AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Rej’thorek?” he says from the top of the stairs.
“Yes?” I grind out impatiently, wanting to get on with it.
“Good luck.”
He slinks off, disappearing down the hallway. I clench my jaw and charge outside, slamming the door behind me.
I’m beside myself, trembling with rage. The sky overhead is a mad tempest, and it feels as though the perpetual storm here on this island broils with my mood. I can hear a staccato drumbeat in my ears, my blood pounding through my veins. My magic sparks from my fingertips, unable to be fully contained.
The few people that I cross paths with on my walk shrink from my path. I can’t blame them. Even I know that I am out of control. But I don’t care, intent on my march toward the council circle.
Most matrons live with each other in the inner circle, which make up the matron council. They go out as needed to find mates and bring them back here. Since Yedina is young, she is not on the council yet. But she still lives in the same circle, on the outskirts.
I’d be able to track her down just by knowing where the matrons live. But I do have intimate knowledge of her home, from our singular tryst.
One time. That’s all it was.
I’m not even sure why I finally gave into her. She had set her sights on me for so long. I knew she was trouble. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, and in a moment of weakness I made a choice I still regret.
I know that she really doesn’t care about me. She’s just upset that she didn’t get pregnant. She was desperate to bear my child, so that it could be her ticket into the royal family.
Yedina has pursued me relentlessly ever since, hoping for a second chance. She’s willing to do whatever it takes, resenting that I won’t give her my seed. But breaking into my house and kidnapping Laura is a level that I never thought Yedina could stoop to. As bad as she has been, this is out of control.
If I could go back in time and do it over, I’d never so much as look at her. I’d pretend I didn’t even know her name. Anything for this possessive, dominating, jealous, tyrannical scourge to be out of my life.
She’s about to be. I’m going to make sure of that.
Outside the circle of the matron houses are posted guards. As I approach, I realize that I had forgotten about them in my seething state. I don’t care.
I’ll cut through them if I must.
I don’t miss a beat, storming up to them. There’s only two, which isn’t so bad. I can take them with relative ease. But I’d rather try using my words first.
“Let me in,” I demand.
The guards stationed here are not of the highest echelon. Of course, we keep the matrons protected, as they’re so important to our society. Until the women arrived, they were our only means of reproduction. Since it takes matrons a very long time to bear a child, and they only can have a handful in their lifetime, we can’t afford to be reckless with their lives.
But because the matrons are so important and respected, there’s rarely any real danger for them. Assaulting a matron is a serious offense, which prevents most problems. The guards are more for show than anything, and usually, here is where one finds the guards who weren’t good for much of anything else.
Taking them in, I can tell that tonight is no exception.
They look me over with a smirk. “Oh, well, since you asked,” the tall one replies in a sarcastic tone, his lip curling over sharpened teeth.
“Get lost,” the shorter one says.
My eyes burn with scorn and I speak, rolling over my vowels with dark intent. “If you don’t move, I’ll have you disposed of before nightfall.”
“Disposed of how?” the tall one replies warily.
“The arena is short on Ur’gin, I hear.” I don a disinterested frown. “I might ask my father to pad the roster with useless trolvor, instead.
“A Prince always gets what he wants.”
They look at each other, both clearly uncertain. I can see them communicating with their eyes. If they let me through and disobey the orders of their position, they could be reprimanded. But if they don’t let me through and I follow through on my threats, they’ll be facing a gilak.
I know that I’m pushing my luck. They could call for reinforcements instead. My hand drops to the hilt of my weapon, itching for action.
I don’t care what I have to do. I’m ready for war.
