Free Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) by Jami Montgomery

into the clearing.
    “No. What life?” Aston asked.
    The woman rolled her eyes. “If I told you that, I would have to run again.” At Aston’s curious glance, she added, “You would make me go back and I refuse to go. It is better and easier for both of us if you don’t know.”
    Aston shrugged and looked away.
    “Why are you out here, sir?” she asked, and Aston’s shoulders tensed.
    “The same reason you are I suppose; I ran away from my life.” Aston suddenly understood why the woman would not share details with him. If he told her who he was, why he was running, she would turn him in herself.
    “Then we are at an understanding. My name is Jade. Thank you for saving me, ” she offered, taking a seat on the ground and leaning against the stump Aston still occupied.
    “Aston. It’s a pleasure, my lady, I am sure ,” he replied. He wanted Jade to leave, fir stly because she asked too many questions, and secondly because he wanted to keep her safe. Annoying as she was, she was still a woman. And he was still a knight.
    “Why are you sitting here, Aston?” Jade asked.
    “I am waiting on news,” he replied. The woman, Jade, was getting more comfortable. She didn’t see m to want to leave. T his was just what he needed.
    “News of what?”
    “News of T he Rogue Royal.” Aston didn’t miss the way sh e sucked in a breath at the name. “Oh yes, he is a very dangerous man. And I am hunting him. Shouldn’t you be getting along to wh erever you were going?” He didn’t want to be rude to a woman, but she was being persistent and nosy, two things his life would best avoid right now.
    “I am aware of who he is,” Jade announced , and Aston thought he saw her flinch. “Why are you hunting him?”
    “He condemned me. Well, Prince…it’s a long and tiring story. Nothing you should be bothered with.”
    “Okay…I suppose I will get some rest while you are being stubborn. Do you have an extra blanket?” Aston almost told Jade no, he did not have a blanket, nor did he enjoy her company. Instead he decided the woman had had a rough enough day and allowed her use of a blanket and his company for the night. He would rid himself of her the next day.
    * *
    As morning dawned, Jade stretched. Her neck and shoulders ached, her back was stiff, and there were tree bark indentions on her cheek.
    “Well, that’s the last time I sleep on the ground,” she announced, standing and stretching her arms high o ve r her.
    “You won’t be sticking around for long, then,” Aston said, and she whirled around to face him. She’d almost forgotten she had company.
    “You do this often?” At Aston’s nod, she frowned. “Don’t you have a home?”
    Aston pointed at himself. “Runaway, remember? I used to have a home. Now, I live wherever my journey takes me.”
    As romantic and enticing as that sounded, Jade did not want to live in the forest. Unless she had a cabin, a fireplace, a kitchen, and a bed, that is. “Doesn’t it get tiring, sleeping outside and eating…grass?” she asked, looking around herself. No fruit t rees, no berry bushes. N othing but oak trees and pine needles.
    “Sterling eats grass. I eat meat,” Aston replied, producing a rabbit from behind his back. The princess gagged at the bloodied animal and closed her eyes.
    “How do you eat that?” she questioned, opening one eye to look back at Aston. He’d set the hare on the ground and was starting to skin it. She quickly closed her eye again and turned around. “Where’s Bella?” she added, suddenly noticing her horse was nowhere to be found.
    “You went to sleep last night without tying her up. As soon as she heard a wolf howl, she took off,” he answered.
    “She what?!  How could you let her run away?” Jade snapped, turning around again. This time the rabbit didn’t bother her; she was too furious to pay attention to what Aston was doing.
    “Excuse me, what? How could I let her run away? I believe she was your horse, your