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She was already a terrible queen. That much was clear.
You picked the wrong girl, she told the gods. Her body bounced against the warlock’s back, grasses and trees fuzzy all around her as he sprinted.
They didn’t answer. They probably agreed.
Surely whoever should actually be the queen of Pasia wouldn’t find themselves kidnapped. No, only Ace could get into situations like this. Perhaps the stupid joke had been too far?
Trapped in her mind, her body bandaged in magic, there wasn’t anything to do for the long seconds that followed but to argue with her own thoughts and curse at the gods. It probably wasn’t very wise to curse at the gods but she’d done it before, she could do it again, and this seemed like a good enough time as any.
All Ace could see was the warlocks moving feet and the curve of his ass too close to her face for her liking. He smelled terrible enough as it was, she didn’t need to learn if he’d been taught to wipe himself or not.
A stick cracked somewhere nearby. There was a groan and another snapping sound. A current of air blew at Ace’s dangling strands and the hood that had fallen with gravity. Something flew by her creating another loud crack of wood.
Not a stick. A tree, she quickly realized as leaves and limbs ground against each other. The warlock cursed as another strike zinged by, narrowly missing them.
The warlock was cursing under his breath, his steps quickening even more. Though she couldn’t move she could feel every bounce against him as it knocked the breath from her lungs.
Cries of rage welled alongside screams of fear. Her head only jostled with each heavy step the warlock took, not allowing her a chance to check on Shelby or Rehan. The chaos meant something. They weren’t out for the count yet.
Stomping feet raced after them like a stampede that might run them over. Had Rehan and Shelby fallen?
A strained groan managed to garble up her throat, the smallest and only sign of her frustration she could get through the magic that bound her so tightly.
Breathless, the warlock answered with a slap across her ass. “Don’t strain, pumpkin, it will only make it worse.”
She wouldn’t think twice about using her holy fire on him now. The embers of her inner flames were stirred, angrily roaring to life within her. She didn’t grab for that ability, not yet. Not when she couldn’t move. But she could bide her time.
An occasional shout would spring up behind them ushering the warlock to push himself to move faster. Ace nearly toppled from his body when a shadow passed over his head and the man dug his heels into the ground.
“What the fuck?” he gasped.
Something slammed into the ground in front of them, just out of Ace’s eyesight, making the trees around them shudder. More yelps of surprise were admitted from warlocks who dropped their swords from their hands into the dirt. Ace could only make out the motion of the nearest warlocks, most who dropped onto all fours and pressed their heads into the grass.
Were they bowing?
“I’m willing to give you one last chance.” Shelby? “Give her to me and tell the others to behave.” He was growling so much as he spoke that Ace could only imagine he was speaking through clenched teeth and bearing them like a rabid dog. “We all want into Glatton.”
“How can we trust you?” the warlock asked quietly.
“We are not the ones who have proven ourselves untrustworthy.”
He had a point.
A tingling sensation spread over Ace’s skin. Her body slid down against the warlocks as he stood her upright. Movement was slowly coming back into her limbs, and her fingers twitched at her sides.
“We will all get into Glatton. You swear it?”
Ace flinched as spit dotted her cheeks.
“I won’t swear anything until you let her go.”
Her ass met the earth, her chest feeling bruised from the echo of the push that knocked her down. A dull ache rode over her spine. Now she was able to peek up at the man who had taken her.
“Asshole,” she cursed.
The warlock couldn’t so much as look down at her. He glared angrily at Shelby, judgment clouding his eyes. “Have her. But if you so much as harm anyone within that city I will not hesitate to slit her throat.”
Crunching leaves warned her of Shelby’s approach. A large dark shadow fell over her. His height but not nearly his width.
