The Blessed

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

Titles by Lisa T. Bergren

 
THEBEGOTTEN
THEBETRAYED
THEBLESSED

 
THEBRIDGE

CHRISTMAS EVERY MORNING
THE CAPTAIN'S BRIDE
DEEP HARBOR
MIDNIGHT SUN

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This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 
Copyright © 2008 by Lisa T. Bergren.

 
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

 
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

eISBN : 978-0-425-22342-0

1. Aristocracy (Social class)—Fiction. 2. France—History—14th century—Fiction. 3. Provence (France)—Fiction 4. Good and evil—Fiction. I. Title.

 
PS3552.E71938B55 2008
813'.54—dc22 2008023601

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to my editor, Denise Silvestro, her assistant, Meredith Giordan, and the incomparable copyeditor, Amy Schneider, who kept track of me from start to finish on the Gifted series. Collectively, they saved me from making many grave errors; any that remain are my own. I'm in debt to Stephen Rice, who edited my Latin, provided some translation, and set me straight on a few other linguistic matters.
Post tenebras, lux.
Thanks also to Joel Fotinos, Leslie Gelbman, Lara Robbins, Craig Burke, Chris Mosley, as well as Norman Lidofsky, William Bauers, and the rest of the sales force, and everyone on the Berkley team.

BEYOND THE MOAT

CHAPTER ONE

OUTNUMBERED and surrounded, they were lost before it began.

Daria d'Angelo, unable to sleep upon the wet, rocky ground that seeped its chill into her bones, heard their stealthy approach. She removed the twill covering—an attempt to ward off the constant rain—and found her knight, Gianni, already beside her, face taut with tension. Grimly she took his hand and rose, joining the group beside the fire, faces betraying weariness and worry.

Daria's knights had only just drawn their swords and formed a line around the group when the intruders shoved Vito, bound and bleeding at the lip, into their circle. Gianni and Ugo narrowly swung their swords away, barely missing him. The knights held the line around their people, swords drawn. But for each man, three others were before him.

Ugo untied Vito and both brothers stared up in fury at their captors, itching for an order from Gianni to strike out.

“Be at peace,” said the opposition's leader, from atop a fine Spanish mount. “We mean you no harm.”

“Could've fooled me,” Vito said, wiping away the blood of his lip with the back of his hand.

“If you speak the truth, advise your men to sheathe their swords and stand down,” Ugo added.

Gianni edged forward, in front of the brothers. “I am Sir Gianni de Capezzana, and this is my lady, Daria d'Angelo. We seek safe passage to Avignon. We believed this to be a public road.”

The captain dismounted and neared the campfire light. He nodded, regally, at Gianni, but his eyes quickly moved on to Daria, who tried to calm her white falcon, Bormeo, screeching in alarm. “You are on a public road, but one we watch closely. I am Sir Lucien Gisserot,” he said with a nod and a courtly arm outstretched as he bowed in her direction. When he rose, he smiled at her and then turned his attention back to Gianni. His cape fell into place behind him, and Daria's eyes widened.

“I know your coat of arms,” Daria said, studying the white sixteen-pointed star on a bed of red. “You are of Les Baux.”

“Just as Les Baux knows the peacock,” said the knight, tossing her a grin and turning to face her again. “Come, Duchess. Les Baux would very much like to welcome you and be your protectors while you abide in these lands. You are tracked by a group of men, not half a day's ride from here. From what my lord knows, they intend to do you and yours harm.”

Gianni appraised her, confusion rife in his eyes.

She would have to explain later. She nodded at Gianni, telling him this was a good choice, trusting Les Baux, and her captain immediately turned and gave the order to pack and mount up. They were on the move within a few minutes, with six of the knights carrying lanterns to ward off the dark of night. All told, the Gifted were thirteen in number, including five knights, one lady, her maidservant, a priest, an artist, a fisherman, and three children.

Daria looked over her shoulder, beyond the last knights of Les Baux and into the dark forest, even more menacing since she knew who it was that tracked them. Why? Why track them here? And how could Les Baux know that other travelers upon this road—of which they were few of many—might be chasing them at all?

“You know the lord of Les Baux,” Vito said dryly, riding up beside her. He still dabbed blood from the corner of his lip. Gianni was up ahead, talking to Lucien. “You so enjoy a night of drizzling rain that you could not have mentioned a warm castle ahead?”