The Heir (The King's Cousins Book 2)

  “Then . . . should Landon and Katelyn come with us?” Quill asked hopefully, not wanting to see his frequent companions hurt.

  “Nay. Lady Sybil is a shrewd one. If anyone can keep Landon and Katelyn safe, ’twill be the countess. She has a sharp wit and a smooth tongue. She may be able to save her children.” He paused. “But she would never save you, Quill. You would be the sacrifice she gave in order to keep the hungry wolves at bay.”

  “I know now why she hates me,” Quill confided. “Because I am the real heir and her children are bastards. Father told me.”

  Sir Walter’s eyes burned into his. “That is the last time you are to speak of such things. Do you understand? I am to smuggle you west. You are an orphan that Edgar Lacey will raise. The life you had at Blackstone is over. Is that clear?”

  “Aye,” Quill said in a small voice.

  “Good.”

  With that, Sir Walter urged his steed on. They gave the castle walls a wide berth and then started down the road. After riding a few minutes, the knight pulled up. His body stilled and Quill knew he was listening for approaching riders. A faint rumble came from nearby, growing in sound. Without warning, Sir Walter broke for the woods and rode into them. Turning his horse, they waited. Quill knew not to make a sound.

  Minutes later, two dozen men rode by, their horses galloping as if in unison. One carried a banner that was grander than any Quill had ever seen. Instinct told him it was that of the king. Once they’d passed, Sir Walter nudged his horse’s flanks and they crept to the edge of the woods. Quill saw the riders approach Blackstone and then ride through as the gates opened to them.

  “Those are the men who will arrest Father?”

  “Aye. Hang on, Quill. We ride now quick as the wind.”

  Quill clung to the pommel and closed his eyes as the night air rushed past him, the last image of his father burned into his memory. He knew he would never again see Adelard de Blays alive.

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  About the Author

  Alexa Aston’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love. She is the author of Medieval and Regency romances, including The Knights of Honor series.

  A native Texan, Alexa lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She enjoys reading, watching movies, and can’t get enough of The Crown and Game of Thrones.

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