A Stormy Knight Read Online Free PDF Page B

Darius shrugged his stout shoulders. His round cheeks bore no hint of a smile. " That I do not know. I will remain with him as long as he rests. " He placed a hand on Gemma ' s shoulder for a moment before he walked around her. " I will return shortly. You should go sit with him now. "
    Gemma obeyed, almost as if in a trance. She hesitated at the door to her father ' s chamber. His massive chest rose and fell rhythmically as he slept. He did not move otherwise , and his face was completely without any sign of his personality. It did indeed appear he was in a deep sleep from which he could not awaken. Someone had removed his clothing and pulled linens up over his body to keep him warm but unencumbered.
    She sat down and took his hand, which was warm and rough as it had always been. This was comforting , as if his soul did indeed still inhabit his body. " Father, " she whispered near his ear, " what has become of you? ' Twould seem I am alone now , and I do not know what I am to do. "
    Her father said nothing. He did not move his hand, nor did he stir in any other way. Gemma ' s tears start ed to slide down her cheeks again , and she willed them to stop. This time she could not do it. She let her head fa ll to the bed and let the sobs come. Her whole body shook as the pain and fear from the last few weeks came pouring out of her.
    When the anguish subsided, she raised her head, her green eyes, bloodshot and swollen from her crying, fixed on her father ' s face. " That is the last time I will feel weakness. I swear to you no matter what happens next, I will make you proud of me. I will run this castle until the time when you are able to again , and I will protect Isabel from whatever evil has come our way. I swear it. "
    She released her father ' s hand and bent to put a small kiss upon his cheek. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she whispered a prayer for him. As she stood, she straightened her back and squared her shoulders as if she must walk out of the room and take on the world.
    In many ways, that was exactly what she did.
    ****
    Gemma paced in the hall as the sun struggled to stay above the horizon. The heat from the fire felt like the summer sun upon her skin. The sky outside was brilliant red with streaks of gold. The crickets hummed , and the winds were still. It was a perfect night. That perfection was at odds with everything she was feeling.
    She had spoken with Isabel about their father and taken her to the chapel to pray for him . Isabel was now abed. Oliver had yet to return from his mission, and her father was still in a deep sleep. The priest had come to her to share his concerns her father might have been poisoned. There was nothing he could do to help him. All they could do was to wait to see if Blaise de Vere would find his way back to them.
    It had been a long day, and she was exhausted. Soldiers patrolled the hallways of the solar where the family slept. She was about to give up and go up to her quarters when she heard shouts from the outer bailey near the drawbridge. Once outside she broke into a run . Men-at-arms ran toward the gate as a group entered on horseback. Instead of Oliver, there was a large group of men with a strange looking banner she did not know.
    Fear grabbed her , and an icy shock ran down her spine. She had asked no one be allowed to enter without her permission, but her father ' s men had let th is party into the outer bailey.
    She stood her ground as the party moved across the grass and neared her. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as if it meant to leap out and run away. The sun was almost completely set, but she could see the faces of the men atop the horses as they neared her. In the lead was a powerful, black destrier that seemed to dance, barely under the control of the rider atop him. He removed his helmet and stared at her with a sneer. Gemma took a step back as her entire body shook. Around her, her father ' s men stood at attention, ready to defend.
    The man stopped the