The Rogue Knight (Jace x OC) Book 2

The Rogue Knight: 11

"You have no chance." The Rogue Knight said, bluntly. "You are outclassed. That reality releases you from the obligation. You needn't die today."
"I've already made my challenge," Konley said.
The Rogue Knight sheathed his sword. "You have no right to challenge me. But I am a sporting man. If you truly wish it, I will fight you to the death. No quarter will be asked for, and none given. Or you can select one of your men to face me in single combat, so you can observe the threat I pose and report back. Or I could forget your challenge, and you could surrender. The choice is now yours."
"No way he goes through with it," Jace murmured. "He's wetting his armor."
"I wouldn't do it," I whispered back. "If he loses, will they be harsher to the rest of us?"
"That would be about our luck," Jace complained. I grabbed his hand and laced his fingers with mine and held on tight. He squeezed my hand in reassurance.
Konley stared at the Rogue Knight, a sheen of perspiration glimmering on his face. He licked his lips and swallowed. Glancing sideways, he forced a small chuckle. "Danforth. You're always saying you want the chance to show you deserve a promotion."
A guardsman's eyes widened. "Begging your pardon, Konley, I didn't mean like this!"
Konley forced another chuckle. "Now's the chance to step up and prove your worth."
"None of us are a match for him, Konley," Danforth said. "You saw what happened to the men who attacked them. We've had our example already. If you're open to counsel, I'm all for surrendering."
Konley looked around. "Any volunteers?"
The guardsmen remained conspicuously still.
Konley closed his visor. "What kind of knight would I be if I quailed?"
"A prudent one," the Rogue Knight replied. "I do not relish taking life. I understand duty, but if you are not under direct orders to attack me, why perish? Don't die because you're embarrassed to not fight me. You've lived your life avoiding real combat. You've evaded risk. Why choose death today?"
Konley opened his visor. "You will harm none of us?"
"Not if you all do as I have asked."
Konley glanced over his shoulder at Lucinda's coach.
"You have people under your protection," the Rogue Knight said. "Surrender and relinquish your valuables, and those in your care will not be harmed, you have my word. I will take your sword and your armor. Your men will relinquish their arms as well. You endanger the occupants of that coach more if you resist.
"Very well," Konley said. "We surrender."
The Rogue Knight checked with Monroe, who also agreed to surrender, then rode back out into the field to address the entire caravan.
"Your leaders have submitted to my terms," he announced. "Exit your coaches in an orderly manner. Any who attempt to escape will be run down. Don't try to hide any valuables. We know all the tricks. It's not fair that some don't lose their goods because they could afford hidden compartments or hollow boot heels. I don't care if I can't use your promissory notes—I want them. My purpose is not to spend your money.
Complain to your cowering champion until he does his duty. His unlawful behavior gave rise to mine."
I looked to Joe. "What do we do?"
Joe considered the us thoughtfully. "I've never seen a guy like this Rogue Knight. He has it all—the brains, the skill, the right men, the right equipment. I think we follow his orders and be grateful if we leave with our lives."
"Come," the Rogue Knight encouraged. "Bring your valuables and exit your coaches. Nobody will be harmed. Line up on my side of the caravan. I mean everyone—women, children, servants, teamsters, wealthy merchants, government officials."
"What about the money?" I whispered.
"Our secret compartments are covered by illusions," Joe whispered back. "Let's leave it alone and see how it goes."
I climbed out of the coach, followed by the guys.
Mira and Skye emerged from the coach in front of them. Mira looked distraught, but she tried to smile when she saw us.
"This includes the occupants of the fancy coach Konley was guarding," the Rogue Knight said.
"Don't make us drag you out of there."
A short distance down the line from us, the door to the stately coach opened. Lucinda emerged, along with a matronly servant. Both women wore dresses. Lucinda sported a wide-brimmed hat with an elegant shape and a silk flower on it.
I lined up between Cole and Jace, facing the Rogue Knight. The knight's shiny armor looked like it must have been washed and burnished an hour before the ambush. I did my best not to stand out. The many people in the caravan helped me feel less conspicuous.
The Rogue Knight pointed his sword at Lucinda. "Tell me your name."
