Timeless Tales of Honor Read Free

bewilderment.
    “You whore!” he muttered as he let out a long, slow breath then collapsed upon her.

Chapter Two
    I t took every ounce of strength Aishlinn had left to wriggle out from under the earl. Blood oozed from his back and soaked into his shirt. Her stomach churned violently as the coppery smell of blood and sweat assaulted her senses. Her hands trembled while her mind raced, fighting hard to regain her wits. She needed to flee this room and this castle and she needed to flee it quickly.
    With trembling fingers she unbarred the door as quietly as she could. Taking a deep breath, she pulled it open just a crack, enough to peer into the hallway. ’Twas empty and dark, save for the few lit torches that lined the walls. She tried not to look at the dead man in the bed as she grabbed her dress and hurried out of the room. Blood rushed in her ears and her heart pounded as she tiptoed down the dark hallway.
    As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of a guard slumped over in a chair. She prayed for him to be either passed out from too much drink or a sound sleeper, she cared not which. A jolt of pain shot through her chest as she took a deep breath. Clutching her dress to her chest as if it were a shield, she dared not breathe as she held herself close to the wall and tiptoed past the guard. She prayed God would show her some mercy and would not let her encounter anyone else this night.
    Through the semi-darkness, she crept quietly down the three levels of stairs as quickly as she could. She paused at the last step to listen for sounds of life and tried to think the best way of escape. To her left was the large gathering room that led to the kitchens. She knew that area well, for that had been the portion of the castle where she had worked since arriving less than a month ago. To her right was the earl’s library and an area of the castle she was not at all familiar with.
    The gathering room was filled with sleeping men, passed out from drinking too much wine consumed throughout the night. Some of the men lay upon the massive tables while others slept on the cold stone floor. A few of them snored heavily, while others ground their teeth or mumbled in their drunken sleep. If she took the route she knew best, she risked stumbling over one of the drunkards and waking them. If she went in the opposite direction, she risked getting lost in parts of the castle she did not know.
    She decided the best route to freedom was the one she knew. But before her foot could touch the floor, a large hand suddenly clamped around her mouth while an arm grabbed her around her waist. She was lifted off the ground and whisked down the hallway.
    Besieged with fear and pain, she could not cry out or struggle against the firm hold he had on her body. She could hear nothing but the blood rushing in her ears and the pounding of her heart. Freedom would not be hers this night. She could only pray that the person who held her would be merciful and kill her quickly.
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    I t was a familiar voice whispering in her ear as she was taken into the earl’s library.
    “Aishlinn! Please do not scream, do not let out a sound!” The voice was firm yet pleading. “I’m going to set you down but do not utter a word. If you scream out I’ll not be able to help you escape. Do you understand?”
    She thought she detected a slight note of fear in the man’s voice. She nodded her head in agreement as she tried to tamp down the wave of fear that was all consuming.
    Very slowly he set her on the floor and loosened his hold. She spun around to see who had grabbed her, but it was far too dark to see anything more than the black shadow. Aishlinn heard him step across the room and a moment later the sound of a candle being lit. Moments later the room was bathed in the soft light.
    It was Baltair who stood before her. But why? Why had he brought her here and why was he helping her? Uncertain if she should be fearful or relieved to see him, she stood still, holding