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Chapter One

The pudgy-eyed gaht at Bellona’s chest His eyebrows spiked into angry points ‘Drop the longbow’ His gun barrel emphasised his words and even without the weapon his size would have daunted her He’d not looked so large or his stare so bloodless from a distance

Noise crashed into her ears—the sound of her heart—and the beats tried to take over every part of her She forced the blackness away and locked her stare with his Charred hatred, roughened by the unshaven chin, slammed out from his face

She nodded and tossed the bow into the twining berry thorns at the side of the path The canopy of sycareen-hued shadows

He put one hand to his h to be heard in Greece The shrill sound jabbed her, alerting her that he wasn’t alone She’d never seen anyone else in the forest but this devil She would be fighting two men and at least one weapon

‘shoot at ain and the words snapped her back into understanding

She cursed herself for not taking more care She’d not heard hie stench

‘I be bringing his lordship,’ he said ‘Your toes be dangling and the tide be washing your face before they cut you down You won’t be shooting atmore’n a co’

Her fingers stiffened, her h She’d thought she was in a safe land She’d thought she’d escaped erous ‘You—’ She couldn’t have taken her eyes froton and I have misplaced myself’

The man’s nose bunched up as he talked ‘But you ain’t on the earl’s land now, Miss Lady Nobody You’re no better’n un ‘You’re a poacher and I’ve seen you here aplenty times before I just niver could catch you’

‘The earl will be thyered’

He snorted ‘But this is the duke’s land His Grace don’t lose no sleep over what an earl would think’

She forced her fingers alert ‘You are the one who should think You must know I live near’