Darkest Knight Read Free

Mark my words. You will die for your betrayal.”
    The well-to-do man beside him scoffed. “You’re in no position to be making threats, John Thornton.”
    John’s head snapped up.
    The man sneered. “Yes. We know who you are. Archie here listened very closely to a conversation you shared with Lord Falconburg over a year ago.”
    The betrayal cut deeply. John didn’t bother to respond. He was too busy thinking of his brothers, and of Lord Falconburg and his wife. Because of who he had become, they were all in danger.
    “You’re coming with us.”
    John didn’t bother to ask where. For he knew. The tower. There were too many for him to resist. The king’s men shoved him into a barred cage set atop a wagon.
    “Might I have the pleasure of your name?” John looked down on the well-dressed man.
    “Don’t you recognize me?” The man stepped closer. He spat at John. “Whoreson. I am Lord Denby. Letitia’s husband. You shamed me across all of England.”
    “Letitia came to me of her own free will. I did not shame you. You shamed yourself by whoring your wife to the king.”
    Lord Denby’s fist connected with John’s nose, snapping his head back. Blood poured down his face. John spat the blood into the straw and laughed, as Denby cradled his fist, howling in pain.
    “Our sire found favor with another. She only told the king about me to make him jealous. All of this was your wife’s doing.”
    Then, before Denby could strike him again, John reached through the bars and pulled the man close. “You are a fool.”
    He released Denby and stepped back. The short man did not notice John now held his dagger. He took aim and let loose. The blade found its mark in Archie’s throat and his betrayer went down with a gurgle. In time he would find a way to repay Denby as well.
    “No one betrays the bandit of the wood and lives to tell the tale.”

Chapter Four

    “Seriously! This is getting ridiculous.”
    Anna stood, brushing the dust off her jeans. Another room. From the looks of it, this section of the tower had been used to house prisoners. So therefore there must be an exit, right?
    There were six cells in the room. For every one, she went in, checked for another hidden door, and moved on. The last cell on the right had a small window. Perhaps she could figure out where she was. Anna pushed up on tiptoe, and her forehead reached the bottom of the window ledge.
    “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Normally her lack of height didn’t bother her, but today it was proving to be a complete pain in the behind. She jumped, straining to see out, but only caught glimpses of a dark gray sky, fifty shades of storm. Lightning arced across the sky and she stepped back, swallowing hard. A gleam in the corner of the cell caught her eye.
    The light on the phone illuminated the object. She bent down and picked it up, wiping the grime off on her jeans. They were dark blue so it shouldn’t show, and by this point she was already covered in dust and spider webs.
    It was a locket. She turned the piece over in her hand; it felt heavy. She pried it open to see one side was empty and the other side contained an image. The grime rubbed away, she could make out a portrait. Or rather half a portrait of a man. He wore a black shirt over a muscular torso. If only she could see the face. Over and over, she ran her thumb over the ragged edge of the portrait where the top piece of the miniature had been ripped away.
    She turned it over and rubbed the back. There was some type of inscription. Holding it close to the light, she tried to make it out, but it was mostly worn away. There seemed to be a word. She squinted, pushed the button on her phone, and groaned. No more battery. There might be enough light coming in from the window. Mesmerized by the locket, she tripped over an uneven section of the floor and went down hard on her knees, skinning her palms on the rough stone.
    “Ouch.” She held up a palm. There was blood on her hand and on the