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Chapter Forty-Eight
Aika
Damian’s smug expression is all the confirmation I need that he heard everything.
My heart plummets to the bottom of my gut, and my vision darkens in the corners. How is it that after years of being the perfect soldier, the perfectdaughter, I have failed so epically tonight?
If Mother finds out, there will be no getting out of this. No going back.
I grasp around for a lie.
“Shouldn’t you be more discreet? Anyone could see you here. Put your mask back on and let’s go.” I speak with a confidence I’ve pulled directly from my arse as I attempt to walk past him.
He grabs hold of my arm tightly, forcing me to stop at his side.
“I knew it.” His voice is a thousand tiny spiders crawling onto my skin. “This whole time, I knew it was you.”
“What are you going on about? Let go of me.” I pull away from his grasp.
His fingers only dig in deeper as he tugs me closer to him. Damian shakes his head, a low chuckle escaping his scarred lips.
“Even you can’t lie your way out of this. I heard every word.” He drags me from the room back out into the dark hallway. “Now, we will hear what Mother has to say about it.”
I fight to get away from him and feel the crack in my shoe widen with each strained movement. Any other time, if we had an even playing field, I would have no problem escaping him.
There has to be a way out of this.
Anything would be better than the slow, agonizing death Mother will deal me.Bloody hell,she’ll probably let Damian do it while she watches, and I have more dignity than to let myself be killed by him.
I’ll take my own life first.
“As usual,Brother, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Just let me go and I will explain it all in a way that thick skull of yours can comprehend.”
The only response he gives is the back of his hand across my face, sending my mask flying to the floor. I open my fan, spinning back toward him.
My arm sails through the air, slicing the fan across his face and chest, and I try to use his momentary shock to scramble backward in an attempt to regain my footing.
Which is next to impossible thanks to Mother.
A slow grin spreads over his twisted mouth as he darts toward me. Taking up a defensive position, I ready myself for his next attack, but instead of drawing a weapon to fight back, he lunges for me, grabbing me by the waist and pummeling me flat on my back.
My lungs burn for air, but my grip tightens on my fan as I bring up my arm, running it over his chest and arms before he can stop me.
Damian shows no fear of being cut again as he grabs hold of my arm, pinning it beneath him.Maybe nothing is scary compared to dragon fire.He rips the fan from my grasp and chucks it down the hall, far away from us, before standing.
Panic grips me, but I stuff it down, fighting him as he hauls me to my feet.
It doesn’t matter that my shoes are breaking around my feet, or that I’m out of weapons. I need to get away from him any way I can. I dig my heels into the rug in an effort to slow him down, but all it does is send shooting pains from my toes all the way up my legs.
My vision swims, but I wrestle to break free.
I refuse to make this easy on him.
His face takes on a murderous expression when I finally slip from his grasp. Then his hands are on my dress, tugging me back to him. The sound of fabric tearing fills the hall as he throws my wings to the ground, grasping for me again.
Wrenching me upright, he hits me hard across the head. The room sways again, but I’m quick to respond with a sharp kick to his groin. My dress is slipping off of my shoulders, and I’m preparing to rip the entire thing off to run away when the cold steel of Damian’s blade is at my throat.
He grabs hold of my hair, using it to spin me around to face him, his dagger still at my throat.
