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The feeling of ants that crawled up her back matched the sudden fear that clutched Violet’s chest, paralyzing her. Julius hadn’t spotted them yet, turning toward the four men that were standing near him in the street instead. Much like the commander and Gavin, they wore silvery outfits with the kingdom’s insignia sewn over their hearts.
Their faces were a blur from this far away, brown belts, and fur scarves were a dead giveaway of who they belonged to. It appeared that the Valdor Assembly had found her, after all.
“Fuck!” Gavin’s wide hand wrapped around her arm and whisked her into the nearest alleyway.
Violet’s boots dipped into inches of mud, and she let her numb body collapse against the wall behind her. “He came here with part of your assembly. Does that mean the time he gave you to take me back to the Iron City has run out?” She met Gavin’s wild gaze. His skin looked pale and shone with a fresh layer of sweat.
“That’s not my assembly,” he said.
“What do you mean? They’re all wearing your uniform.”
“I know, but those aren’t my brothers. I’ve never seen them before.”
She straightened, and the reality of their situation sank in. All the pieces of the puzzle clicked together. Who these people were didn’t matter, as they’d most likely been hired to help Julius with the dirty task of tracking her down and killing her. By wearing the army’s uniform, they could avoid any questions from Scoria’s citizens. Gavin clenched his jaw, and she knew he must have reached the same conclusion as her.
If Julius had come with his own hired muscle, it could only mean the King hadn’t signed and approved this mission. And the only way this hunt would end was in bloodshed.
The pulse of her heartbeat echoed loudly inside her ears, drowning out other sounds around her. She didn’t fear death so much, but she dreaded the way they would do it. Had she been sentenced to a warrior’s execution, she would go fast and with little pain. But left to his own devices, Julius was going to rape and torment her.
“He’s going to hurt me…” Her breaths came out in shallow pants as she paced toward the dead end of the alleyway and back again. They were trapped. Stuck here, next to wooden boxes littered with animal feces.
The heavy weight of two hands landed on her shoulders, warmth seeping through her coat. She’d escaped for nothing.
“Hey,” Gavin said. “Calm down. Violet.”
She barely registered his voice. How could she settle down knowing the pain that awaited her? Adrenaline pumped through her body, bringing traces of nausea to her gut.
Gavin turned her by the shoulders, and her breaths eased when she met his gaze. “When you were talking about Morgan, was Julius the one you feared would hurt you?”
Her expression must have been answer enough because he dropped his hands like she’d burned him. “Fuck!” He looked back towards the inn with wild eyes, and his quick, shallow breathing gave away his panic. “They are heading this way.”
He studied the buildings that loomed over them on all three sides. There were no windows on the bottom level, except for a narrow balcony to the right. It looked more of a hazard than not, to judge by the rotten wood that hung from what had once been the floor.
“Come on, climb up on my shoulders.”
“What?”
“You’ll be hidden up there until they take me away because you’re small.”
She frowned. “You think this man is your friend, Gavin, but he isn’t here looking to uphold this lie he told you. I killed his cousin and deserted the kingdom while being a part of his assembly. He’s out for my blood.”
“I know.” He fumbled with his satchel, pulling it from his shoulders and dropping it over hers. Too stunned to move, she watched as he tightened the belt around her. “Do you recognize the difference between a healing potion and one that’s meant to induce sleep? Never mind. If you’re hurt, in my bag there’s one potion that’s tinted green. It’s a strong healing brew. It can keep you alive until you find help.”
“Why would that matter? I’m not hiding up there while you fight them.”
Julius and his men must be drawing closer. She swore she could hear their voices, mingling with the din of the streets.
Gavin let out a deep breath, regaining some of his composure. “I would never forgive myself if he hurt you.”
“If we work together, we have a better chance of escaping.”
“Two against five? You’re still injured, and I haven’t really slept in days.” He pushed her toward the building and underneath that death trap of a balcony.
“No,” she protested again. “It’s better if we stay together.”
“You’re going on that terrace.”
Violet turned to him, but her angry retort died in her throat when she found his imploring gaze. He raised his hand to her cheek and trailed his fingers across it. “Let me do this for you.”
