The servants shifted, a couple of them rising from their seats and leaving the room. Astrid was one of them. Collum’s eyes narrowed.
Wanting to avoid a conflict, I took the book from her hand, opening it to begin reading.
“Losik um ratumin und—” My voice was strong despite the weeks of abuse, and I found myself getting sucked into their rhythm. It wasn’t long before the book was half done, several of the servants’ eyelids’ beginning to droop. We would have to stop soon. Glancing up to make eye contact with Collum, who I had last seen leaning up against the back wall of the room, my eyes found deep black ones instead, a sneer on his face.
Viscount Adis.
My heart and voice stopped simultaneously, and it felt like all of the air was sucked from the room. Puzzled by my sudden stop, many of the servants following my gaze, their own faces paling at what they saw standing at the back of the room.
My only conscious thought was where the hell was Collum? She had been on lookout duty.
Then all hell broke loose.
Knowing that Adis couldn’t punish them all, the servants broke into action, many fleeing the room out of the many doors. Some into the courtyard, others through the door that led to the exterior garden and pond. I swore I saw some head into the pantry, which made me cringe, but I knew it didn’t matter.
Viscount Adis was just one person. The only man who hadn’t been given a sleeping draft on any of the nights we planned to read. Meaning, he could only punish oneperson.
Me.
I stayed still as his pristine black shoes stomped across the room. I stayed quiet as his palm came up and struck me across the face. He called for guards, but no one came. Then he was dragging me down the hall and out the front doors.
This was it. This was the end.
We crossed the yard, then he dragged me through the front gate. But he didn’t let me go yet.
No, he didn’t let me go until we reached the barracks when we stopped in front of a large wooden door, the barest amount of candlelight flickering from within, visible through the crack below the door.
He knocked. “What?!”
“Open up the door now!” Viscount Adis shouted and I wondered for a moment why he hadn’t just kicked the door down. But the sound of a lock turning confirmed my suspicions.
The door opened to reveal a man I had never seen before, his blond hair tied at the nape of his neck. He was broad-shouldered and broad-chested, which was noticeable in the simple undershirt he wore. He was taller than Viscount Adis, but he had the same black eyes. His jaw was set in a hard line, though he didn’t appear to have been sleeping.
“Karl, where is Otho?”
The large man, presumably Karl, crossed his arms over his chest. “Sleeping I presume. Or did you think that your prized general was required to work around the clock?”
Viscount Adis grumbled under his breath, and I couldn’t help but think I liked Karl already.
“Fine. Well, I have this new recruit for you. No training. Put him at the front lines starting tomorrow.”
Karl looked me up and down in a manner that was so familiar yet foreign. “He won’t last long there, not without at least some basic training.”
“That’s the point.” Adis sneered, giving me a swift kick to the shin.
It hurt, but I refused to let him have the satisfaction of seeing me fall, so I bit my lip and breathed through the pain.
Karl raised his eyebrows. “Policy is at least three days training for new recruits.”
Adis’s face grew red, and I felt fear for this Karl even though I had only known him mere moments. “Fine. Three days. But if I come back in three days and find him under this roof, I’ll have your head on a platter.”
Karl’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yes, sir.”
Adis twisted on his heel and headed back the way we had come, leaving me standing in front of Karl’s door.
“What about his things?”
Adis visibly tensed before calling over his shoulder. “He will be brought them tomorrow, though he won’t have use of them for long.”
