Courting Darkness (His Fair Assassin 4)

I rein Gallopine in, slip silently from her back, and tie her to a nearby trunk. Taking Tomas’s crossbow and my sword, I use the trees to conceal my movements and work my way back to where I last saw Maraud. He did not stand still as we rode away, but turned off onto the verge and headed north, making for the granite stones. Best to face one’s enemies with something solid at your back. Or mayhap he knows it is a strategy of theirs to attempt to surround their quarry and thought to neutralize that possibility.

I pick a spot well hidden among the trees, drop to the ground, and remove the four bolts attached to the crossbow’s frame. Opening the pouch at my waist, I grab a handful of the wax pearls. I am a good enough shot with a bow, but it takes an excellent shot and a good dose of luck to make every shot a killing one. It will not hurt to increase my odds.

I stab a pearl onto the point of one of the bolts, then smear it over the tip, careful to avoid getting any on my fingers. When I glance up, d’Albret’s men have reached our watering spot and Maraud’s trail. I hastily grab three more pearls, smear the rest of the crossbow bolts, then snap them back in place.

Over a dozen hoofbeats thud along the dirt. Under the cover of their noise, I leap to my feet, crossbow cocked and ready, and weave my way toward the clearing.

With a suddenness that is so unexpected it feels shocking, the churning hooves come to a stop. Thick silence follows.

“Gentlemen.” Maraud’s jaunty voice cuts through the menacing silence. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“He said you’d be expecting us.”

“He was wrong.”

As they talk, I resume my creeping. I am nearly in position. And once I can see them, I can shoot them.

“He also said there’d be a girl with you.”

“She and I parted ways back in Poitiers.”

“And yet you rode out from Poitiers with a party of six.”

Figs! They’ve been tailing us that long.

“How brave of you to make your move when I am alone.”

At last I reach the second row of trees before the valley. Maraud and Mogge are up against the granite drop with twelve—?no, fifteen—?mounted soldiers in front of him. They are in a V-shaped formation, with three men facing him and the rest lined up behind them.

“It is only you our lord wants. You should feel flattered.”

“As a rabbit feels flattered when surrounded by a pack of jackals.”

“Watch your tongue.”

What is Maraud’s strategy? He must have one in mind rather than simply inflaming their tempers.

“Can you tell me what this job of your lord’s entails? I’ve many offers for work and would like to weigh them all carefully.”

As the leader opens his mouth to answer, Maraud draws his sword and charges, catching the knights off-guard.

But I am ready. Using the distraction of his charge, I fire the first bolt, aiming for the man closest to me. It catches him in the shoulder. Not a killing blow—?except for the poison.

I get a second shot off, this time hitting my target in the chest. The fall from his horse calls the attention of the others from the fight in front of them to the downed knights.

My third shot pierces a soldier’s thigh and someone calls out a warning. Nearly out of time, I fire my fourth bolt, striking one of the men in the arm. He plucks it out and turns his horse toward me before the poison takes hold.

I must leave. Now. I have increased Maraud’s chances—?it is only one against eleven—?no nine, he has already killed two himself—?instead of one against fifteen.

Three of the soldiers break out of formation and head for the trees behind me, trying to cut off my escape route. I quickly calculate how long it will take to reach Gallopine—?too long. I swear in annoyance and draw my sword and dagger.

The first of d’Albret’s soldiers is upon me. He raises his sword, then stiffens, falling to the ground, a crossbow bolt protruding from his back. A second bolt embeds itself in the next closest man. I only have time to wonder if Shrewsbury and his men returned before a third bolt finishes off the last of the men headed my way. That shot is followed by a jubilant whoop as four soldiers emerge from the stone—?no, not the stone but a narrow passageway—?brandishing swords and pikes like the furies of the gods.

“What took you so long?” Maraud calls out, then it erupts into a melee—?churning horses, shouts, and cries, and the nearly deafening sound of sword against sword.

