Surrounded by grown Dakkari males, Mina’s weaknesses were even more striking. She was not a fighter. She didn’t know how to defend herself. With bruises marring her flesh and a swollen lid over one eye, she looked like a frightened, helpless, little creature.
She froze up, surrounded by mydarukkars, who approached me.
And…I couldn’t help but notice that she took a step back towards me when they strode forward. Seeking my protection?
My nostrils flared. With a hand on her shoulder, I pushed her into Valavik’s arms, ignoring a strange stinging sensation in my gut at the sight of her so close to another male.
“Take her to the council’svoliki,” I ordered him. “And tie her up so she doesn’t escape.”
An outraged gasp tore from her throat, breaking her from her frightened stupor.
“What?” she whispered, her eyes round, on me.
“I want guards posted outside at all times,” I told him, watching his grip around her arm tighten, “until I decide what to do with her.”
“Lysi, Vorakkar,” Valavik said, inclining his head.
“Rowin,” she said, in disbelief.
Hearing my line’s name from her lips, the name of my horde, especially in front of mydarukkars, in front of Valavik, made a little ember of anger burn in my chest. Anger I’d thought dead. She dared to address me so familiarly in front ofmyhorde members?
“I told you I would make you regret it,sarkia. Do you remember?” I growled out. My words made thedarukkarsshift in their places, made one or two pass their hands over the hilts of their swords. “I swore it on Kakkari.”
Her lips parted. Her face paled.
I approached her. Close enough that I could see the gold strands reflected in the firelight. Close enough that I could smell her—that earthy, tantalizing scent, though it was mingled with her fear and her blood. Close enough that she needed to crane her neck back to meet my eyes.
Her own were wide with realization.
“I thought…” she whispered, trailing off. “I thought that…”
“That I’d forgiven you?” I rasped. “That I’dforgotten?”
Her knees gave out from underneath her and I saw her eyes close briefly. Valavik caught her around the waist before she tumbled to the ground.
When her eyes opened again, they were shimmering with tears and tiredness.
“I amowedyou,sarkia,” I told her softly, reaching out to run my bloodied claw down her cheek.
I ignored the voice inside that cautioned me to tread carefully. I ignored my concern for her. I ignored the bitter taste in my mouth when I saw her shoulders slumped in defeat and the way she looked…lost.
So incredibly lost.
My hand trailed underneath her chin until I tilted it up, until she met my eyes again.
The longer I looked into them, the more that familiar sensation pushed between us. Everything seemed to hush. All I could focus on was her. I felt myself softening towards her when I needed to remaincold.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t do this.”
Stilling, I knew what was happening.
Weaving her spell over me again? Just as she’d done to lure me to the Dead Mountain in the first place.
I released her in disgust. Disgust mostly directed at myself, for allowing it to happen in the first place, for my own weakness.
Angrily, I told her, “You’reminenow. Just as you vowed to me! And I will dowhateverI wish with you.”
I looked away from her when I saw her expression go slack. Like she was…disconnecting. From me. From everything.
