"Sharon Green - [ebel 01 - Rebel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

The last thing she wanted was for the man to realize that she was baiting him on purpose, deliberately
taking herself out of the possible-bride category. Getting men angry was really so easy, but the trick
would be to keep them angry just long enough to
тАЬLethan!тАЭ Adair gasped as she rose to her feet, the sight of the masked man holding a dagger coming
toward them chasing away all thoughts of game-playing. The apparent assassin was still at least twenty
feet away and obviously trying to sneak up on them, and when Lethan whirled around the man gave up
trying to be stealthy.
тАЬAdair, run!тАЭ Lethan snapped, taking one step forward. тАЬIтАЩll try to hold him as long as possibleтАж
Guards! Attack! Guards!тАЭ
Time seemed to stretch out and slow down for Adair for a moment. Lethan had told her to run while he
tried to hold off the assassin, but Lethan wasnтАЩt wearing a sword or any other weapon. There were
guards in the hall close enough to hear the shout for help, but certainly not close enough to get here in
time to save LethanтАЩs life. Adair also wore nothing in the way of weapons, mostly because she couldnтАЩt
handle weapons.
But there was something she could do, possibly the only thing. Her initial shock was gone when time
began to move normally again, so she turned quickly to the bowl of fruit only a short distance from her
hand. Two large, hard apples to start withтАж
Throwing those apples one at a time at the assassin wasnтАЩt the act of desperation it might have been.
Adair had no skill with weapons, but sheтАЩd been throwing things for sport and exercise ever since she
was a child. By now her arm and eye were nicely trained, so nicely trained that for Adair to miss her
target rarely ever happened.
And she certainly didnтАЩt miss her target now. The first apple made the assassin break stride, and the
second caused him to stop running altogether. By then Adair had even more ammunition, two pears with
one of those odd pieces of fruit ready to be grabbed up and thrown next. The pears pelted in after the
apples, but the odd piece of fruit wasnтАЩt needed. The second pear knocked the assassin over, Lethan
jumped on the man to keep him from getting up again, and then guardsmen from the hall were there to
help Lethan with his prisoner.
And all Adair had to do was sit down again - before she fell downтАж



Chapter Five
When Mayne heard that his brother had been attacked by an assassin, he ran faster than he ever had in
his life. He knew the part of the palace where the attack had taken place, of course, and he got there
almost completely out of breath. Since he already knew that his brother was unharmed he would
normally have taken his time, but the servant who told him about the attack had mentioned that the lady
Adair had also been there.
And Adair was there, sitting in a chair with Lethan next to her and holding her hand. She didnтАЩt seem to
be hurt either, but she did look really pale.
тАЬLethan, what happened?тАЭ Mayne asked as he moved closer to bend next to Adair and take her other
hand. тАЬWere either of you harmed in any way?тАЭ
тАЬHappily, only the assassin was harmed,тАЭ Lethan answered with a grin, but Mayne could see the strain
under his brotherтАЩs show of amusement. тАЬI give thanks to the gods that Lady Adair was here, otherwise
IтАЩd probably be dead right now. She pelted the assassin so hard with pieces of fruit that he actually fell
under the onslaught. At that point I was able to jump on the man, and then the guards were here to put
him under arrest.тАЭ
тАЬI also give thanks to the gods, but not just for your well-being, brother,тАЭ Mayne murmured, stroking
AdairтАЩs hand once with the fingers of his free hand before turning her loose entirely. Her hand had
stiffened in his grip, so heтАЩd had no choice but to release her. тАЬDo you recognize the man who tried to
attack you?тАЭ