The moment she speaks, Rohan wrenches away from the wall.
It’s clear he’s supposed to keep his distance when Quintus’s hand snaps out to restrain him.
Rohan rounds on Quintus so fast I barely follow his fist before it smashes across Quintus’s face.
Crack!
Quintus drops to the ground, the other lords rush to him, and Rohan storms toward us, heading directly for Thyra.
At the speed he’s moving, he’ll reach her in seconds.
Thyra barely flinches, but I don’t have time to assess her reaction. My reflexes firing, I step in front of her, drawing my axe and roaring at Rohan, “Don’t come near her, Rohan! Or I fucking swear to the Goddess?—”
“No!” Cassia darts past me in a flash, her face pale, fear burning in her eyes.
She knows I’ll kill Rohan if he threatens Thyra.
Cassia launches herself at Rohan, using her smaller size to her full advantage, evading his quick reaction, his evasive action, and using his body as a platform to swing herself up and around his shoulders and neck, knocking him to the ground.
But he’s damn familiar with her moves, because they used to spar together.
Maybe that’s her intention.
He tumbles forward, taking her with him, his arms wrapped around her, near throwing himself to the side so he takes the brunt of the fall.
She’s on top of him for a mere heartbeat before he reversestheir position, pinning her down. It looks like he’s got the better of her, but she’s got him in a near deadlock, her arms and legs hooked around all the right limbs to immobilize him, his face above hers, only inches apart.
She’s visibly trembling, the desperation in her eyes tearing at my soul. A raw soul that Thyra has wrenched up from an abyss.
“Rohan.” Cassia’s voice chokes. “Come back to me.”
He’s far too quiet. Too fucking blank.
Then, with a flicker in his eyes—pain or anger, I can’t fucking tell—he leans closer to her, his mouth lowering to her ear.
I can’t hear what he says.
Her eyes widen. Then fill with tears. “No.”
She tightens her hold around him, but he wrenches himself from her grasp like he used to when they’d spar, deftly launching himself to his feet.
Her scream echoes around the room as she lurches up after him. “Rohan!”
My arm is around her in a second, restraining her while Rohan plows toward the lords, all of whom are casting each other glances.
Three of them reach for their swords, although it’s unclear if they intend to attack us or Rohan. Quintus is only beginning to stir, or I imagine he’d be among those spoiling for a fight.
The other four edge toward the door, so I guess Galla’s instructions didn’t cover a situation where Rohan went completely off script.
“We’re leaving,” Rohan snarls at them, focusing on the three who look like they want to fight and, when they hesitate, raising his voice to a roar. “Unless you want your heads caved in,you willleave! Right fucking now.”
That’s all it seems to take. One of thelords who was reaching for his sword abandons his weapon and scoops up Quintus, dragging him out of the room.
Within seconds, they’re all gone.
Thyra rushes to Cassia’s side, wrapping her arms around her.
Cassia’s shoulders are hunched low, her lips trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks.
