“It depends on the target.” He patted my shoulder. “Are you still upset when people touch you?”
“Not anymore.”
Trusting Darius was easy. His spectacular aura and deep calm affected me, and I didn’t mind him hugging me since he always asked first.
Alex was another matter. He’d said he couldn’t touch me, and without understanding his feelings, I had no idea how I should behave.
That was why I found it difficult to tell him about my insecurities after Sean had almost killed me. My only suitor had been a criminal who had beaten me brutally. Trusting men, especially those as potentially dangerous as Alex, was hard. Darius had understood.
My stabs were weak, and my low energy had nothing to do with it. I didn’t even want to jab a bag.
“Sorry, Darius.” I rubbed my shoulder. “I’m tired.”
The sun was setting below the horizon, stretching my shadow over the grass.
“We’ll try again tomorrow.”
“Is that how you wield a dagger?” Logan sneaked up on us and scowled so fiercely I dropped the blade. “And you’re supposed to be an assassin, the duke’s favourite at that.”
“Leave, Logan.” Darius radiated so much energy it pressed against my skin.
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.” Logan pointed to the front gate. “Something prevents me from leaving the mansion. One of your spells is my guess.”
“You aren’t allowed to exit the mansion. The duke’s orders.” Darius folded his arms across his chest.
Logan’s eyes turned obsidian. “Am I a prisoner?”
I recoiled on instinct as his voice turned cavernous.
“Yes, until we’re sure you aren’t going to suck people dry.” Darius didn’t flinch. “When you’re calm, you’ll be free to go.”
The tips of his white fangs appeared. “Let me go. Now.”
“I don’t take orders from you.”
Logan’s muscles swelled. Darius stayed unruffled. The world stilled, apart from my pulse that spiked.
Logan moved at an impossible speed and attacked Darius. I struggled to understand what was happening because, between Logan’s speed and Darius’s light, their moves weren’t clear.
They swished past me, so close that a gust of air ruffled my hair.
Trying to keep my distance from the fight, I tripped and fell to the ground. I winced as the blade cut my arm. Blood trickled down to my wrist. At first, bruises and cuts had healed quickly, but now it took longer than when I’d been alive because I hadn’t killed anyone yet.
Logan slowed down his moves and whipped around towards me, his facial muscles distorted. His nostrils flared. He bared his sharp teeth and lunged at me before I drew my next breath.
I showed him the cross. He hissed and staggered back, glaring at me.
Deep purple fear shot through Darius’s aura. He waved his hand, and Logan was dragged backwards by golden ropes. He tried to pounce, but the shimmering ropes held him back.
“Is the cut serious?” Darius crouched next to me as Logan was being pushed back yards away by the ropes.
I grimaced. “A scratch.”
“Irene.” Alex seemingly materialised out of thin air. He sucked in a long breath as he looked at my arm. The tug in my chest strained. Anger? “What happened?”
“Logan.” Darius twirled his finger, and a clean strip of fabric ripped from his shirt and wrapped itself around my arm.
The air vibrated as Alex’s eyes became obsidian. He rushed towards Logan in a flutter of black fabric, but he didn’t go far. Logan ripped the ropes apart and lunged at Alex.
