“You won’t be fighting me once I to touch you, Lady,” he smirks to himself, “I promise to make it feel good.”
My panic turns into frustration, wishing I had the strength of a Discerni to fight back. And when his fingers nearly brush against my clit, the touch sends me into such a wild frenzy that I set myself up for a maneuver that’s going to land me in lot of trouble. There’s no delicate way to do this, but I don’t give a damn any more about harming a Lord of Keane’s court, so I thrust my head forward so violently that my forehead cracks against the side of his nose and breaks it with a loud crunch.
“You bitch!”he cries.
His arm on my chest leaves as he instinctively reaches for his nose. I swiftly bend down and yank my dagger from my thigh without hesitation, pressing the bladed side straight against his neck.
“I’ll do it,” I whisper to him anger, shoving the blade harder and drawing a sliver of blood, “I’ll break the damn Ancients rule for you.”
Tadeo looks down at me with wide eyes, his own hatred emitting from his body as he considers my words.
“Try to touch me again and I’ll show you just how good I’ll make this feel for you.”
“Alexis!”
I turn my head to the sound of my name, watching as Barnett stops in front of the double doors in shock. His gorgeous hazel eyes take in the two of us in surprise, his gaze quickly moving between me and Tadeo and the dagger I have drawn against his neck. That shock is quick to disappear as he reaches for the sword at his hip, his eyes trailing on the trickle of blood that is falling down the Lord’s neck just as Tadeo chuckles.
“You’re in for it now, you dumb bitch,” Tadeo sneers, “no human attacks a Lord of the Court and gets away with it. Perhaps you’ll accept my warmth when you’re crying tonight in a cold, dank cell.”
I turn back to the Lord and slick his neck, reveling in the tiny whimper he lets out as Barnett starts walking towards us.
“Take her below, boy,” the Lord snarls, one hand still holding his bloodied nose, “you will be my witness to this foul use of agate.”
“I think not,” Barnett replies with a hardness in his voice.
I don’t dare take my eyes off Tadeo, but my heart does skip in my chest when I see Barnett point his sword at the Lord. “You will both be brought before the Prince, Lord Tadeo.”
The Prince?
My mind reels.
No. Absolutely not.
“No, Barnett,” I shake my head and smile coolly at the Lord, “I think the Lord here understands my point, doesn’t he?”
I press the blade harder into his skin, drawing another dash of blood.
Lord Tadeo watches me with all the hatred he can muster. I smile back at him and his heavily bleeding nose, smirking when he pinches the top of it in attempt to stop the outflow.
“It is our way, Lady Alexis,” Barnett steps closer, “he must be brought before the Prince.”
The solider levels the tip of his sword under my blade, pushing it away with a new gentleness behind his voice. “Drop your dagger, Alexis.”
I finally take my eyes off Tadeo and step back, turning to look at Barnett. He has his own gaze firmly planted on the Lord with his sword still raised high, his hazel eyes never leaving Tadeo’s as he nods to me from the side.
“The dagger, Alexis.”
“What’s going on out here, Barnett?” a man asks from the entry.
I look behind Barnett’s shoulder to the small crowd that is now gathered in front of the doors. The man who just walked outside is another soldier, his body tensing as he grips the sword at his side.
Lord Tadeo steps away from both our blades, also noticing the small audience in front of the castle. I lower my dagger slowly when the second soldier walks over to the Lord quietly, both his face and Barnett’s cold and impassive.
“With you, Lord,” Barnett glares at Tadeo, urging him to walk.
Tadeo doesn’t take a step, doesn’t make any indication that he plans to follow Barnett. And just as the second soldier goes to round his back, the sound of heavy footsteps start bounding down the hall from behind the double doors. Tadeo’s eyes widen in fear when the earth below our feet starts to rumble, a full look of dread taking over his features as he hastily takes a step away from me.
This can’t be happening.
