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Ruby pinched her eyes closed and took several calming breaths. She wiggled her fingers, flexing life back into them where the cool prickling sensations tingled beneath her skin. Willing herself to focus on anything but the hopelessness of her situation, Ruby whispered a prayer.
Crispin would come. He vowed he would always find her. She prayed harder.
The suspended silence of her thoughts shattered at the sound of an animal howling in pain. Her heart constricted. That was not the sound of an animal in agony—’twas a man. The lonely, piercing cry of a captive echoed through the walls of stone. The realization led her from sympathy to hope. Perhaps one of her knights had been spared.
Ruby licked her lips. A hundred thoughts raced through her mind, but with the restrictions hampering her, she could do no more than lie in wait for an opportunity.
This time she heard the solid footsteps approach the door. Her ears pricked at the sound of the lock turning and the sturdy creak of the hinges when the door opened. She stiffened at the shift in the air.
Ruby held her breath as the footsteps grew louder until they ceased completely. She squealed with surprise as she was hauled up into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. A firm pair of hands steadied her when she swayed at the sudden motion. She wrenched herself away from the unwelcome touch.
“Get your goddamn hands off of me!”
Her head spun as the sack lifted from her head. Hair stuck to her face, but the cool air filled her lungs and kissed her overheated skin, granting her immediate relief. She swayed but caught herself before lifting her hands to push the hair from her eyes. She froze at the flicker of movement beside her.
A broad figure wearing black hose and a dark green shirt with a brown doublet stood with his back toward her. A hood covered his hair and threw his profile into shadow. He reached out a gloved hand and plucked a roasted morsel from the tray.
Ruby searched the room for a weapon, any weapon. But for as plush as the room was furnished, it bore only the essentials, leaving nothing she could wield as a weapon against this madman. With her hands and feet bound, it left her at a significant disadvantage. Instead of reacting, she waited patiently hoping to lull him into underestimating her.
“How dare you take me captive.” Ruby glared at the imposing man who remained encased in mystery. She scoffed. “You cannot even bear to face me. Coward.”
A menacing chuckle filled the room.
The hair on her arms stood on end. Ruby shifted uncomfortably. “When the king hears of my disappearance, there will be hell to pay.”
“Aye, darling Ruby. There will be blood; on that we can agree.” The man turned and sat in the chair beside the table bearing the food-laden tray. With his back to the window, his face remained cast in shadows. He lounged in the chair much like Crispin on his throne. Confident and cocky to a fault.
She blinked against the bright sunlight streaming through the window. His voice. It sounded familiar, yet she could not place where she had heard it before. “I demand you release me.”
He chuckled again, the sound grating and sinister. “You are in no position to make demands, sweeting.”
“Who are you?” Ruby murmured, her mind spinning with questions. Irritation filled her with every passing moment in his company.
“You wound me.” He pressed his gloved fist to the center of his chest. “After all these years, you do not recognize me.” The gloved hand rose to the hood and pulled it back.
Brother James...Francis Seville sat before her. A twisted smile on his scarred face.
Ruby gasped; her breath stolen by the revelation. She shot to her feet and stumbled, the binding on her feet forgotten. “It cannot be.” She twisted her wrists until the ropes burned her flesh. Panic gripped her and crushing pressure built deep in her chest.
He plucked another bite of roasted meat from the plate and popped it into his mouth. His cold, calculating gaze followed her.
“Why?” she gasped the word between deep breaths. Even through the onslaught of unknowns, this one simple question shone brightly above the rest. Tears pricked her eyes at the betrayal.
“I am reclaiming what is mine by birth. My crown. My kingdom. My bride.” A wicked grin split his lips.
Ruby shook her head. “I refuse.” Whatever hope she held faded like the summer’s warmth with the approaching winter.
“This is your place now. By my side.” He slowly rose to his feet and drew a dagger from the sheath on his hip.
She stumbled back when he approached her. He grasped her wrists. Ruby tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip and held her fast. Francis pressed the dagger to the tender flesh of her throat. She stilled immediately but refused to flinch at his threat and held his gaze.
“Finish it then. I would rather die than betray my king.” She leaned into the dagger’s blade, letting it sting as it bit her skin.
“Such spark. I have always admired that about you.” He eased the blade away. “It would be far too simple to kill you.” Francis gripped her throat.
Ruby sputtered and choked at the pressure. She pushed at him, trying to knock his hands away, but he held her with enough force to pin her in place while allowing her to breathe. Tears filled her eyes and fury raged through her veins.
“Mark my words carefully, Ruby. If you refuse to cooperate, I will kill every person you hold dear. Starting with your mother.” His eyes glittered at her panicked inhale. “Aye, she trusts me. It will take little effort to slit her throat. Do not try my patience.”
