Free Fragments of Grace (Prequel to the Dragonblade Trilogy) by Kathryn Le Veque

at him, dodging his
hands as she continued on her way.  Keir was too far away to grab her as she
bolted past him, running as fast as she could for the castle entry with her
amazing red hair trailing after her like a banner. The portcullis was lowered
so she couldn’t get away, but that didn’t prevent her from trying.  She ran at
the iron grate and threw herself against it, trying to claw her way out.
    Keir, Michael and Lucan raced up
behind her but Keir held out a big arm to the men, indicating for them to
remain where they were.  The lady was panicked out of her mind and he didn’t
want her spooked by too many men trying to render aid.  Carefully, Keir
approached her as she struggled to claw her way out of the portcullis.
    “My lady?” he asked softly, with
concern. “What is the matter?”
    Through her haze of terror, Chloë
heard him.  She stopped clawing, turning to look at the men standing behind her
in the moonlit bailey. Her luscious hair was hanging in her face, all over her
body, like a giant cloak that hung all the way to her knees. She was clad only
in her shift and the heavy cloak, barefoot to the muddy bailey.  Her lower legs
were covered in muck.  When she saw Keir and the blind panic faded, she burst
into painful tears.
    “I want to leave,” she sobbed.
“Open this gate. I must get out.”
    Keir was deeply concerned.  He
waved the men away as he approached her timidly. “Why?” he asked softly. “What
is the matter?”
    With a growl, Chloë turned to the
portcullis and started clawing again. Even in the moonlight, Keir could see
that she was scraping her fingers and drawing blood. Whatever had happened in
the keep, the woman was clearly terrified out of her mind.
    “Chloë?” he begged quietly. “What
happened?”
    Her fingers gradually came to a
halt and she wept painfully against the iron.  “Please,” she begged. “Please
open the gate. I want to leave.”
    Keir turned to Michael and Lucan,
still standing several feet behind him. “Into the keep,” he hissed. “Check it
from top to bottom. See what has her so frightened and for God’s sake, make
sure her sister is well.”
    The knights fled as Keir turned
back to Chloë.  She was shivering, wet and muddy.  He went to her, hoping she
wouldn’t try to gouge his eyes out again in her panic.
    “Chloë,” he said gently. “What
happened, love? Why are you so frightened?”
    She turned to him, tears pouring
down her sweet face, and slumped against the grate.  Keir swept her up into his
arms because she was close to collapsing onto the wet ground and she threw her
arms around his neck, holding him so tightly that she was cutting off his air. 
He moved his head around, trying to dislodge the arm that was against his
throat so he could breathe.
    “A… a girl,” she sobbed.
    He held her close as he began his
trek back towards the keep. “A girl?” he repeated. “What girl?”
    Her face was pressed into the
crook of his neck. “A… a little girl,” she wept. “She was in my chamber.”
    Keir’s brow furrowed. “There was
a little girl in your chamber?” he repeated. “That is not possible. There are
no little girls at Pendragon.”
    Chloë’s sobbing grew louder.
“When I tried to touch her, she vanished.”
    Keir could only think of one
possibility for that. “You must have been dreaming, sweetheart.”
    Chloë lifted her face from his
neck, her eye swimming with tears.  She shook her head emphatically, her long
red hair in her face. “I was not dreaming,” she insisted. “I woke up and
a little girl was standing by my bed. When I tried to touch her, she vanished.”
    Keir gazed into her lovely face
and all he could think to do was kiss her soft, white cheek to comfort her.  It
was an impulsive gesture but one he did not regret. The feel of her warm skin
against his lips stirred something within him, something he thought was long
dead.
    “It was a dream,” he reiterated
softly, hugging her against him as