A long whistle stretches on the air followed by, “Well, well. She has teeth.”
Tage drags his attention from me. I follow the direction of his gaze to Danhy, who wears an expression of vindication, like I just proved a point, as though I’m the family pet who, as predicted, turned and bit the master’s hand.
They’re all here, hair rumpled from sleep, sentinels arrived, ready to mete out the necessary discipline—except for Arvos, of course. Their gazes scan the scene, missing nothing. Not me and Tage locked in struggle. Not my bag of supplies or blanket, evidence of my attempt at escape.
Viggo looks shocked.
Danhy smug.
Cyphus...
Well. Cyphus looks almost jealous, as though Tage has stolen his favorite toy.
“I told you she can’t be trusted. What are you going to do with her now?” Danhy demands.
Viggo nods slowly, regret in his green eyes, and I hate that. Hate that I’ve somehow disappointed him.
I turn to face Tage, ready for him to condemn me.
“All of you...to bed,” he commands.
I don’t know what I expected from him, but it isn’t this.
The others don’t expect it either. They don’tacceptit.
“Tage,” Danhy begins slowly, tentatively, but she doesn’t get a chance to finish.
“What are you going to do withher?” Cyphus demands, and there’s nothing deferential in his hard tone. I’ve never heard any of the others speak to Tage in such an insolent manner. “She should be punished. If you haven’t the stomach, turn her over to me.”
Turn her over to me.
I flinch. My imagination doesn’t need to work hard to envision what that might look like. My knees start to shake, threatening to buckle, blasted with the memory of his body pinning me down. Rancid breath. Rough tongue. Ugly words.
Tage’s arms around me keep me upright. He looks coldly at Cyphus. “That’s for me to decide.”
“It concerns all of us!”
Danhy and Viggo swap uneasy looks.
Tage’s arms loosen around me, and I manage to stay upright. With one hand wrapped around my wrist, he steps out from my side.
I breathe a little easier without the wall of him overwhelming me. And yet I hold still, knowing better than to run or fight right now. He might toss me to Cyphus and decide I’m no longer worth the trouble. If I have to pick between the two of them, Tage is the lesser evil. At least he never woke me in the middle of the night to confess his fantasy ofeatingme.
No, he probably keeps that to himself.
“Iwill decide what to do with her,” Tage says in precise, exacting speech. Not exactly comforting. Clearly, he will dosomethingto me. “Does that sound agreeable to you, Cy?”
The words themselves are innocent enough. Even polite. But there’s an undeniable edge to them...a threat. A promise of violence.
A long beat falls as Tage and Cyphus lock on each other in wordless challenge.
No one stirs a ripple in the pool of silence. Danhy and Viggo watch, waiting. We all wait.
At last, Cyphus gives a nod. “Fine,” he agrees tersely.
Danhy and Viggo turn to leave.
Cyphus lingers.
