The knife in her hand flashed again, and I barely managed to close the distance and grab her wrist before the knife parted the flesh of his throat.
Her eyes flashed to me, the light brown color reminding me of the toasted-sugar candy my mother once made. The sight of those gorgeous brown eyes paralyzed me. I simply held her wrist and stared at her like an oaf.
She didn’t waste the opportunity my idiocy afforded her, though. With a swift, economical movement, she stepped into me and performed a strange maneuver that slipped her hand from my grip. Her other hand came up simultaneously, catching me in the throat.
Stumbling back, I gagged, lifting my hands up with my palms out. Her gaze darted between Talus and me as she fell into a fighting stance that spoke not just of training, but experience.
When Talus reached for her like an idiot, the knife glinted in her hand before it moved in a blur of motion. He jerked his fingers back with a roar, and his dark purple blood dripped onto the dirt.
I coughed several times, then managed to find my voice. “Stop!” I bellowed.
The command echoed in the training yard, and every man stopped moving, including my commander, Guldan, who had been moving toward the woman.
She turned toward me, her hands still up in a fighting stance and her gaze wary. Prepared to defend herself if necessary.
I kept my hands open and out as I maintained my distance. “Don’t move, human. I’m not going to hurt you unless you give me no choice.”
Her eyes narrowed on me, but she didn’t try to stab me with the blade in her hand, so I considered that a victory.
Satisfied she would remain still for the moment, I let my eyes trail over my men.
“Now, what the fuck is going on?” I asked.
None of them answered. Not even Talus. Instead, they silently looked toward my commander, which meant I did as well.
He came forward, stopping just out of arm’s reach of the human.
“Guldan?”
“I purchased her for the soldiers, General.”
I shook my head. “I’m retired now, Guldan. Call me Bokkan.”
“Of course.”
“Wait… what do you mean you bought her for the soldiers?”
He glanced at the human. “Well, they have needs, General. I thought a female would help morale.”
I squinted at him. “Are you telling me you purchased a prostitute for my men?”
“I amnota prostitute!” the human yelled, interrupting our conversation. “I was fucking kidnapped from my bed in the middle of the night and sold at auction like a fucking cow!I did not agreeTO ANY OF THIS!”
Her voice was deep and husky. It brought a tingle to my flesh, like the moment before lightning struck too close. A primal urge stirred within me.
Hunt. Mount.
Ignoring the whisper in my mind, I looked back at Guldan. “Is this true?”
“Sir, she made a deal with a daemon, otherwise she would not have been at the auction. She knew what she was getting into.”
“You lying asshole!” she cried out, spinning toward Guldan and taking a step closer to him. “Whatever those gray-skinned dickheads are, two of them came into my house in the middle of the night, blew some kind of powder into my face, and, when I woke up, I was in a cell.”
Guldan glared down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Humans are only brought to Penumbra when they agree to a contract with a daemon. It is the law.”
“And none of yourdaemonswould dare break the law?” she drawled, her question dripping with venom.
“Listen, human?—”
