Page 26 of One Knight in the Forest

Hissing air between his teeth, William scowled. “Where is Magdalen? As lord of these lands, I demand that you release her to me so I can be on my way.”

A hard smile tilted Cyn’s lips. “She is safe, and will remain safe, in my care. Now, are you going to be honest with me? In all fairness, you should know that I have written a letter about the matter in question and am prepared to send it to London.”

William’s face paled. His right hand pushed aside the folds of his cloak and settled on his hip, near the hilt of his dagger—a gesture Cyn recognized, after years of knowing his friend, to mean William was uneasy.

“God’s blood, William. You are my closest friend. I want to help you,” Cyn said, his tone a low rasp. “However, I need to know—”

“You asked me once, a couple of weeks ago, what was weighing upon my mind,” William said quietly. “I could not tell you then. I still cannot tell you.”

“Then our conversation is done.” Turning on his heel, Cyn strode for the doorway, pausing a moment to reach up to a shelf and snatch a folded parchment out of a pewter tankard. Reaching the doorway, Cyn yelled, “Borden!”

The steward appeared. “Aye, milord?”

Cyn handed over the parchment. “This is to be sent to London. Without delay.”

“All right,” William snapped. “Send your steward outside. No one else will hear what I have to say.”

No one except Magdalen, Cyn silently added.

Once Borden had left the home, William sank into the chair Magdalen had occupied a short while ago. Leaning forward, he braced his elbows on his knees and plowed his hands into his hair, while he stared down at the rug.

How ironic, that William was staring almost at the spot where Magdalen was hidden.

Cyn dropped down into his carved chair and waited for his friend to speak.

“Is that the missive, then?” William pointed to the document Cyn still held.

“The missive you are referring to is safely hidden. This”—Cyn tossed the parchment on the nearby table—”is a list of herbs Borden purchased at a market three months ago.”

William lifted his head, fury in his eyes. “You tricked me.”

“I had to. If you do not tell me the truth here and now, though, I will send a letter to the King.”

“Damnation, Cyn. I swore an oath not to discuss what I am to tell you,” William said, his voice a low growl. “I am not a man who breaks a vow.”

He’d sworn an oath? Cyn frowned. Keeping his tone hushed, he said, “The missive Magdalen found had instructions for committing a murder.”

William sighed. “Of course it did.”

“Of course?” Cyn choked back a shocked cry. “You had best explain, before—”

“Hold.” William raised his hand, palm up. “I understand your concern regarding the letter. Yet, ’twas my goal to get such missives.”

“Goal?” Disquiet skittered through Cyn, even as William nodded.

“It has taken me months of painstaking work, all of it done in secret, because I did not want to endanger my family. Finally, a few sennights ago, I was accepted into the circle of men in these lands who are determined to overthrow King John.”

Cyn had no doubt the King was corrupt. He was well aware of the discontent among local lords caused by the sovereign’s high taxes, his determination to keep a firm grip on his French holdings, and his confiscation of lands and castles for no justifiable reason. Cyn had arrested brigands who’d robbed officials returning to London with collected tax money; from the staggering amounts of coin that the officials had reported stolen, ’twas clear to Cyn that more than just taxes had gone missing. Sometimes, the more efficient officials even carried records noting just how much had been received in bribes, from whom, and for what purpose.

While Cyn didn’t agree with the way King John ruled England, he was a knight of the realm and a crown-appointed sheriff. He was duty-bound to be loyal to the King, whoever that King might be, just as he was duty-bound to arrest William if he’d just confessed to treason. “You have turned traitor, then,” Cyn said, dreading but needing to hear confirmation of what he suspected.

William shook his head. “I thought you knew me better than that. I have infiltrated the ranks of traitors not to become one, but to send information on them back to the crown.”

Cyn sucked in a breath. “Are you saying—?”

“Aye, I am a spy.”

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