Page 16 of The Champion

By the tone of her voice, he could tell what she omitted. And just who does he keep them with...

“It’s not what you think, Rowena.”

She clucked her tongue in disbelief.

Kit opened his mouth to defend Stryder when a booming voice interrupted him.

“Ah, fairest Rowena, here you are.”

Rowena went cold at the deep, gruff voice that belonged to Cyril Longshanks. She didn’t bother to hide the distaste on her face as he grabbed Kit’s arm and pushed him down the bench as if to give himself space so that he could sit between them.

“Make room, gelding. Why don’t you go fetch wine for your betters.”

Rowena was appalled by the knight and his manners. Her appetite gone, she rose to her feet and started away before he could sit beside her.

Cyril grabbed her arm.

“Let go of her,” Kit growled, rising to his feet.

Without releasing her arm, Cyril shoved him back. “Find me when you grow up, boy.”

One minute Rowena was still attempting to extricate her arm, in the next she was completely free of Cyril as he went flying back several feet and crashed into the table.

Silence rang out in the hall.

Her jaw slack, Rowena realized another man had joined them. Tall and broad of shoulder, she knew him in an instant.

He was the one who had saved her from falling.

“You ever lay hand to my brother again,” he snarled, “and I’ll rip your arm off and beat you with it.”

Cyril came to his feet with a growl and ran for him.

The stranger caught him with another blow that flipped Cyril up and over onto his back. Cyril lay in the floor dazed while the man put his foot on the center of Cyril’s chest.

“Yield, Cyril. You know firsthand what I’m capable of doing to you.”

To her amazement, Cyril nodded and held his hands up in surrender. “I yield.”

The unknown knight removed his foot from Cyril’s chest and turned toward Kit. “Are you all right?”

Kit nodded.

Cyril rose to his feet, slowly. “Leave it to Stryder of Blackmoor to protect a gelding such as that one.”

Stryder of Blackmoor.

Stunned Rowena looked at her mysterious knight to see the fury in his eyes over the insult Cyril had dealt Kit’s manhood.

Before she could blink, Stryder had Cyril by the throat. He pulled the man up so that Cyril had to stand on his tiptoes to meet his gaze levelly. Cyril’s eyes bulged as his face reddened.

“One more word,” Stryder growled, “and I will silence you forever. Do you understand me?”

“Stryder!” Henry’s voice rang out in the hall. “Release him.”

Stryder hesitated before he obeyed his king.

Cyril coughed as he struggled to inhale air back into his lungs. “This isn’t over.”