Free The Angel's Assassin by Samantha Holt Page B

sprinted away from the blaze as fast as his legs could carry him.
    ***
    He ran. Aware only
of the need to keep her safe, he sprinted until his thighs burned and his arms
ached from her weight. Not that she was a heavy burden, for she lay limply in
his arms, only the faint throb of a pulse assuring him that she was still
alive. She wore just her chemise and it had taken a while for him to notice,
his fear stricken mind consumed with other thoughts. When he had finally
noticed, he wrapped her tightly in his mantle.
    Continuing on, even
as the dark of the following night consumed them, he narrowly avoided tripping
and spilling her onto the ground. Only his resolution to keep her from harm
prevented him from giving up as he stumbled across the uneven terrain, lit by little
more than a half moon.
    Nicholas’ steps
faltered as the exertion took his toll and he was forced to a sluggish pace,
his body screaming for respite. As the sun began to flicker over the horizon,
it hurt his eyes, in spite of the cloud amassing in the sky. Fearing a
downpour, he staggered his way into the protection of the nearest forest,
unsure now of where they were.
    The forest closed
about them but his anxiety refused to wane. Why were they trying to kill her?
If Lord Benedict had intended to kill Annabel himself then why go about this
charade of hiring him? Nicholas could not fathom what he was trying to achieve.
He couldn’t have possibly known that Nicholas would never go through with his
sinful duty.
    His legs began to
shake as his lungs throbbed, but a look to Annabel’s soot covered face
fortified him and he forced his legs to do the unthinkable.
    Continue on.
    He had to gain some
distance between them and Godfrey. He was undoubtedly on horseback but he
thought it likely he would not have risked journeying at night. Nicholas had
little idea as to what to do next, but he resolved to keep pushing forwards
until exhaustion claimed him.
    After a day and a
half of no rest, it finally did. He stumbled one final time and realised that
it was unlikely he would recover again should he fall once more. Annabel lay
peacefully in his arms and he did not want to risk hurting her. Pressing his
back against a broad oak tree, he sank gratefully to the ground, Annabel still
stretched across his arms.
    His
head slumped back against the bark and he shifted her head against his chest,
settling her into his lap. His arms closed in around her, determined that even
in sleep he would protect her. His leaden eyelids dropped and sleep quickly
claimed him as his hands remained gripped around Annabel.
    ***
    Nicholas awakened from a deep
sleep, unsure of how long he had slept. The sun was high in the sky, just
visible through the forest canopy, and he suspected it was some way past dawn
already. He looked down at his precious cargo, who remained curled into his
embrace, to see that still she slumbered. Would she ever awake? Putting a hand
to her head, it came away sticky and he realised she was fevered. Mayhap it was
from exposure? Her pulse fluttered under his thumb and her breaths were
shallow, but she was still alive.
    As he shifted his
aching body, he was gratified to hear Annabel release a slight moan. Her eyes
remained firmly shut but it lent him hope. Nicholas felt as if he had been
trampled by horses but he forced himself to his feet, hefting Annabel back into
his arms once more. Filth from the fire still marred her porcelain skin and, as
he wrapped his cloak back around her, he noted several scratches on her arms.
Lifting her arm for a closer look, he saw that her nails were broken and
bloodied and her fingers were raw. She had probably tried to scrabble her way
out of the burning room. His stomach churned at the thought of her experiencing
such terror.
     With his mind
clear of fatigue and fear, he realised he would need to clean her wounds. The
fever could well be caused by the dirt festering in her cuts and he needed to
find a way to cool her down. They were deep in