A Knight With Grace: Book 1 of the Assassin Knights Series Read Online Free PDF Page B

young knight had been in no wars, only mock battles, and play. It was an entirely different affair if your life depended on your sword skill. He glanced at Lady Grace and was pleased to see she seemed to be unharmed and had the sense to back away from the battle.
    “Imagine the hero I would become if I slay you,” Curtis said with a cold glint in his eye and scorn twisting his lips. He lunged forward, but quickly changed his move to arc a blow at William’s head.
    William could have easily lunged in and stabbed Curtis in the chest. Instead, he stepped aside and the tip of Curtis’s sword hit the ground, a small cloud of dirt spraying up upon impact. William kicked Curtis’s hand and the sword went flying through the air.
    Stunned, Curtis stared.
    William worked out his wrist, moving his sword around in a circle. He moved to the side, giving Curtis safe passage to his weapon. “Pick it up.”
    Curtis quickly dashed to the spot his weapon had fallen and grabbed it. He scoffed. “Luck.”
    William knew luck had nothing to do with it. If Curtis was a smarter opponent, he would have known that and run away. But, as William mentally predicted, he didn’t.
    Curtis approached, cautiously now, not as cocky.
    William bent his knees slightly, preparing for the attack. He was no longer in the mood to teach this young knight. He wanted this done quickly so he could return Lady Grace to her father. He didn’t want to kill the knight, just incapacitate him enough to allow them to leave unhindered. Perhaps a cut on his leg.
    Curtis took a quick moment, assessing William before he attacked, swinging from the left and then the right, moving forward with quick vicious strikes.
    William blocked both blows and struck back with brutal force, pushing Curtis into the grassy field. He continued his attack, hitting Curtis’s sword again and again, leaving him on the defensive. He swung left, left, left, and then a quick right. The change-up was difficult for his opponent to block. Curtis just managed to switch his sword in time to deflect it. And then William attacked again on the left. After only one swing, he kicked Curtis back. The young knight staggered, but kept his footing to counter a thrust to his body. He used only one hand and William saw his moment. He caught Curtis’s sword with his blade and spun his wrist. Because of Curtis’s loose grip, the sword spun through the air and landed in the long grass.
    William put the tip of his sword to Curtis’s throat. “Yield,” he ordered.
    For a moment, Curtis couldn’t move. He stared in disbelief. Shocked, he slowly lifted his hands.
    William waited. He gently pressed the tip of his sword against Curtis’s throat to remind him of his choice.
    “I yield,” Curtis said through gritted teeth.
    “Then be on your way.” William lowered his sword and turned to Lady Grace. He sheathed his weapon. He expected to see a glimmer of happiness in her face, or even for her to run to him and throw her arms around him in gratitude. He expected to be the hero for once in his life. But her eyes were wide and her lower lip pouted. “You need not fear, Lady Grace. You are free now.”
    Tears welled in her large eyes. Were those tears of happiness? He scowled. Something was not right here. He heard a shifting of clothing behind him.
    Grace lifted a hand and stepped forward. “Curtis, no!”
    William turned in time to see Curtis coming toward him, a dagger raised high. Instinctively, William thrust his arm out behind him to catch Grace and sweep her aside as Curtis brought the dagger down. William turned away and the dagger hooked into a link in his chain mail. Curtis pulled the dagger free and lifted it for another blow. William caught his wrist. They struggled, both pulling and pushing to get the other into a weak position. William hooked a foot behind Curtis’s leg and shoved him aside with all his strength.
    Curtis fell heavily, dropping his hands to catch himself.
    William stood over him, his