"Lucinda," she replied.
"Who is your father?"
She straightened bravely. "Alderman Cronin."
"Interesting," the Rogue Knight said.
"He will not smile to know what happened here today," Lucinda said.
"I hope not," the Rogue Knight replied. "Rustin Sage could use some pressure from other leaders."
"My father's anger won't be directed at Rustin
Sage," Lucinda said.
"Alderman Cronin can react as he pleases," the Rogue Knight said. "Tell him he should hurry, because after Rustin Sage has been entombed, I'll come to Carthage, kill Henrick, and expel your father from his office."
Lips trembling, Lucinda made no reply. I kind of felt bad for her.
The Rogue Knight held up his sword. "The name of my blade is Verity," he declared. "She and I dislike falseness. That includes all forms of illusion. Before we collect your valuables, why not wipe any seemings away?" He swung his sword in a broad horizontal swipe. Glancing to one side, I saw that Cole and Mira now looked like themselves, and Skye looked as I had never seen her. She was still attractive, but a bit leaner, with big blue eyes and a short white-blond pixie haircut. I would have guessed she was in her thirties. At the moment, she looked astonished.
"Your seemings are gone," I whispered to Cole.
"We're in trouble," Cole said, glancing over toward Konley.
To my surprise, I saw that Lucinda, still in her dress and hat, was actually
a thin old woman with wispy hair and wrinkled features. The nearby guardsmen appeared surprised.
"Konley," the Rogue Knight said. "I take it this is not the daughter of Alderman Cronin?"
"I'm one of his servants," the wrinkled woman proclaimed spunkily.
"Explain," the Rogue Knight said.
"We needed an excuse to join the caravan," Konley said. "We didn't want to put the actual Lucinda in harm's way. My mission was to observe you if you appeared."
"You have my congratulations," the Rogue Knight said. "Mission accomplished. My knights will now take custody of your valuables. Please save time by not trying to hide anything of interest. You won't succeed, and I'll take every last ringer if you attempt to hold anything back."
The Rogue Knight pointed to our coach and Skye's coach. "For example, these two conveyances have hidden compartments that until recently were disguised by skillful seemings. This is your last chance to voluntarily produce your valuables."
I looked at Joe, who gave a nod. As the knights dismounted and approached the members of the caravan. Me and Cole hurried into the coach. Skye went into her coach as well, as did a few of the merchants.
"Think the Rogue Knight noticed our seemings vanish?" Cole asked me once we were inside the coach.
"I don't think much escapes him," I said, popping
open a little secret door and removing a bag of ringers. "Let's hope he doesn't care."
"I'm worried for Mira," Cole said.
"Be worried for all of us," I said. "If Konley or any
of his men have our descriptions, it won't go well after the Rogue Knight leaves."
I itched with anxiety over what would happen next. We were  so close to finding Dalton and now this? At least we were no longer hiding anything from the powerful knight. That brought a small measure of relief.
I grabbed the remaining ringers and then returned with Cole to wait to be robbed.
The Rogue Knight approached Skye. "You and the girl were both concealed," he said to her, holding open a large canvas bag.
Skye dropped ringers and papers into his sack.
"It was for our safety," she replied meekly.
The Rogue Knight extended his bag to Mira, her warped reflection visible on his armor. "There is something familiar about you," he said.
"I'm told that often," Mira replied, not looking up at him as she handed over her goods.
The Rogue Knight remained before her. "You had best come with me, my lady." He moved down the line a few steps to me. "You as well."
A chill ran through me. "What?"
"You and the girl depart with us," the Rogue Knight said. "In fact, you two will come with me now. My knights can finish without me."
He took my wrist, then Mira's, and marched us over to his horse.
I could hardly believe it. What did he want with me?
Skye stepped forward. "Then take me too," she said. "The girls and I mustn't be separated."
"The girls will accompany me alone." The Rogue Knight said. "No harm will befall them."
Looking uncertain, Skye took a step back. Glancing back at Joe, Jace, Twitch, and Cole, theirs gazes danced in place with panic.
Wasn't somebody going to do something?
