This is it. He was going to yank her hand back and dislocate her shoulder. He’d slap her across the face and apologize and blame it on the scotch.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Amaris balked.
“I’m sorry, Amaris,” he whispered again as he released her finger. He lifted his hand, hovering over her cheek. His thumb brushed along her cheekbone, taking away a line of tears.
The door slammed open, and Bennet stormed the tower with a vicious smirk. Another figure emerged. It was the monstrous man from the riding party with dark and beady eyes—Gerard. Amaris had steeredclear of him since that first day. He was larger than both Theodoric and Bennet, and she couldn’t imagine what would happen if he got one of his gigantic hands around her neck. Instinctively, she put distance between them until her back was against the far wall. Bennet stalked closer, but Theodoric shifted in front of her.
The impending doom circled around her.They know I tried to escape.
“What do you want?” Theodoric asked, using his soldier voice.
“It would seem she’s struck again,” Bennet growled.
Theodoric inched back until his warmth and scent of brine and worn leather overpowered Amaris’s other senses.
She peered over his shoulder. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
Bennet stopped at the worktable as he gave the room a look of pure disgust. “One of my men was found dead in his bed,” he snapped. “Scrying fever.”
It wasn’t about the escape attempt. Theodoric grabbed ahold of her, keeping her behind him as he pressed his back against her.
“We didn’t know of another case of scrying fever. We would have made a tonic.” Theodoric said. “She cured Esaias.”
“The man is dead due to her negligence, and she’ll pay for it,” Bennet threatened.
Amaris’s chest wrapped tight around her heart and lungs. She held onto Theodoric’s back, scrunching the fabric into a ball as she steadied herself. “I…I didn’t know,” she said, but every bit of courage was gone.Someone died.
“This isn’t Amaris’s fault,” Theodoric growled.
“Step aside, Theodoric,” Bennet ordered. “Gerard will be taking her to the dungeons.”
“No,” Theodoric snapped. “Not until my father gives that order.”
“Step aside,” Bennet repeated.
Theodoric held his stance. “We will speak with my father first.”
“Gerard,” Bennet barked.
Instantly, Theodoric set into action. His fists slammed into Gerard’s jaw, spewing blood across the floor.
“Don’t,” Amaris said, grabbing Theodoric by the arm and attempting to hold him back, but he pulled from her grasp.
He moved on Gerard with his fists as if on instinct. With blood dripping from his lip, Gerard retaliated and delivered a blow to Theodoric’s abdomen. His grunt filled the tower. He hunched forward, leaning against a chair and gasping for breath.
“Stop!” Amaris screamed, but Gerard sent his fist into Theodoric’s face with a loud crunch. He fell back with a groan and grabbed his nose. Blood leaked between his fingers. “Please, stop!”
Theodoric tried to get up but was too late. Bennet came up behind Amaris. She didn’t hear or see him move, but he had his dagger pressed against her neck.
“This ends now,” he yelled.
Amaris eyed Theodoric, begging him to stay down. Why had he jumped in for her, risked himself to protect her?
Gerard rolled up his sleeves, and his monstrous legs took a thundering step toward Theodoric.
“I’ll go with you!” Amaris shouted.
