One of them lifts his hands a little.
“Easy, sirDrake.Easy—we meant no offense.Wedidn’t know she was with you.”
“No offense?”Ispit the words at him and slam the first guard against the wall again for good measure.“Hecalled her aslut.”
Elowen is standing a few feet away, frozen, her hands clenched in the fabric of her robe.Hergreen eyes are wide with shock.
“Theron,” she says quietly.“Pleasedon’t.”
ButI’mtoo far gone for calm.
“You,”Igrowl at the guard in my hand.“Geton your knees and beg her forgiveness.”
He stares at me in disbelief, butItighten my grip.
“Do it…Fuckingnow,”Igrowl.
That does it.Henods frantically andIlet him drop.Hestumbles, coughs, then goes down to both knees in the dirt right there under the gate arch.
“My lady,” he gasps, not daring to look at me.“Ibeg your forgiveness.Ispoke wrongly.”
I want more groveling, butElowenspeaks beforeIcan demand more.
“All right,” she says.“That’senough.”
Her voice cuts through my rage like cold water.Iturn to look at her and see the way she’s holding herself—too still, too careful.Ican see the emotions rushing over her pretty face—she’s embarrassed…hurt…shaken.
Fuck.
I step back from the kneeling guard and force myself to unclench my fists.Theother guards don’t move.They’rewatching me likeImightShiftright there in the gateway and tear them all apart andIfucking well might!
At last one of them clears his throat.
“You may pass,SirDrake” he says stiffly.“Aslong as you do not commit violence in theKing’sCity.”
I don’t thank him or make any promises.ItakeElowenby the hand and lead her through the gates before another idiot opens his mouth.
The city beyond is all noise and lantern-light and stone streets still warm from the day’s heat.We’vebarely gone twenty paces beforeElowenpulls gently against my hold.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she says in a low voice.
I stop and turn to her.
“Didn’tI?Hefucking insulted you!”Isnarl.I’mstill fucking angry.
“He was right,” she says, her voice dropping even lower.“Tocall me that,Imean.Hewasn’t lying.Myeyes are green, andIwear no rings or marks of marriage.”
Her soft words hit me harder thanIexpected.Fora secondIjust stare at her…thenIknow whatIhave to do.Ichanged her eyes—Imade her vulnerable to the kind of insult the guard tossed at her as casually as he might toss scraps to a stray dog.
I have to fix this.Evenif we’re going to theKing’sCourtfor her to reverse everything with theTimeWeavingspell,Idon’t want her to have to endure that kind of disrespect again—not even once.
“I think it’s time to change that,”Igrowl.
And before she can argue,Ipull her with me into the crowd.
60
THERON
