Page 4 of The Valiant Knight (The Ravensmire Chronicles #2)

She stared up into his brilliant blue eyes as he pulled her back onto the cliff.

“Are you okay?” the stranger asked with a thick Scottish accent.

Was she?

Absolutely not.

Seeing this man rattled her in ways she never thought possible.

Gabby couldn’t breathe.

She couldn’t think.

He smelled like heaven, and was saving her life.

Oh, this man was trouble, and she knew it.

“You’re in danger here. You can’t stay here. If you do, it’ll take you. Run, Gabriella. Run,” he warned.

That scared her.

“Who are you?” she asked.

He smiled.

“I’m your valiant knight, and you’re in danger.”

Well, shit.

Of course, she was.

* * *The Ravensmire Castle* * *

Same Time

In His Bedroom

The Detective’s Home

Truth be told, Finn didn’t know what was wrong with him. The bottom line was that he’d been restless all night, and he didn’t know why.

Had it been because he was given such a stupid job to handle that wasn’t even his responsibility?

Was it because he was wasting time instead of helping people who really needed his help?

Or was it possible he was pissy because he had no choice in the matter?

Could that be it?

Yeah, it was likely the latter.

Who was he kidding?

The bottom line was that Finn was edgy, and that was never good. Whenever he’d felt like that, something was definitely off.

Or bad shit was coming.

He was thinking about Ravensmire Castle, and what his friend had told him about the ghosts.

Did he think he was crazy?

Yes.

But there was a little part of him that was curious to see if he was being legit. Yes, he’d seen that teacup fall, and without provocation.

What had that been about?

Was it just coincidence?

Instead of dwelling on it, he pulled on his lounging pants, and climbed into his bed.

Alone.

Again.

It was for the millionth time since his ex had left him in the dust.

What he needed was a good night’s sleep, and to let his brain stop thinking about that damn castle.

Tomorrow, and there was no doubt in his mind, he’d check in with the Americans and check out—as soon as he possibly could.

After all, his bathroom needed a new coat of paint.

That sounded better than ghost busting.

For.

Damn.

Sure.

Because he was absolutely afraid of some ghosts.

As he closed his eyes, he started slipping into sleep so easily, and that was anything but the norm. For the first time in a while, he wasn’t tossing and turning, but going right to bed.

Finn wasn’t sure how long it took, but he was finally out cold, and reality slipped away.

And that’s when the dream began.

Finn was back at the castle, and that was just proof that he was pissy about the job he had to handle the next day. Why else would he be dreaming about this?

Yeah, that was the proof.

As he stared around the courtyard, he heard melodious laughter. It was absolutely alluring and beautiful.

It tickled his flesh, and sent goosebumps across his body.

It compelled him.

So, he did what any smart man would do in this kind of situation.

He followed it.

Of course, he did.

As he exited the courtyard with the tinkling fountain, he heard it again.

In between the laughter and sound of if, he swore he heard his name whispered on the wind over and over again.

‘Finn! Fineas!’

Who was calling him by his real name?

Only his mother, or his sisters when he was busting balls, called him Fineas.

What the hell was going on?

That’s when he heard it again.

That voice…

It was like angels singing.

Who was the woman calling to him in his dreams, and where was she?

That was the next question.

As he walked through the trees, he could hear the laughter, and kept following it. Something about it had him by the balls.

His whole body was awake, alert, and sensing her being near him.

He was chasing someone, but who?

Who was he after?

Honestly, Finn had no clue.

As he cleared the trees, he recalled stepping over a grave to get to the opening where it sounded like the voice was coming from.

And the area was open.

While weird, he couldn’t seem to wake himself up to escape it.

Was this nighttime paralysis?

Was he now being haunted by Ravensmire in his dreams?

And then, it got weirder.

On the edge of the cliff, there was a figure standing, and just as he reached the cliff, he watched her take a tumble backward like she was going to swan dive backward off of the edge.

His body reacted.

Finn raced for the edge, and reached out to grab her arm, catching it in his hand as she yanked on his arm when she stopped falling.

“Let me help you,” he said, somehow getting her off of the edge of the cliff.

He saw nothing but this woman, and not the scenery around him.

Not the trees below.

Not the lake where it shouldn’t be.

NOTHING.

When he pulled her up, she lifted her head, and he stared into the most beautiful eyes that he had ever seen. They were hazel in color, but leaned more toward green.

On top of that, she had a spattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose.

As the wind blew, the bouncy curls of her hair moved enticingly in the wind, and his heart skipped.

“Who are you?” he asked.

At first, she said nothing, but when she spoke, it rattled him to his core for a plethora of reasons.

“I’m your wife, and someone is trying to kill me. You can’t leave me alone. If you do, the castle will destroy me.”

And that was when Finn McKnight woke up.

Rattled and shaken.

To.

His.

Core.