Page 81 of The Guardian's Witch

“They stood in my way. With them gone I asked you to make me her protector. I would have married her to Bryce. But you sent others. Each time I petitioned you, you told me no.” Ramon looked from Alex to the king. “She should have been Bryce’s.”

Ramon lunged for Edward.

Alex, out of reach, couldn’t take action. Gareth stepped in front of the king, his knife already drawn. With a smooth easy stroke he slit the old man’s throat.

Ramon struggled for breath as he choked and drowned in his blood.

Gareth looked down at him and wiped his knife on the dying man’s shirt. “No pain is enough.” He said his eyes cold and hard. “If I could I would kill you every day for eternity.”

Bryce took advantage of the distraction and charged at Alex. Alex spun out of the way, grabbing the jeweled dagger out of Bryce’s belt. With his free hand he pulled Bryce’s head back by his hair and held the edge of the thin blade at his neck. He hesitated.

“Ah, the knight has a heart. So, I win the bet after all.”

Alex drew the knife’s edge across Bryce’s throat. The doomed man stiffened. A thin red line emerged across his neck.

“I think not. You’ll not die with honor.” Alex signaled Gareth and his soldiers to take Bryce away.

“You know what she is?” Bryce announced.

Lisbeth stood up and faced Bryce. She didn’t care who knew. Alex was safe.

“What am I, Bryce?” she said definitely.

“Hubert had it right. You’re a...a...a...” stammered Bryce as if his tongue was thick and swollen.

Awitch. She threw the echoing words into Bryce’s head.

Panic etched Bryce’s features. His mouth flapped but he made no sound as he coughed and choked. He fell to the floor.

She chanted her spell for Bryce’s ears only. Weakened by raising the death coach she quickly tired. Softly the whispered words of another’s joined hers. Alex’s strong baritone voice took over the chant. To the outside world all was quiet.

Bryce, gasping for breath, weak and confused, he swiveled his head between Alex and Lisbeth. Hatred blazed in his eyes. He collapsed where he was.

* * *

Lisbeth ran to Alex. He still held the jeweled dagger. She reached out for the blade. Its tip was broken.

“No, Lisbeth.” He pulled the blade out of her reach. “Don’t touch the knife. It’s poisoned.”

He laid the knife on the table. Alex, Jamie and the king stood around her as she took the piece of steel she’d removed from Alex’s wound out of the pouch and placed the broken piece at the knife’s end. She gently pushed the pieces together.

“It’s a perfect fit.”

“I wonder what the writing on the blade says. Do you have any idea?” asked the king.

“Tannin the Hawk,” said Lisbeth.

King Edward looked at his disgraced knight. Bryce stared back with cold vacant eyes.

Chapter Twenty

The commotion over and the castle asleep, Alex didn’t have to look up to know when Lisbeth walked into the library where he sat staring at the family crest. Bryce’s broken dagger lay beside it.

“I know the blade is somehow connected to the crest.” He finally looked up at her. He noticed she held her wedding necklace. He gave her a questioning look.

She stared alternately at the crest and her necklace. Slowly she slipped the gem into its center.

Alex shot out of his chair to stop her but he was too late. The stone was a perfect fit. He put his arm around her. They both watched as the center of the crest began to brighten.

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