Lord Arnaf made no move to retrieve his tendril from theleilathaon my arm, despite my emotions now being far fromenjoyable. Maybe he just forgot. Or maybe he derived some kind of sick satisfaction from my terror?
“Elaine, take two steps toward the shell, please,” Timur said in a strained, quiet voice.
Reluctantly, I retreated to the shell, stepping away from him.
He moved so fast, it looked like a blur. Grabbing both spears, he yanked them out of the guards’ hands. His tail lashed out from under his cloak, knocking the guards off their feet. They sprawled on the floor on each side of his chair, and he propped the spears against their necks, just above their chain-link armor.
His hood fell off as he tossed his head back and roared, baring his teeth.
I choked on my scream at the sight of the beast unleashed. I knew Timur better than anyone here. I’d spent weeks living under the same roof with him. He was the only one I had relied on for both my safety and my survival. I’d seen him without his cloak before. I’d witnessed him roaring in pain.
But even I was struck by terror at the sight of his wrath.
With a loud hiccup, Lord Kamir plopped down on the floor, missing a cushion.
Lord Arnaf staggered backward, hit the edge of the giant shell-tub, and barely avoided falling into it.
“W-what the fuck are you?” he mumbled, with his mouth dropping open.
I forgot how to breathe, staring at Timur unblinking. I didn’t need perfect eyesight to feel the danger rolling from him in thick swells of barely contained fury.
“I’m someone you have to listen to very carefully tonight,” Timur growled in reply to the fine lord. “My Joy Vessel does as she pleases. Neither I, nor you, nor any of your friends, can tell her what to do. If she chooses to stay and have a bath, she’ll do it on her own terms. But if she wants to leave, I’m getting her outof here this very minute. The only choiceyouhave in this matter is to either let us go in peace or risk your life by trying to stop us.”
Lord Arnaf swallowed hard, looking like he’d either forgotten all his words or just couldn’t squeeze any through his throat.
“Do you understand?” Timur insisted. “Youdo asshesays, not the other way around.”
Goosebumps rushed down my arms. No one had stood up for me like this before, so frank and uncompromising.
Propping his butt on the edge of the tub for balance, Lord Arnaf moved his perturbed look from Timur to me.
“What do you want to do, Sweet One?” he asked in a suddenly higher pitched voice.
I met Timur’s mismatched stare. He gripped the two spears with the sharp points of their Nerifir iron tips pressed to the guards’ necks. It would take little effort on his part to pin the guards’ necks to the precious rugs on the floor, and they knew it. Spread on their backs, they lay still, breathing heavily in sharp, shallow pants.
This powerful, incredible man-beast was on my side. I trusted him to defend my life, my freedom, and my dignity, and it lifted the weight of dread from my chest, making breathing a little easier.
“Well,” I said. “Do I have your word, Lord Arnaf, that our safety is guaranteed inside your tent? That there is no threat to me or my master from you, your friends, your guards, or your servants?”
I’d never called Timur my master before tonight, never thought about him that way either. Since the day of the auction, our relationship had changed. He stopped making me feel like his property very early on. We became equal partners in our joint venture. Now that he had acknowledged out loud that I was in charge, that my free will mattered, and that the choice was mine, I sensed the bond between us growing even stronger.
But I wasn’t going to explain all that to someone like Lord Arnaf. Even if I tried, I didn’t think he’d understand. For him, I was Timur’s property and he was my master. So I kept it simple for him.
“I need to know we’re safe before I make my decision,” I insisted.
Lord Arnaf nodded quickly.
“Yes. Of course. You’re safe. Both of you. I far prefer your pleasure over your fear.” He grimaced, pointing at his tendril still connected to theleilathain my upper arm.
Whether he’d forgotten to retrieve it or left it there intentionally, it might be to my benefit that he’d stayed connected to my emotions because now he knew exactly how I felt when threatened. I hoped he preferred me feeling safe and happy rather than anxious and scared.
“Then I would like to stay, my lord,” I declared. “The bath looks lovely, promising a lot of joy and pleasure that I will gladly share with you and your friends on the same terms as before.”
I focused on steadying my breathing, trying to calm my nerves and hopefully salvage this evening to everyone’s benefit. My gaze drifted to Timur with no effort on my part. Despite his threatening pose with the spears at the guards’ necks, looking at Timur relaxed me, just like being near him often did.
“Maybe we should release the guards now that Lord Arnaf gave us his word, what do you think?” I smiled at Timur.
With a brief nod, he shifted the spears. The sharp points of their metal heads slipped off the guards’ necks. The two men quickly scrambled into sitting positions. One rubbed his throat. The other one looked like he was about to puke.
