The Virtuous Assassin (5 page)

Josse
’s mouth dropped open. “He doesn’t know? But how?”

“
I-it’s a family tradition. My m-mother trained me, and my grandmother trained her, but nobody else knows. My father didn’t, nor did my grandfather.” The words seemed to stick in her throat.

S
he couldn’t bear to look at him, yet she couldn’t help herself. His eyes were wide, and the colour was draining from his face.

She
’d given him hope when there had been none. Her brother knew nothing of her plans. He might have helped if she’d been able to persuade him, but now she’d never get that chance. Cateline stretched out an arm to touch his leg, but Josse pulled back.

“
Do you ever speak the truth?”

Chapter Five

A key rattled, and the cell door swung open. Josse scuttled away from Cateline, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. She’d lied. Again. And after everything they’d shared.

Three men entered. Each wore two short swords at their belts and wore thick leather armour. The tallest he recognised
—the Brickendens’ leader, Ivor. A scowl played with his lips as his eyes roamed Cateline’s crumpled clothes.

She let out a gasp and stared at Ivor, her eyes narrowing maliciously as though she recognised him.

Josse clenched his hands into fists. Nobody was allowed to look at Cateline that way.
Even though she’d lied? Even though you can’t bear to stand next to her?

Ivor fingered one of his blades, his eyes flicking to Josse.
“Lord Jocelyn Gabriel I’m guessing,” he said with a drawl. “It’s a pleasure. I didn’t expect to see you so soon. It didn’t think your uncle was man enough to open the castle gates for anyone.”

“
Why would he open them?” spat Josse. “Your army is twice the size of ours. It’s not a fair fight. Everyone knows.”

“
Yet nobody cares.”

“
Richard the Lionheart—” began Josse.

“
Isn’t here,” interrupted Ivor. “But his brother Count John is, and he’s a personal friend of mine.” Ivor pulled one of his swords free. “And he really doesn’t care.”

With a growl, Josse leapt forward.
“John Lackland is a traitor.” He swung a fist towards Ivor’s head, but his opponent ducked, slashing his sword down Josse’s face.

Josse
’s hand jumped to his cheek, and blood flowed freely, staining his fingers. Cateline started, but he pushed her aside. He both hungered for her and was haunted by her, but no matter what his feelings, he wouldn’t let them lay a hand on her.

Ivor laughed, motioning to his men. They grabbed Josse
’s arms, forcing him down until his knees gave way, and he crumpled. The wound on his leg flared with pain, reopening.

“
Your uncle will pay a great deal for you I think.”

“
You’re wrong,” Cateline called, and his heart leapt into his mouth—what was she doing? “He isn’t coming for Josse. Nobody is.”

Ivor grabbed Cateline
’s chin, tilting her face towards the early-morning light. “You look familiar, but I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“
I’m Cateline Crawford, and I’m here with a message from my brother, Lord Aden.”

“
No!” Josse struggled against his capturers, but their hold tightened, and he winced. What was she doing? Admitting she was of noble blood too only put her in more danger.

“
A Crawford?” Ivor released Cateline’s face, looking at her with renewed interest. “Yes, you have your father’s eyes.”

“
You k-killed my father.” She straightened her shoulders, clearly fighting her emotions. “But my brother is different. He wants our a-allegiance to your family to be formally recognised, and he has sent me to collect Lord Jocelyn for you to do with as you please.”

The traitoress! Josse wrenched his arms free, flinging himself at Cateline. But
Ivor’s men jumped him, tackling him back to the ground. How could he ever have loved her? She did nothing but betray him.

“
Really?” Ivor narrowed his eyes calculatingly. “Why would I want him? Especially now you’ve told me Jocelyn’s uncle won’t come to his rescue. And why you? A woman.”

“
Who else could have persuaded Josse to leave the safety of his castle but a woman?” And she ran her hands over her breasts.

Ivor
’s eyes widened with lust, and Josse turned his head away, unable to watch. It felt as if the pit of his stomach was falling away. This was a thousand times worse than when he’d discovered she’d murdered Elric. This was treachery beyond redemption.

