Free Hunted (Book One of the Forever Faire Series): A Fae Fantasy Romance Novel by Hazel Hunter Page B

for a fight at the bonfire. “I am. You’ve met Tara?”
    His jaw tightened. “Aye. She doesn’t belong here anymore than you.”
    Kayla returned his evil glare. “You got a problem with us, pal, tell it to Colm. Or come find me and we’ll chat. Leave my teenage sister out of it.”
    He stepped toward her, shook his head, and then pivoted and stalked away.
    “So he’s not a fan, obviously,” she said to Titan.
    Kayla felt suddenly cold, and looked down to see patches of frost on her jeans and jacket. Similar scrolls of ice appeared on both horses’ armor.
    “Looks like we’ve got an iceman to go with the horse-changer and the sword-mender.” Titan nudged her shoulder and whickered. “Right, we have to go rumble with the other boys.” She sighed. “Come on.”
    Once she reached the performer’s passage into the jousting arena Kayla inspected the horses one final time. Satisfied, she led them out into the open-air makeshift stadium. A wood-post barrier divided the dirt field into parallel courses. Pennants and flags fluttered above the crowded stands. On either end of the field three men stood with a knight dressed in armor. The broad hilts of their lances matched the trims on their horses, so Kayla took Sampson down to Gavan. But as she returned to lead Titan to Ryan, she heard the bridle rattle as her hands shook. Sunlight glinted from Ryan’s metal suit, almost blinding her. Even so, she couldn’t help but stare. Heart pounding, she stopped and offered him the reins.
    Her magical savior lifted his visor. “We meet again, Kayla Rowe.”
    He was as big and broad and breath-taking as she remembered, and she bowed to hide how much that flustered her. “At your service, Sir Ryan.”
    Thankfully he didn’t answer. Instead he gripped Titan’s pommel. He hoisted himself up into the saddle so effortlessly Kayla could only gape. Wallace handed Ryan his lance, and Colm checked his stirrups before straightening and nodding to him.
    “Good luck,” Kayla whispered as Titan trotted forward.
    Ryan fit the end of his lance into the arret on his breastplate, sliding it back until the grapper on the hilt met the support. Then he looked back at her. For just a moment their eyes met. It was as though electricity crackled between them—and then he was off.
    From the Queen’s box the announcer introduced both knights, who rode in a tight circle at the end of the barrier before taking their positions. The horses perked up as the men waved to the cheering crowd. After they both nodded to the announcer, the elegant old lady who played the queen stood, lifted a white handkerchief, and then dropped it.
    The two horses took off. They galloped toward each other with tremendous speed. The impact of their hooves on the hard-packed dirt rolled like low thunder across the field. Kayla found herself holding her breath as Ryan and Gavan turned slightly in their saddles. They lowered their lances just before they met. The lances struck and exploded, sending Ryan to one side and nearly unhorsing Gavan.
    As the horses circled back, the men serving as the ground crew rushed out to remove the broken lances from the field.
    “We count no points for shattering both lances,” Colm said as he joined her. “They have to make a shield or chest strike, or unsaddle the other. Or kill each other.”
    “Very funny,” she muttered, her throat tight. She turned to see Ryan accepting a new lance from Wallace. “How long do they, uh, keep jousting?”
    “Gavan’s mooning over some town wench,” Jannon said as he came up behind them.
    “Not long,” Colm told Kayla.
    On the second pass Ryan struck Gavan’s shield in the center, and took a hit on the arm, which the announcer called a point. Since both lances remained intact the men circled around and rode directly at each other again. Dust rose in a cloud, making it difficult to see what happened when they passed again, but shards of wood and a helmet soaring up into the air made Kayla press