The Hellion (The Lady Knights of Barony Book One ) Read Online Free PDF Page B

each other’s arms. Such was the nature of their relationship.
    “Lady Longley,” Serge said, addressing Ava by her formal title. She had not yet grown used to it.
    “I await your orders, my king,” she said, standing to receive his command.
    “You and your lady knights will pursue Blake and bring him to me for punishment. I will also offer you a contingent of my own soldiers to add to your ranks. They will be instructed to follow your every command.”
    Ava nodded. “We will set out after them with haste, Your Majesty,” she answered. “You have my word that we will do everything within our power to return these women to their families.”
    Serge nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand in dismissal. “Very well. The contingent of soldiers will arrive in Gladstone this evening.”
    Ava bowed, winking at Isabelle and gifting her friend with a covert smile. Isabelle maintained a straight face, but as always mischief bubbled just under the surface.

~Chapter 3~
     
    By the end of the next day, Ava’s weariness was bone deep. There was much to do if they were to set out in search of Blake and the missing women in the morning.
    She had left Nell in charge of receiving the soldiers from Guthrie Hall, as well as the gathering of supplies for their journey. Ava trusted her cousin to handle the tasks efficiently and quickly. For herself, there was an afternoon and evening of weapon cleaning and sharpening. There were gun parts to repair, as well as dented armor to smooth out. She soon found a steady rhythm to her work and finished her tasks in record time.
    Satisfied, but exhausted and hungry, she slammed the door of the smithy behind her and turned the key in the lock. She would return with Nell and a wagon for the repaired items in the morning. For now, all she wanted was a meal and her bed.
    Ava’s steps were quick as she moved down the darkened, familiar street. Her mother had always worried about her walking about alone after dark. Her father had countered with his usual arguments; his daughter knew how to take care of herself.
    It was just as she was having these thoughts and missing her parents, that Ava heard the soft crunch of footsteps behind her. She didn’t slow or stop, but she did put her hand on the hilt of the dagger in her belt. Every muscle in her body, fine-tuned for battle, was coiled and ready for action. Her hands were steady and her breath was as serene as her stalker’s. She waited for the inevitable lunge, waited for the person behind her to make his move.
    The slightest change in his pace was her signal, just the slightest shuffling of feet and the hitching of his breath in his throat as his arm came out toward her. Unsheathing her weapon, Ava swerved away from his grasp. Her left hand came up to take his arm into an iron grip, while slashing at his appendage with the weapon in her right. A hiss, a grunt and a low growl were the only sounds that came from her assailant as she moved to strike again with her knife.
    With surprising speed, her attacker ducked away from her knife while grasping her wrist at the same time. He squeezed painfully, forcing her to drop her blade, but didn’t see the fist speeding toward his jaw before it was too late. Flesh wrapped around her knuckles, and the bones in her hand vibrated as they connected. A swift kick to the shin had her opponent on the ground before he’d barely recovered from her blow to the face.
    A smirk of triumph flashed across Ava’s features just before another, much stronger arm came around her waist. Her body was pulled back against another, much harder one with a rough jerk. A coarse fabric clamped down over her mouth and nose, effectively smothering her. As she kicked and struggled against the hard male body, her feet came clear off the ground as the arm tightened. A foul smell filled her nostrils. Her eyelids grew impossibly heavy. The fight left her muscles and her body went limp. The dark night faded into complete blackness as she