“
Say I do believe you, what did you have in mind for him? What did you expect me to do?”

“
Make an example of him.” She didn’t pause, and it was clear she’d been thinking about this for a while.

“
An example?” Josse felt Ivor move closer, and then the cold touch of a steel blade caressed his chest. With a sudden pain, a droplet of blood seeped into his shirt. He ground his teeth, determined not to give them the satisfaction of hearing him suffer.

“
Take him to the castle gate,” answered Cateline coolly, “where his whole family will be able to see, then kill him. They’ll be heartbroken. They might even do something rash like surrender.”

“
They’d never—” Josse hissed through his teeth.

“
Temptress,” said Ivor with a little acknowledging bow towards Cateline. Then he linked arms with her and walked from the cell. “Bring the prisoner. We’ve an execution to conduct.”

Josse was pulled roughly to his feet and taken outside. He
’d been right. They were within the Brickendens’ siege camp—he could see the stone walls of his family’s castle just a few yards away.

With a shout, the Brickenden soldiers gathered before the
portcullis, leaving an open space for Josse, his guard, Ivor, and Cateline.

“
Let me do it,” purred Cateline into Ivor’s ear. “Please.”

“
You?” Ivor tossed a single short sword from hand to hand, glancing between her and Josse. It was clear he didn’t think her small frame was quite the match for Josse’s warrior build.

“
He thought I was an easy mark for his lust. I want to prove him wrong.”

Josse stared across at her. She
’d seemed so very willing. He’d never have touched her otherwise. “You—
sard!
” he swore as his heart seemed to shatter in his chest. With her, he’d lost all common sense; and because of her, he’d forfeited his life.

“
This, I want to see,” answered Ivor and pulled Cateline closer. He placed the hilt of his sword into her hand, wrapping his own around her fist. “This is how it’s done.” He lunged, pulling her with him in a practice stance.

She laughed, and the sound seemed to penetrate Josse like a knife. There was no other noise quite as beautiful.

“Are you ready?” Ivor huffed into Cateline’s ear.

“
Yes.” And she darted around Ivor to press the blade firmly against his neck.

She could hear her own blood pumping through her body as if everything was surreal and it wasn
’t her who held a sword to the throat of the Brickendens’ leader and her father’s murderer.

“
You go too far, girl,” he snapped, tensing. His soldiers moved forward, suddenly alert, hands on swords.

“
Don’t come any closer,” she snapped, and they froze. “Let Josse go.”

“
No!” Ivor shouted, and Josse’s capturers tightened their hold.

She
pushed the blade in deeper, pressing the sharp edge into Ivor’s flesh so that blood began to pool at the surface. “I said
let him go
.”

Josse pulled his arms free and darted to her side.
“You mean, you’re not—”

“
No. I’d never betray you. I just needed to buy us some time.” She glanced at him, her brow furrowed. Had he really believed she’d betrayed him to the enemy after everything they’d been through?

Pain surged up her arm, and she was tossed to the ground. Ivor dived towards her, but Josse grabbed his arm
, holding him back.

“
Don’t you dare touch her!”

Ivor spat blood,
then smiled at Cateline, ignoring Josse. “What are you going to do now? There’s nobody here to help you but one knight, and how can he possibly defeat my army?”

“
You’re wrong.” Josse stepped in front of Cateline, and she gripped his shirt for support. What was he doing? She had no other plan. There was literally nothing else she could do. Unless . . . She glanced down at the short sword in her other hand. She could easily kill Ivor from this distance, but then his army would attack, and both families would be doomed.

Josse staggered a step, and Cateline gripped him tighter. His leg was soaked with blood
—his old wound must have opened again, and it was draining his energy.

“
We’re not alone anymore.” Josse suddenly pointed towards his castle. Cateline turned: the battlements were lined with soldiers and at their centre Lord Kenrick himself. They surveyed the Brickendens with unconcealed malice.

