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Bria couldn’t tear her eyes from the joust. The pounding of her heart matched the thunder of the horses’ hooves.

Garret hit Terran hard near the top edge of his chest plate. It slid into his shoulder hard enough to knock Knowles’ lance free.

Bria gasped. But Terran was not unhorsed. He turned a scathing gaze to Garret, shaking his arm.

A grim smile crossed Garret’s face. Men around the field cheered as he rounded on Terran again, a lance in his hand, readying for the final attack.

Terran seized the final lance and turned on his opponent. His horse exploded toward Garret. A burning intensity lit Knowles’ gaze. Lowering his head, he gripped the lance tightly, then leaned away from Garret’s thrust and jerked his lance just in time to hit Garret squarely in the stomach.

It was a brilliant move. If Bria hadn’t been so horrified watching Garret fall backward off his horse and crash head first into the dusty earth, she would have marveled at Knowles’ expertise.

Garret’s head hit the ground hard and his body crumpled after it. Then everything was still. He lay unmoving.

Silence encased the yard.

Terran brought his horse around and threw his lance to the ground.

For a long moment, Bria couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. “Get up,” she whispered to Garret. But the moment stretched on and Garret still didn’t move. Bria ducked beneath the planks of the fence and raced onto the field.

Garret’s squire reached his side first and bent to him. Still Garret had not moved.

Bria couldn’t run fast enough. If I just make it to his side, he‘ll be all right, she told herself.

As she reached his side, Garret’s squire lifted his head to her and she read confusion and dread in his young blue eyes.

Bria turned her gaze to Garret. He lay on the ground, his arms out to the sides, one knee lifted as if at any moment he’d get up. Her eyes shifted over his body to his face. She began to tremble and tears filled her eyes.

Garret’s eyes were wide and glassy, staring blankly up into darkening clouds.

Behind her, thunder rumbled.

“No!” The wretched cry tore from her throat as she collapsed to her knees beside him. “Garret!” She lifted her hands to help him, but she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to touch to make him better.

Bria lifted her shocked, hurt gaze. Panicked, she glanced around her at all the men. Sympathy, horror, and anger met her gaze. But she didn’t give a damn. Her friend -- her friend, for the love of God -- was dead. There was nothing they could do.

Finally, she locked eyes with Terran, who stood across from her. She opened her mouth, but the only thing that came out was a sob.

She rose to her feet, stepping across Garret’s body to confront Terran. “You wretched beast,” she snarled. “You killed him.” She hit his chest with her open palm. “You killed him.” As the tears fell from her eyes, she stared at him, daring him to deny her claim.

But he simply stood there.

Finally, Terran turned his back to her and moved out of the practice field. Men parted to let him pass as if he were Death himself walking upon the earth in human form.

Bria’s chest contracted painfully as a sob shook her body. The tears that had welled in her eyes overflowed, rolling down her cheeks.

Garret was dead! How many more of her friends would die because of Terran Knowles? How many more?

The sky opened up and a heavy rain started to fall.

Chapter thirteen

Hurt and rage burned fresh in Bria’s heart. Garret’s death was so pointless, such a waste of a wonderfully promising life.

She sat quietly alone in her room. She held the black material in steady hands, pulling a stitch through the soft fabric, the battle replaying again and again in her mind. It could have been an accident.

But Terran’s words echoed in her mind. ‘I will deal with him in a moment. He will be gone by this eve.’ He’d known what he was doing. He had eliminated his competition with ruthless efficiency.

Thunder rumbled around her, shaking the entire castle.