Vander had left once I was in bed last night, saying he was going to take care of the Morrow problem. But if anything, it looked like he’d escalated it. Even Dred was giving me, Taewyn, and Celine dirty looks. “We’d better watch our backs for a while,” I said, quietly.
Once most everyone was finished eating, trainers started collecting their apprentices and leaving. The torches were being lit, and a few servants had come to start cleaning up our messes. Vander was still talking with Scout and Falcon, so Taewyn, Celine, and I had more time too. My friends were in a debate about whether the raspberry or strawberry jam was better when Beast got up from his table and started our way. I nudged both of them and they quieted.
The angry crease between his brows deepened as he came to a stop. “Bet you three are pretty happy with yourselves for tattling on me. I didn’t do anything but win that game, and you went and lied to Commander Locke.”
“We didn’t have to tattle or lie. Everyone saw you hit her after she surrendered,” Taewyn argued.
“So what?” His dark eyes settled on me. “Did Viper get pissed you got your ass kicked? I would be too if I had a filthy loth as an apprentice. If you were my problem, I’d have let you get eaten by the vampires already.”
Vander, Scout, and Falcon had turned their attention toward our table. Scout, Taewyn’s trainer, was already standing, watching with his arms folded.
“It doesn’t matter where she’s from, she’s one of us now. And what you did was against the rules,” Taewyn said, forcefully. “It was a cheap shot, and you know it. Why do you want to pick on those weaker than you, anyway? It doesn’t make you look better. You look like a coward.”
Beast snatched the front of Taewyn’s top and slammed him onto the table, knocking over food and drinks. Water spilled onto my lap, and I jumped up. What was wrong with this man? How could someone be so hateful to the people he was supposed to fight beside?
Beast scooped up a handful of mashed potatoes and smeared it all over Taewyn’s face. “Little bitch,” he muttered.
That was my friend. The first person who’d been nice to me here. Something untamed roared inside me. Just like my speed, I’d always locked this side of me away, hid it from the world.
Before I could think better of it, I snatched up my empty glass and smashed it into the side of Beast’s head. It shattered, cutting slices into his skin. Hot anger burned inside me, the beads of blood peppering his face only fueled me, and I shoved him. He flipped backward over our bench and hit the ground. “Who’s the little bitch now?”
My breaths came quickly. Adrenaline shot through me. But I wasn’t afraid this time. I was scared to stand up to him during the games, but not now. I waited for fear and regret to come, but it didn’t.
Celine’s fingers dug into my shoulders, and she dragged me backward. “You shouldn’t have done that,” she hissed in my ear.
Cool rage began to lace with my heated anger as Beast rolled to his feet, and his eyes flashed with murder. Metal glinted in his grasp. I knew exactly what it was. I shouldn’t have been surprised as the knife came at me.
I backstepped, threw up my arm to block and the point sliced through my palm, leaving a trail of fire across my scarred hand. I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth and let out a quiet gasp. Was he trying tokillme? I stumbled backward, curled my bleeding hand to my chest.
“Just like I said, you’re a little bitch who has to use a knife against an unarmed woman.”
Droplets of crimson ran down the left side of his face as he came at me again.
Celine shrieked behind me. “Morrow, no!” She threw herself at him; he thrust a hard elbow, hitting her in the face and knocking her to the ground. With blood seeping out of her nose, she stared at him in shock.
His fury turned to me again. Beast went for a second strike, his face depraved and haunting. I jumped back to evade him—Vander caught his arm and twisted it until he dropped the knife.
It clattered to the stone beneath us. With an animal-like growl, Vander gripped his throat, fingers digging deep into Beast’s skin and muscle. He drove him backward and slammed him into the nearby tree trunk. “If you ever touch my apprentice again, I will fucking kill you.” He leaned closer and said something in his ear. Beast’s eyes widened. The color seemed to drain from his face.
My heart pounded. I fought for each breath. Everything changed so fast, my mind was whirling.
Beast wanted to kill me, not just hurt me.
I gulped down the lump in my throat.
A dark flash with a long braid caught my eye. Dred slinked up behind Vander.
“Viper, watch?—”
He pulled a blade. The point of it touched Dred’s chest. “Step back.” His calm but frightening command sent a chill down my spine.
“Let go of my apprentice.”
Something brushed against my shoulder, and I snapped my head around to find Falcon. Her hands were fisted at her sides, her jaw tight.
Vander released Beast and marched at Dred, pressing the blade enough to indent his shirt. Dred backed up several steps with his hands raised until they stood directly in front of me, Falcon, and Celine.
Dred’s dark eyes burned with malice. “Calm yourself, Viper.”