And heartbeats. So many hearts are beating within my chest that I must press my hand over it and sit down for fear it will explode.

The pounding of my heart continues to grow and multiply as those around me draw close to death, but the sounds of battle begins to fade. Forcing myself to my feet, and keeping one hand tightly on my sword, I creep back to the clearing. Someone—?a woman?—?drives a sword into a fallen man’s chest. It is the last of d’Albret’s soldiers. The rest lie dead or wounded, their blood staining the floor of the small valley.

The first of the souls leaves its body just then, a whoosh like a bat swooping down from the sky. It is followed by another and another until the entire valley is awash in souls—?vile souls with fleeting images of deeds and thoughts that almost make me retch.

Utter stillness follows as the last of them dies, and once again, it is only my own heart beating in my chest.

Finally able to look up, I see Maraud grinning at Jaspar and Valine. Tassin and Andry are slowly making their way toward the others.

“What in the name of Camulos’s teeth took you so long?” Maraud swipes his forearm across his brow. He is wounded, but doesn’t seem to notice.

“We thought they were planning to surround you, so we went to head them off. Turns out they simply had someplace else to go.”

I stare in stunned silence. Maraud was expecting them?

There is only one meaning I can glean from this, and I do not like it at all.

Maraud sees me just then, the humor leaching from his face, leaving it gray and haggard. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to be safe.”

Is that concern he is feeling? Or dismay that his plans have been discovered?

“I returned to help.”

Valine claps a hand on Maraud’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing she did. She picked off four waiting for their turn to get to you. Not even you could have taken on nine men at once.”

“You were supposed to be safe with the others,” he repeats stubbornly.

“And you were supposed to be taken by d’Albret’s men. Not all goes according to plan.”

He struggles with whatever emotion he is feeling—?anger? fear? regret?—?then casts it aside and grins. His smile is so wide and inviting and full of joy that it is all I can do not to forgive him everything there on the spot. “Well, you are safe, and you saved my hide, so I can’t help but be glad.”

But his smile does not reach the cold place in my heart. The place that realizes he arranged for this—?all of this, as far back as Ransle. He told his friends to meet him here. Whether because he was certain of d’Albret’s pursuit or because he always intended to overpower me, I do not know. Not yet, anyway.

Chapter 79

he horses and weapons will fetch a pretty penny,” Andry says. I cannot place what is different about him—?ah! He is smiling. The first time I have ever seen him do so. “We’ll get more for them than we’d have gotten fighting for d’Albret.”

“Those we won’t want to keep for ourselves,” Tassin grunts.

Maraud slaps Andry on the back. “You may both stand here and count your stacks of coin if you wish, but I’d like to make camp before nightfall.”

“Where?” I ask, having no desire to sleep in this valley tonight.

“Up there.” Maraud points to the small ridge behind the granite outcroppings that overlook the valley. “But first, I need to wash some of this blood off in that stream.”

* * *

By the time we have collected all the

horses and Andry and Tassin have retrieved everything of value, we must scramble to make camp and secure the animals in the quickly fading light. But these soldiers are old hands at it, made even more efficient by their many years together.

I do not say much, allowing the occasional chatter of the others to swirl around me like sparks from the campfire. Everyone is quieter tonight, far more so than when we were in Ransle. Whether it is due to the bodies we left behind or some other reason, I don’t know. Maraud volunteers for first watch.

As he disappears down the path toward the watch post, Tassin casts me an unreadable sideways glance. “You came back for him.”

“I did,” I say simply.

He nods his head and grunts in approval.

* * *

Some time later, I find Maraud leaning against a boulder, his long legs stretched out in front of him, looking down over the valley even though it is too dark for him to see. His hair is still damp from his dip in the stream.

“You’re supposed to be on watch.”

He glances over at me and grins. “That is the beauty of the high ground. I can sit in comfort and survey everything below me.”

“Not many would consider cuddling up to a boulder to be comfortable.”

“Try it.” He shifts to the side, making room for me to stand beside him.