellow cut short as he stood in the doorway, one hand pushing it open, the other holding a small satchel.  He wasted no time making a decision on his next course of action.  He turned and fled. 

Halvor
was the first to get over the surprise of the invasion and gave chase.  “Get the horses,” Marcus called as he charged out the door. 

Her feet pounded across the earth no longer shrouded in darkness but awash with the first rays of the morning sun.  Through the gate in the wall she ran, back among the trees where they had secured their horses.  Vaulting onto Maria’s back, she charged back toward the tower with the other two horses in tow.  She forced Maria through a low spot in the wall, the two behind followed obediently.  Around the tower they raced, caught sight of
Halvor near the back wall waving her on.  Skidding to a halt Halvor grabbed a handful of his horse’s mane and pulled himself up into the saddle.  “This way,” he said taking a path that was nearly hidden among the overhanging bushes. 

Alena
raced behind him, and it did not take long for her to wonder how they could not have overtaken Marcus and the fleeing man.  Halvor must have come to the same conclusion for he turned and yelled for her to go back.  It took some doing, but she finally got the two horses turned on the trail and heading the way they had come.  Back to the tower wall she rode along the edge, keeping an eye out for movement in the dense forest that seemed intent on burying the wall in its heavy foliage. 

“Here!” came the shout.  She drew rein and turned the horses.  She had to slow her pace significantly to weave the two horses through the trees and toward Marcus.

“He had a horse out here!” Marcus yelled as if his urgent voice could make the trees separate and hasten her progress.

Alena
was almost to him when he pointed franticly through the trees and yelled, “Go!”  She immediately dropped Ebony’s reins and focused her attention on Maria and moving her through the trees in the direction Marcus had pointed. 

The forest was not deep and soon she broke from it into a field.  It rolled downward gently before rising up another hill.  It was over this hill she saw a horse and rider crest before disappearing from sight down the other side.  She laid her heels to Maria, and the horse lurched forward, her ears back, her head outstretched reveling in the race she was bred for.  Her hooves pounded across the soft ground, gaining momentum with every stride until
Alena felt as if they were flying.  The upward turn of the land was not enough to make her slacken her speed, and they were to the top in what seemed only enough time for lightning to strike the earth. 

Cresting the hill, she saw the man had reached the bottom and was racing along a road.  Child’s play,
Alena’s mind thought knowing she, Marcus and Halvor rode horses far superior to anything the man could have gotten his hands on.  Maria was like a river flowing smoothly over the land.  Her hooves seemed scarcely to touch before they came off the ground again.  Alena felt the elation of being one with the horse as she stretched even lower to the ground when she gained the road. 

The man would have no chance of escape now.  Maria did not even labor for her breaths but indeed seemed to get her second wind.  The magnificent animal beneath
Alena was in a full stretch run.  Her breath inhaled and exhaled in time with the rhythm of her hoofs.  Feeling the muscles of her mare bunch and release Alena moved with her, breathed with her, flew with her.  She felt the horse beneath her falter.

Maria tried valiantly to regain her stride but
Alena felt the shift of the horse’s balance, and they no longer moved together in an entirely horizontal direction but were quickly going downward.  The horse beneath her screamed.  In Alena’s mind, she heard the scream of the woman being beaten to death, Cyrille burning echoing in the mare’s pain.  She knew her beautiful mare that was as fast as the wind had broken her leg. 

The ground rushed up toward
Alena, she felt she was falling with the wind still in her hair and face, but it was not a sense of flying that filled her.  Now it was regret that she had not seen whatever Maria had stumbled over.  Regret.  Marcus.  She felt the initial impact of a stone on her face, then the searing pain when her burn opened again as she skidded across the many stones and they became imbedded.  Her shoulder slammed into the ground and pain shot through it exploding in a white light inside her head. Blackness.             

Continue reading the Flam
e Series

Book 2

The Lethal Flame

Lord Damien LeForte is a knight for the Crown of England.  Knighted by Henry II Damien is proud to wear his spurs, even when that crown is passed to Henry’s son, Richard I.  But Richard is not prepared to forgive the knight for his part in defending the crown against him.  To prove his loyalty Damien must destroy those who support Richard’s brother, Prince John.  Faced with his toughest test of loyalty Damien vows he will do what he must, because those supporting John oppose the Crown Damien has dedicated his life to protect.

Growing up among the knights and squires of her father, Lady Keri
Adlam is unprepared for marriage, especially to the lazy Lord Bryson.  After bearing his second child Keri refuses to be a true wife to Bryson again.  When the King’s men accuse Bryson of being a traitor she sees her husband for the coward he is.  She finds loyalty in only a handful of knights as she faces off with the King’s men to protect her children.  But her defense of her children is misconstrued as her opposition to King Richard and she finds herself forced to answer for her husband’s sins.   

Book 3

The Darkest Flame

Born to nothing Lord Garrick Fenton sold his soul to the highest bidder, the King of England.  He proved himself on the battle fields and off, squelching rebellions and at times killing just for the King’s pleasure.  From whore’s bastard to Lord, Garrick made many enemies along the way.  Despite the wealth he accumulated, the stigma of his birth would forever haunt him.  The only hope to provide a better future for his children was to gain a betrothal to a titled lady.  He found what he was looking for in Countess Ryann Kinnard.

Lord Daniel Stroud was a first born son among the English aristocracy and people like the Bastard was not fit to wipe his boots.  Betrothal to the Countess is the last straw for Stroud, whether he gains the wrath of the King or not, the Bastard has to be stopped. 

Book 4 - Final

The Strongest Flames
(Coming Spring 2014)

Jillian thought her husband’s death would free her of the abuse but when word comes she is to remarry she is devastated.  All she had hoped for was to be allowed to fade off into spinsterhood.  After all, she had borne no living children for Bruce in all the years they was married.  She had little hope the child she carried at Bruce’s death would live.  But Lord Garrick Fenton demanded she marry his commander who was granted the keep at
Hawknest.  Terrified, she had no other choice but accept the new husband. 

Emma grew up hiding from the rule of the English kings.  She never understood why the kings would be concerned about their small band of rebels hiding in the forest and among the villagers.  Spending her days exploring the forest as she grew up made her unprepared for the presence of the knight who was determined to hunt her down.  With him she discovered an
entirely new game taunting and enraging him as she avoided capture.  Until one day she learned Sir Roland Deveroux did not play games.  By then it was too late and she had to answer to the King for the crimes of her family.

About the Author

Angie Arms began her writing career as a child.  She earned a B.S. in Administration of Justice and has worked as a reporter, editor, publisher and business owner.  She has earned numerous VPA awards for her news reporting and lifestyles articles.  Angie said she loves writing for newspapers, especially the lifestyles section because it gives her a chance to tell someone’s story, bring light to someone’s achievement or share someone’s memories.  Writing fiction however is her passion.  She currently lives on a farm in Virginia with her husband and daughter. 

Email:  [email protected]