AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The High Council appointed me. You and I both know I didn’t have a say in this,” I said slowly, scanning the room for anything I could use to my advantage against him. I tried to move the doorknob one more time, but it wouldn’t budge.
Kole noticed. His smile grew as he took another step closer to me. His eyes went to my breasts—the straps to my gown fell off my shoulders, exposing the top of them right where the chain of my necklace rested.
My necklace.
I quickly grabbed it and pressed the button on the back, praying that Sie would stay true to his word.
“That’s bullshit,” he spat in my direction. “Don’t try to fool me. Don’t pretend that you were just thrown into this position. You think just because you have a pretty face and nice body, you can seduce any male you want. You might have seduced Sie and even some members of the Council to get yourself here, but trust me, it ends now.”
He drew a dagger from the sheath on his hip and looked ready to devour me as he compelled, his voice softening, “You will not move. You will not scream.”
I tried my best not to fidget or even breathe as Kole came up before me. I needed him to believe that his compulsion worked. I needed him to believe that I wouldn’t fight back, that Icouldn’tfight back.
“Look at me.” I slowly shifted my gaze to meet his. He was only inches away now. “I have to keep you alive,for now, but when the time comes, I’m going to make this slow. Slow and painful, and as you die, I want you to remember that you are nothing. You deserve nothing. That this is what you and all the nixes will face when you walk among our kind, tainting it with your bad blood. First, we will take care of our own nix problem in Tennebris, making our Kingdom strong once again, then we will handle the mortals.”
“Who iswe?” I asked. My breath came out in ragged pants as my eyes never left his blade.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” His smile turned cruel. “Right now all you need to know is that I’m taking you with me. I need you alive, but…” he paused as he lifted his blade to my arm, grazing it slowly over my skin. He didn’t press it down hard enough to draw blood. He was teasing me, taunting me. He wanted me to fear him. He meant it when he said he would take his time with me. “They didn’t say anything about bringing you in unscratched. I am still allowed to have my fun with you,” he finished.
I had to act now. Twisting my hips, I drove my knee into his ribcage as hard as I could. My arm swung out to swat the tip of the blade away as my other arm went to his face.
He leaned back just enough to escape my fingers from clawing into his eye as he pushed me against the door. “You bitch,” he seethed. I felt pain shoot against my upper thigh as he dragged the blade down my leg. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it away from me. A bone cracked, and he bent down to cradle his arm as the dagger clattered to the floor. I kicked my uninjured leg as hard as I could up toward his face. Another snap of bone sounded as blood gushed out of his nose.
I sprinted across the room toward the three large windows. My room sat on the second floor, and bushes blanketed the ground beneath it. I could jump. I tried all three windows, pushing frantically at each one, begging them to unlock, but they didn’t budge. I heard Kole pick up the dagger from the floor. His steps were heavy as they made their way toward me. He spat what I presumed was his blood onto the floor.
I tried to turn as he fisted a chunk of my hair from behind. He pinned me against his chest just as the door to my bedroom rattled. I stared at the lock with dread before Sie teleported into the room. I sagged a bit into Kole once I saw him. He’d come.
Sie scanned my face, his eyes wide with worry. He trailed every inch of my skin, examining me for injuries. His gaze lingered on the gash on my thigh—my entire leg was red. His gaze then shifted to Kole and the dagger now pressed against my throat.
Sie slowly stalked closer. Kole pushed the blade further against my neck, blood starting to trickle down. “Move, and she dies.”
Sie halted. His eyes found mine. “Let her go.”
Kole backed up further into the room with me in tow. “Here is how this is going to work. You’re going to go to the far corner of the room, away from the door.” I watched as the lock clicked open from Kole’s ability. “If you so much as move toward us, I’ll drive this dagger into her throat. And don’t even attempt to use your compulsion on me or teleport to us. The moment I see any bit of gold on your skin, she’s dead.”
Sie obeyed. His eyes never left me or the dagger pressed into my neck. Kole relaxed his death grip enough that the blade no longer pierced my skin. “Let’s go,” he said as he pushed me toward the door.
I glanced at Sie. He stood motionless as he mouthed one word to me.Two.
Two. The defensive move Peter had taught me this week. I’d learned eight moves so far, but number two was to escape a hold from behind. Peter must have told Sie about my training and my progress. I didn’t hesitate.
Kole swore profusely as I rolled out of his grip, executing the maneuver and tumbling onto the floor.
Before I even blinked, Sie was on him. The dagger was thrown across the room, and Kole was brought down. Sie didn’t use any abilities—he didn’t need to. I couldn’t watch. The sounds escaping Kole’s mouth made me queasy. I vomited on the floor. Once. Twice.
Guards poured into my room once Kole was pinned. Sie didn’t look at them as he spoke, “Take him to the dungeons, now. Don’t tell anyone what you saw tonight. I am going to escort Scotlind to my chambers.” The guards wordlessly clasped shackles over Kole’s wrist. He swore profusely as they clamped the metal over his broken bone before dragging him away.
Sie was instantly at my side, his hand hovering over my lower back. He didn’t say anything as he looped an arm under my knees and scooped me into his arms. I didn’t protest as he carried me through the halls of the castle. I didn’t notice anything or anyone. I didn’t know if Sie was walking or running or if he teleported us there, but it felt like a lifetime. I curled into his neck, smelling the same cedarwood scent and instantly felt safe in his arms. Shaken still, but safe.
The two guards outside Sie’s door stiffened at my appearance. I was nestled against him. My thin, white nightgown clung to my sweaty skin. My blood, and maybe some of Kole’s, engulfed both of us. Tears streamed down my face from the pain in my leg and the shock of what just happened. Despite being drained, my body wouldn’t stop shaking. Sie tightened his grip around my body as he nodded for them to open the doors.
Candles lit the room, illuminating Peter’s green, wide-eyed shock as he took in the sight of me. He rushed over to us, but Sie pressed past him.
“Scottie, you’re bleeding! Are you okay?”
I pressed further into Sie’s chest as the heat from the fireplace reached me. I didn’t realize how badly I was shivering until he set me down on the leather sofa. Sie didn’t so much as look at Peter as he ordered, “Call a Luxian healer, now.” Peter left immediately, leaving us alone in his room.
In one swoop, Sie reached his hand over his head and pulled his shirt off. He ripped the fabric, tearing off a long piece, and pulled my ruined thigh toward him. His knees slammed into the marble floor as he knelt beside me and started hiking my thin nightgown up even higher. I swatted his hand away.
