Six Months Later Somewhere in the Chaston Ocean Blood splattered Sir Blaze"s face as he fought, empty handed, amidst a ma.s.s of shrieking, sword-wielding men. Blaze"s foster daughter, Dame Sun, half dragged by a tall, black-haired, ebony-skinned man, turned, raising her arm in time to stop the deadly blow aimed at her head as Blaze raced towards the couple.
Stone buzzards circled in the sky as battle raged amidst the bloodied sands of Upper Kenna.
Lock leapt out of his cot, gasping, his heart pounding. He stared, wide-eyed around the chamber, taking a moment to rejoin the solid world.
"What is it, love?" Sparrow, sat up, running a hand through her long, fawn-colored hair and blinking sleep from her eyes. She stood, touching a hand to the Knight"s perspiring face. "Another dream?"
"Vision."
"Vision. I"m sorry." Sparrow slipped her small hand into his.
"I have to go to the Kennas." Lock dragged on trousers and his black tunic. He jerked his ma.s.s of kinky brown and white hair into a tail at his nape, his gaze fixed on Sparrow. "There"s some kind of battle going on. Blaze and Sun are in the thick of it. And there was a dark man I didn"t recognize."
"Enemy?"
"I don"t know. I"ll drop you at the nearest port."
Sparrow shook her head. "I"m going with you."
"No. I won"t argue about it, girl."
"Good to know that." She also dressed. "It would be a waste of valuable time."
"I mean it. Don"t push me on this, Sparrow!" Lock growled.
"Be reasonable. If there"s trouble going on, I"ll be invaluable to you. I speak all the dialects of the Kennas. By the Spirit, Lock, that"s why I"m on board the d.a.m.n ship with you in the first place! I"m an amba.s.sador for the Ruby Order!"
"Amba.s.sador, not a warrior."
"While you"re fighting with me, you could be turning this ship around. You know I"m right."
The anger in Lock"s voice was a contrast to the tender kiss he pressed to her forehead. "Doesn"t mean I have to like it."
He strode out of the cabin, and Sparrow hurried to keep up with him. He told his first mate to a.s.semble the crew.
Within moments, the ship turned, its sails billowing and its sharp nose cutting the water as it sped toward the Kennas, to Blaze, his foster daughter, and the mysterious dark-skinned man.
The End.
About the author:.
A lifelong fan of action and romance, Kate Hill likes heroes with a touch of something wicked and wild. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in publications both on and off the Internet. When she"s not working on her books, Kate enjoys dancing, martial arts, and researching vampires and Viking history.
Website: Hill welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora"s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
Also by Kate Hill:.
The Blood Doctor.
Deep Red.
Dream Stallion.
The Holiday Stalking.
In Black.
Knights of the Ruby Order 1: Torn.
Knights of the Ruby Order 2: Crag.
Knights of the Ruby Order 3: Lock.
Midnight Desires.
Moonl.u.s.t Privateer.
Vampires at Heart.
Discover for yourself why readers can"t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora"s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com.
end.