Page 105 of The Champion

“I’m here,” she said, her voice quaking from fear.

The weight removed itself to show him Kit, who pulled the dagger from Stryder’s waist, and took off running.

Stryder rolled over to see a shadow skimming along the wall. It was obvious that was what Kit was after.

“Rowena!” He urged her back toward the kitchens. “Run inside. Now!”

She didn’t hesitate to obey him.

Stryder ran after his brother. It didn’t take long to catch up to him. Side by side, they chased after the shadow until Kit stopped suddenly and tossed the dagger straight for their target. It hit the shadow and caused him to flip, head over heels, off the wall.

Stryder watched in stunned appreciation as Kit skillfully scaled the battlement wall, even better than most knights could, to reach the place where the man had vanished. It took him a few minutes longer to get to the top where Kit waited. They both looked down to see the body that had fallen over to the other side.

Kit cursed at the broken, unmoving body that lay far below on the jagged rocks that the were up piled against the backside of the castle. Rocks that had been chosen for their lethal edges, should anyone try to lay siege to the castle. A scaling-ladder pushed off the wall would guarantee serious, if not mortal, injuries to any knight who fell from said ladder and struck those rocks.

“He’s dead,” Kit spat. “There’ll be no questioning him now. I knew I should have struck before he made it to the battlements. Damn. He was supposed to fall on this side, not that one. I should have realized he would pitch himself over rather than be caught.”

Stryder gaped at Kit. “You and I need to talk. We definitely need to talk.”

Kit met his gaze for only an instant before he looked away. He started off the wall.

“Wait!” Stryder snapped.

Kit stiffened. “I’m not your dog, Stryder, to come and go at your command.”

“Nay.” He placed his hand on Kit’s shoulder. “You are my brother. And I want a few answers starting with how you knew that man was after me.”

Kit raked his hand through his black hair. “I saw him attack Christian and I followed him quietly, trying to take care of him on my own. Unfortunately, he escaped.” He released a tired breath. “In the last hour, since you left the training list, all of your men have been attacked. So, my next guess was that they would be coming for you. As I made my way here to warn you, I saw him again and chased him. You and Rowena just happened to get in our way.”

Stryder didn’t know what part of that shocked him most, his brother giving chase to an assassin or the assassin making so bold a move on all of his men during the light of day. “What do you mean my men were attacked?”

“They are all fine. I don’t believe the attacks were meant to do anything other than toy with them. They were just caught off-guard and, for that, I apologize. I didn’t think the assassins would attack in the middle of the day, and I had no idea they would be going after anyone else.” Kit directed his gaze to the wall where he had killed the assassin. “At least there’s one less of them to worry over now.”

Stryder wasn’t amused by Kit’s tone of voice, or the gleam in his brother’s eye. “Has anyone been hurt?”

“Christian’s arm was slashed.” A haunted look descended over Kit’s face.

“What are you not telling me?”

Kit climbed down the wall without answering.

Stryder jumped down after him.

His brother didn’t pause as he headed back the way they had come.

“Kit!” He rushed to catch up. He grabbed Kit by the arm and pulled him to a stop. “What is going on here and don’t tell me again that you don’t know. I know you better than that.”

Kit refused to meet his gaze as his face mottled with color. It was obvious whatever it was, it upset Kit greatly.

“You can tell me anything,” Stryder said, gentling his tone. “You know that.”

A tic started in Kit’s jaw. “I don’t want you hurt and I don’t want you dead.” Kit finally met his gaze levelly. Sincerity burned deep in the eyes that were an exact match for Stryder’s. “Whatever else you might think or hear, you must believe those two things about me.”

Agony seized him as Damien’s words returned to goad his anger. “You are Ganymede, aren’t you?”

Tears welled in Kit’s eyes before he looked away and Stryder had his answer. His brother’s entire body shook, and he hung his head shamefully.

Stryder couldn’t breathe as he remembered how many times he had spoken to Kit through the walls of their prison. How many times he had promised his brother that he would save him, while never knowing that it was Kit to whom he was speaking. Kit whose cries had haunted him all these years.