“
They won’t attack, you admitted as much. My army’s twice the size of yours.
”
             

“
Except now we have company.” And he pointed behind Ivor, towards the forest.

A hundred men stood before the trees, each with a drawn broadsword and, at the front, two figures on horseback.

“Aden and . . . my mother!” cried Cateline, her heart jumping into her mouth. The one person in her family who knew her secret identity. Of course her mother had guessed where she had gone. She wanted to cry with relief. Help had finally come.

“
It looks as if our combined armies are a match for you and there will be bloodshed today.” Josse sighed, and she felt the breath leave his body as if it was his last. “So I challenge you to a fight, one to one. The man who wins, wins the war.”

Ivor pursed his lips, seemingly unconvinced.

“You defeat me, you win the castles,” confirmed Josse, “and both the Gabriel and Crawford armies will step down.”

Her grip tightened, and she tried to pull Josse closer.
“You can’t. You’re wounded.” She wanted him to survive. She wanted to hold him again, to kiss and love him. She needed to spend the rest of her life in his arms.

Ivor leapt forward with a mighty warrior
’s cry, jumping the distance between them in a flash of a steel blade.

Cateline scrambled backwards as Josse pulled the short sword from her grasp. Wea
pons raised, the blades clanged together before Josse had fully recovered from the sudden attack. The sharp ring reverberated through her. Ivor was broader in the chest, and no wound marked his body, but he was used to fighting with two weapons, and now only possessed one. Josse recovered quickly, finding his footing on the uneven ground while the surrounding armies shouted and booed in equal measure.

Josse strained against Ivor, their arms locked as they fought for dominance. He was fighting for his family
and for hers. She wanted to wrap him in her arms and never let go. He might have doubted her loyalty, but when it came right down to it, Josse had taken up arms for her. Her love for him filled her, and she knew she had to find a way to help. She clenched her weaponless hands—what she wouldn’t do for a dagger or poison.

Now Ivor knocked the short sword from Josse
’s grasp, punching his other hand into his injured leg. Josse staggered, trying to remain upright, and Ivor smashed into him using his superior weight to tumble Josse to the ground. His hands wrapped around Josse’s neck, and Josse choked, unable to break free.

“
Don’t you dare.” Without thought, she grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at Ivor’s face. He blinked, his fingers slipping from Josse’s neck. Her knight fought back, pushing against Ivor’s chest. They tumbled, rolling across the ground, Ivor’s short swords caught between them. There was a grunt of pain, and Josse rose to his feet, his shirt covered with blood.

“
Josse!” Cateline ran forward clutching at his shirt, trying to find the tear.

He gripped her shoulders.
“Not me,” he murmured, “him,” and pointed to Ivor’s body, the short sword lodged up under his ribs.

Englan
d,
November 1192

Epilogue

It had been a month since they’d won the war and a month since he’s seen Cateline. Josse flicked the reins, urging his horse forward. Ahead stood Crawford Castle, and its curtain wall seemed to rise out of the very ground itself. The portcullis was raised and the drawbridge lowered as if waiting for him to enter.

With his free hand, he pulled a ring from his pocket. It had taken only a moment to persuade Lord Aden to allow him to marry Cateline. It seemed her brother was as eager to unite the two families as he was, although for altogether different
reasons.

Josse shifted impatiently in the saddle as he drew nearer. He could think of nothing but Cat and wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms.

Josse strode into the hall, and she waved her hand, quickly dismissing the servants. They scuttled away, leaving her alone with her dangerous, unpredictable knight.

“
You took your time,” she muttered, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“
Is this how our marriage is going to be?” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pushing a kiss into her hair. The strength of him stunned her, yet he was so gentle.

Wild fire sprung to life in the pit of her stomach, and she reached up, brushing her lips against his collarbone, running her hands across his muscular chest.
“A little bit of that,” she teased, “but a lot more of this.” And she kissed him, her mouth opening, welcoming his tongue.

When she was breathless, he pulled back to stare lovingly into her eyes.
Yes, definitely the colour of the sky right before a storm.

The End