“Hello?” he called again, and this time, he reached out one hand. He intended to pull back her hood and experience her full beauty—imagined or nay—at once.
A blur of movement stopped his heart, and before he could jerk his arm away, the first two fingers of Piers’s left hand were laid open by very small, very sharp teeth.
As he roared and began to fight off the thing that was attacking him, Piers no longer thought he was insane.
But he did think it somewhat ironic that he was wearing monk’s clothing while in a battle with the devil.
Alys came fully awake at the shout that seemed like thunder in the heretofore stillness of the Foxe Ring. Layla had clawed from her embrace and Alys could no longer feel her small warmth, although she could most certainly hear the monkey’s wild shrieks. She sprung upright on the slab.
Someone was trying to abduct the monkey she had rightfully stolen!
“Layla!” she cried, and then immediately scrambled down from the stone to launch herself at the dark, hooded mass of a creature that was presently trying to flog Layla with a forearm. “Let her go, you beast!”
“Get it off me!” the hooded figure boomed. “It’s biting my fucking fingers off!”
“Stop hitting her!Let go!”
“I’m not holding it!”
“Layla!Ow!That wasme,you bastard!”
At last Alys managed to work an arm between the monkey and the hooded man, and wrench Layla away from the cloaked villain. She marveled at the amount of effort it took to remove such a relatively small animal.
“My goodness, Layla,” Alys gasped, bending over at the waist to brace her hands on her knees now that Layla had taken up watch from her shoulder once more to chatter angrily at the man. “You’re a strong girl, aren’t you?”
“Son of abitch!”the man hissed, grasping his left wrist tightly in his right hand. His cloaked head came up, and although Alys could not see his face clearly in the shadows of his hood, she could imagine his ugly, furious countenance. “I’ll have that beast’s hide!”
Alys straightened and knew a moment of unease. He was a large man, and obviously quite angry at the injuries Layla had visited upon him. There was no one around the old ruin as far as the eye could see. Who knew what he was capable of? Although he was dressed in the garb of a pious man, his vulgar language quickly gave truth to the fact that he was almost certainly common. Cecily would faint into a puddle at the very thought of the phrases issuing from such holy vestments.
“She was only protecting me,” Alys said, lifting her chin and striving for an air of superiority. “What business have you sneaking up upon a woman whilst she sleeps and molesting her?”
“Moles—” the man broke off. “Just what is a young girl doing about a desolate ruin in the dead of night with only a monkey for protection?”
His summation of her as a young girl stung Alys’s already battered pride so that her courage experienced a rebirth. “That is absolutely none of your affair. Besides, this is Fallstowe land, and as I am none other than LadyAlys Foxe, I go where I please. ‘Tisyouwho are the trespasser. Layla has gifted you with but a sampling of the punishment you shall receive once my sisters hear of your assault.”
The hooded figure snickered. “Oh, so I am to fear yoursistersnow, am I?” His mirth grew into a round laugh. He looked down at his injured fingers and flung blood away. “I cow to nolady.” He said the word as if it were a foul thing.
Alys frowned at being laughed at. “You very obviously have never met Sybilla, then. She is completely vicious, I assure you.”
“I have heard of Sybilla Foxe,” the man acquiesced. “And I am most familiar with vicious women. But I can assureyouthat I have already met the worst of the lot, so forgive me if I do not quake and tremble.” He paused. “What are you doing out here alone? ‘Tis unsafe for a girl, even if on your own lands. After all, I came upon you, and there would be no help for you should I have wicked intentions. A monkey is only so much against a blade and a quick hand.”
“Well, she’s already taken care of one of your quick hands. And I am not a girl. I’m ten and eight.”
“Oh, well then, my apologies, matron.” His hood turned slightly as if he looked at the stone slab. “I see you have your bags packed. Running away from vicious Sybilla, were you?”
Alys felt her face heat in the cool moonlight. Observed by an outsider, her actions did seem that of a young girl rather than a grown woman. But he simply didn’t know how desperate she had been to leave Fallstowe for the Foxe Ring. And now Sybilla was going to see her married toClement Cobbbecause the old legend had turned out to be nothing more than—
“Oh, my God,” Alys breathed, realizing that her impossible wish had come true and she hadn’t even noticed it, so busy had she been arguing with the man. “Take down your hood.”
The cloaked figure drew back slightly. “Why?”
“Because”—Alys licked her cold, numb lips—“because I want to see your face.” Her heart pounded and she forced a nervous laugh. “You’ve seen mine after all. And I’ve only just realized what is happening.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything, but I’d rather not. I’m not very pretty of late.”
“Please,” Alys breathed. “We are in the Foxe Ring, at the full moon. We will both remember this moment for the rest of our lives.”
He stood silent for a moment, as if unsure. The silly man—he was shy! How perfect!
