The Dark One: Dark Knight Read Online Free PDF Page B

genuine fear. He’d snuck
up on her and she had never heard him coming.
         “Go inside and wait for me,” he said.  “I
have many questions.”
         She opened her mouth to speak but no words
were forthcoming. Her breathing came in rapid gasps and she took an unsteady
step back from him. 
         “How…how many men shall I prepare rooms
for, my lord?” she stammered.
         “I have thirty-five knights who will all be
housed in the castle,” he said.  “Do what you must to make them comfortable.”
         “And you?” she asked, her voice soft.
         He turned his helmed head to her. 
Remington’s breath caught in her throat as a monstrous mailed hand came up and
unlatched his visor.  In a flash, it flipped up and she found herself staring
into the most intense eyes she had ever seen.  They were like precious stones,
smoky-gray in color, masking all emotion and clouding his soul. Dark brows
lifted, arched like the wing of a raven.
         “You will put me in the master’s chambers,”
he said.  “That is where I will stay.”
         She nodded unsteadily, disoriented by the
piercing eyes.  She moved to turn when she heard his voice again.  The tone was
much quieter than it had been only a moment before. 
         “What is your name again?” he asked.
         She met his eyes again, unnerved all over
again by the power they conveyed.  They seemed to reach out and touch her,
everywhere.
         “Remington,” she replied in a choked
whisper.
         His eyes studied her a moment longer. 
Without a word, he slammed his visor down and marched off across the rapidly
filling bailey.
     
    ***
     
         In spite of her nerves, Remington did an
outstanding job of setting out the evening meal.  In truth, it was only late
afternoon but she assumed correctly that the Dark One and his men would be
famished from their journey.
          A storm had rolled in from the east and
was dumping copious amounts of water, unusual in summer, and the temperature
had dropped. A fire roared in the massive hearth, warming the cavernous and
smoky great hall, to dry out the men when they came in from the elements.
         Remington ordered a varied fare.  Mutton,
boiled, roasted, and spiced, graced every table heavily.  Bowls of boiled
turnips and carrots, spiced apples, pomegranates, pears, and tiny grapes filled
the tables to bursting.  Bread, butter, and rich fruit preserves were also
nicely displayed.
         She also made sure that banks of expensive
tallow candles lit the tables so that the men could plainly see what they were
eating.  She was afraid they might accuse her of trying to poison them if it
were too dim to see the food.  She did not want to give them any excuse to harm
her people.
         When everything was properly prepared and
she was assured by Oleg that every one of the twelve empty bedchambers in the
keep were provided with beds for the knights, she sent the servants back to the
kitchens and bade them wait for her signal. Quickly, she changed into a clean
surcoat of soft yellow that was magnificent with her hair color, and dashed
back down into the hall to await the new lord of Mt. Holyoak.
         And she waited.  Jasmine, Rory and Skye
waited with her. She had purposely told Charles and Dane to stay out of sight,
terrified that the Dark One would somehow be threatened by their presence. 
With her sisters to keep her company, they paced the hall slowly, watching the
food cool and speaking of trivial things. 
         They were all nervous. They had all seen
the size of the man and felt his fearsomeness as if it were personally directed
at them. Remington, as usual, bore the brunt of it, but also as usual, she had
handled it well.
         “What do you think of him, Remi?” Jasmine
asked.
         Remington shrugged.  “There is nothing to
judge him by, yet.  He was neither cruel nor friendly.”
         “He is the devil,”