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Chapter 1

Jenna

Sometimes there was no other word to describe ood word, actually It rolled off the tongue easily Sounded better when you said it aloud than when you heard it in your mind And sometimes, in the middle of a situation where you’re outside of your own body looking at events taking place around you, it just fit so well

That was the word that popped intoin March I sat in the front row of an outdoor arownswords The reflection of the slantedainst each other The shorterfor the past few months The tabard draped over his breastplate was brilliant scarlet trih his head was hidden beneath a metal helmet and visor, I knew him to be William Drake

"Huzzah, Sir Williaroup of woirls William seemed to have obliviously acquired his own little collection, and they alternated between trying to date hi on both counts

However, he didn’t seeroup, no matter how many times they threw theh He was, in fact, al, with dark hair, a square jaw and excellent bone structure His features were marred only by a tiny scar across his chin, which only lent ruggedness to his beauty

Arainst each other with surprising speed These weren’t padded or wooden swords, the typical weapons of choice for medieval battle reenactments No, this was the real deal

The rules of Historical Medieval Recreation Coanization was called--required real but blunted weapons The injuries, however, could be all too real Given the way Doug’s left shoulder sagged where Willia just how real it was

Currently, Doug was down by one, and they were fighting the second bout out of three now I looked on with only ht

Well no, that wasn’t exactly correct I had one dog in this fight--Doug I wanted him to win so that when I broke up with hi a blow to his already enor’s arressive blows He appeared to be overwhelood Actually, Doug had said as hed andremarks about the competition--"who could barely be called that," he’d sneered

Doug was an ass sometimes, but that was only part of the reason I was done with hi feeling that I needed to cut ties and move on It was my fate to never be tied down, especially by a roup of people also cheered for William They were friends of irls Mia, one ofover the crowd, and Alejandra,in rhythm "Sir Williao It would serve Doug right to learn some humility at William’s hands But I couldn’t really break up with him on the same day he’d been defeated in battle, could I? What would a oddess, I’d never actually know the answer to that question Being a woman of the twenty-first century, I had a lot htened after being driven back by Willia William to retreat He cut in at the waist, and when Willia smashed his own buckler into Williaalwas clearly pissed that not only had the "easy competition" wounded him in the shoulder, he’d also won the first bout

Indeclared the winner by the judge It was a tie, with one bout to go The first combatant to score three hits on his opponent would be declared the winner of the final bout and thus, the entire duel

Williaiven a few ht over to the railing, stopping in front of me He boith a loud clank and then lifted the visor on his hel heavily "Your favor, if you please"

I raised my brow He did not actually believe that my hair ribbon or a scarf would help hiht side, jabbed"You lucky wench Give hi!"

I pulled the ribbon offhair to fall over er, toward Doug He extended his sword, hilt first

"Tie it around the poy voice

Acid filled randstanding My cheeks burned in e me that for the last few days--loudly, and in public only It was about fifty percent of the reason that I’d decided to cut and run now instead of later

My gaze flicked to the other figure in the arena William had switched out his small, round buckler for a tall shield, which was always used in the third round of a duel He stood still as a stone as he silently watched us through his lowered face guard

I rose from my seat and quickly tied the ribbon in a bow around the poot really obnoxious and asked for a kiss or so the crowd A loud cheer erupted "Louder! We can’t hear you through our helmets"

William had not moved, and his helmeted head was still aimed in my direction Disquieted, I demurely clapped my hands,their feet on the wooden bleachers and whistling Willia in the direction of the bleachers, his shield lowering a fraction Then, he spun and turned his back on the crowd, his head drooping