Beloved in His Eyes (Angel's Assassin #2)(26)

By the time he reached the gate, she was gone, swallowed up in a crowd of merchants and commoners. He stared into the outer ward, but there was no sign of her. He couldn’t find her amidst the mass of people filling the outer ward. He cursed quietly.

One of the farms near the border had been burned, but he wasn’t sure which one. It might be her uncle’s farm. Justina wouldn’t go there. He knew Justina was going to find Adam. Adam had gone with Aurora.

Aurora! He glanced back at the castle. He slammed a fist into the wall. He desperately wanted to pursue Justina and make sure she was safe. But he had responsibilities to the castle, the people of Acquitaine and his brother.

Gawyn hurried back to the inner ward. He glanced back at Lewis, satisfied to see the physician had arrived and was kneeling over him. He rushed to the sentry who had raced to get the physician. “Have the guards doubled. Raise the red flag and bring the villagers inside the walls.”

The sentry nodded and hurried away.

Gawyn spun, looking over the sea of people again as if he would magically find Justina. But she wasn’t there. She was gone, and he had a job to perform, responsibilities, duties to see to. The safety of the village and its people had to take precedence over one girl. He knew this, but it didn’t help the crushing weight of guilt and worry that consumed him.

He had to find Damien. Gawyn raced into the keep. He ran through the hallways, dodging servants and merchants. He glanced in the Great Hall quickly, but Damien was not there. He took the spiral staircase two at a time and burst into the hallway. He ran past two nobles huddled in murmured talking to knock on Damien’s solar door.

After a long moment, he pounded again. Finally, the door opened.

Aurora’s lady’s maid, Anna, greeted him with a slight bow.

“Where’s Damien?” Gawyn demanded.

Anna pulled back slightly from his harsh tone. “I don’t know. Perhaps the Great Hall?”

Gawyn didn’t wait for anymore guesses. “If you see him, it is important I speak with him.”

She curtseyed.

A tight knot formed in Gawyn’s stomach. He wanted to go after Justina. He had to make sure she was safe. Yet, he had a dedication to his brother and to Acquitaine. Gawyn charged down the spiral stairway. It was the only time he wished the castle wasn’t so big. As he reached the first floor and ran passed the Great Hall again, he saw a servant and grabbed his arm. “Where is Lord Damien?”

“I saw him heading toward the war room.”

Gawyn spun and ran in that direction. He was wasting time looking for his brother. At least he had gotten word out to double the guard and bring the villagers inside. But it wasn’t enough. It was hardly enough. An army. The Hungars had an army.

Finally, he spotted his brother entering the war room. It was so called because that was where they gathered to discuss matters of safety with the other constables at the castle. Gawyn should have known he would be there. If he wasn’t so tired he would have known. It was the third day of the week and that was always what they did.

Gawyn rushed into the room to see all the constables and lieutenants already seated around a table. Gawyn knew them all. Damien was just taking his seat as he approached him.

“It’s the Hungars,” Gawyn announced. “They’ve attacked Acquitaine.”





Chapter 10


Adam was out there and the Hungars were coming. It was the only thing Justina could think of. She had waited behind a merchant’s cart until Gawyn disappeared into the keep. He would try to stop her, and she wasn’t going to stop looking for her brother. She wished she could have found a horse, but it didn’t matter. She would find Adam. She had to find Adam.

Still, Gawyn’s image came to mind as she hurried through the outer ward of the castle toward the portcullis. He knew what his brother had done, that he was a murderer. He was a murderer! Her heart broke. It didn’t matter, she told herself firmly. She had to find Adam. Why didn’t Adam listen to her? He could have been safe inside the castle. God, she hated the Lady Aurora for winning the hearts of men. For catching a young boy’s eye.

She fought the surge of people moving into the castle and pushed forward over the drawbridge and into the clearing just before the castle. She crossed the clearing and reached the edge of the forest when a thunderous noise rose behind her. A huge group of mounted knights crossed the drawbridge. They headed away from the forest, away from her. She thought she caught a glimpse of Lord Damien, of the monster, leading his men somewhere.

She wondered briefly where they were going. Were they going to fight the Hungars the wounded man had spoken about to Gawyn?

Where was she going? How did she know Adam was this way? She almost turned around and followed the soldiers. She almost did. But at the last moment, she continued in the direction she was heading.

All she knew was that Adam had to be safe. He was all she had left. She burst into the forest, running. Adam, her heart called. If he was the other way, the guards would find him. If he wasn’t, she would find him. She would find him. She had to. A strangled gasp escaped her lips and she paused for a moment. What if she was too late? The image of her father lying in the street in a pool of blood came to her mind. No. No! She glanced over her shoulder. Through the trees, she could see the wall of the castle in the distance. Gawyn was there. Her entire being ached for him, ached for the comfort and security he offered, his love. She firmly pushed his dashing image from her mind to concentrate on Adam. He could help you, a small voice inside of her insisted. He is a killer, she answered. She would find Adam on her own.