When his saintly wife dies in childbirth, Christian de la Croix, known across the land as the Slayer, saves his infant son from perishing with his mother. and, in so doing, the rampant rumors concerning his violent misdeeds. Now, he desperately needs a wet nurse to keep his son alive, but the people around Helmsley Castle fear him, putting baby Simon's life in peril.
When a stranger who calls herself Clare Crucis volunteers to nurse the newborn, Christian's relief overwhelms him. But it does not last long, for Dame Crucis tells contradictory stories of her past. Is she really an angel of mercy—or the agent of one of his enemies, sent to destroy him?
Clare Crucis is, in fact, Clarisse du Boise, a lady being forced to kill the Slayer in order to keep his enemy, her stepfather, from executing her kinswomen. At her very first encounter with the Slayer, Clarisse questions the terrible rumors that abound about him. Certainly, his reputation for ruthlessness is well founded, but she remarks a sadness in the warrior and a longing to be loved that she had not expected. Still, to save her family, she must carry her plan to completion. But as her heart quails and she delays, the Slayer grows ever more suspicious. Is there a way she can save the lives of her loved ones while seeing righteousness prevail? All she needs is a champion. This is a thoroughly revised and expanded version of Danger's Promise, previously released only in print.