Jace opened the door of the coach, leaned in, and came out with a Jumping Sword. Then raced toward the Rogue Knight.
Releasing us, the Rogue Knight turned and drew his sword. He blocked one, two, three swings from Jace before kicking him in the chest with the bottom of his boot, sending him sprawling.
Me and Mira were immediately seized by the knights.
"Stop!" I yelled, squirming against a guard that held me and Mira.
Attacking the Rogue Knight had been reckless and hopeless. It was suicide, really. But I had never loved Jace more.
The remaining knights paused their collecting to watch. Jace scrambled to his feet and stabbed his blade at the Rogue Knight, who parried the thrust and dropped Jace with a brisk slap.
"Stay down, lad," the Rogue Knight said, Blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Jace was back on his feet in an instant. He faked twice, then swung hard. The Rogue Knight deflected the attack, then stepped forward and shoved Jace to the ground. Planting a foot on Jace's chest, the Rogue Knight crouched, pried the Jumping sword from his grasp and tossed it aside.
"Phillip," the Rogue Knight ordered, keeping a boot on Jace's chest. "Come see that this boy stays down."
The knight who wielded the battle-ax walked over and pressed his boot on Jace's chest. After leaning close to speak to Phillip, the Rogue Knight returned to us and took our arms. Jace squirmed wildly to no avail.
I squirmed, trying to loosen his grip. I ripped my arm away from him, bolting back toward the coaches.
A few knights moved to follow, but the Rogue knight held up a hand. "She's not worth it. If she can't behave, let her get caught on her own accords."
I shivered. What the heck was that supposed to mean? Had the Rogue knight been trying to protect me?
As the Rogue knight mounted his horse, I looked to Joe. "What do we do?"
"We can't help her if we're dead," Joe whispered.
Buzzing with panic, I stared as the Rogue Knight started away. Tears brimmed in my eyes as I watched Jace thrash helplessly, and Mira, glancing back helplessly as they rode away.
How could I leave her when I got away? The Rogue Knight obviously knew her identity. Why did he want her? Would she be a hostage? A bargaining chip? Would she be traded so he could get the duel he wanted? I had a terrible feeling that if the Rogue Knight rode away with her, I would never see Mira again. And it would be my fault.
Without warning, Cole dropped his bag of ringers and dashed forward. Nobody moved to stop him. He reached the sword and picked it up.
Cole ran at them.
"Cole, don't," Mira cried. "There's nothing you can do."
Ignoring him, the Rogue Knight turned his horse and flicked the reins. The elite steed started running, much faster than the earlier trot.
At his closest, Cole was five paces away, but that
quickly stretched to ten, then twenty.
"He's not going to make it," I said in horror.
Suddenly, brilliant flames blazed along the length of the blade. The ghostly fire gave off light, and glowed in the rising sun.
We watched as Cole pointed it at the fleeing knight and shouted, "Away!"
Feet leaving the ground, Cole rocketed into the air, rushing on a collision course with the fleeing horse. As he zoomed within range, the sword slowed a bit, and Cole thrust it into the Rogue Knight's back.
The tip did not pierce his armor, but both the knight and Mira pitched forward off the galloping horse. Armor clanging and rattling, the knight cradled his arms protectively around Mira as they madly bounced and rolled, gouging the earth as they went. Cole skidded to a stop as well, but he hurriedly rose to his feet, sword ready.
Two other knights had mounted up and were coming his way.
"Watch out, Cole!" I shouted.
Scuffed, dented, and streaked with dirt, the Rogue Knight's armor had lost some of its polish as he rose to face Cole. "Who are you?" the knight demanded.
"Get out of here, Cole!" Mira cried.
The Rogue Knight's riderless mount was curving around back toward them. The sword enabled Cole to jump far. It didn't make him a master swordsman or enable him to pierce heavy armor.
"Run, Cole!" Mira yelled.
The oncoming knights were closing in. The Rogue Knight stood protectively in front of Mira.
With the galloping horses almost upon him, Cole pointed the Jumping Sword at the trees along the edge of the field and called the command. He whooshed through the air, brush skimming by beneath him in a blur. He landed in the trees, still in sight. He took another leap, then he was gone.