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‘Mal,’ he said. ‘I found this…’ He held out the Naarvian blade, not sure what reaction to expect, if a reaction at all.
Slowly, Malik’s giant torso turned and his gaze found the weapon offered to him.
Wilder’s mouth fell open.
His brother was grinning. And not the dazed grin that so often graced his face, but a grin of recognition and mischief.
‘You know what this is, then?’ Wilder asked, a strange giddiness fluttering in his stomach as Malik reached for thedagger. Malik had once been the more serious of the two brothers, but his injuries had seen a reversal of their roles. Wilder had become the tense and stoic one, while Malik seemed to find a quiet amusement in unusual aspects of their world.
To Wilder’s surprise, Malik did not take the weapon. His brother merely pushed it back to him, his lips moving as though he wanted to say something.
But no words came.
Wilder’s heart seized, but Malik was still smiling, and so he decided that was more than enough for him.
‘Have it your way.’ He resheathed the blade at his belt, wishing he’d asked Althea more about her friendship with his brother. Her very name sent a charged thrill through him.
Gods, what have I got myself into?He got to his feet, feeling weary at the thought of the trek to his cabin outside the fortress grounds. ‘I’ll leave you to it, Mal,’ he said, making a point of leaving Farissa’s remedy drops within easy reach.
His brother was still smiling when he left.
As Wilder walked through the torchlit passageways, he noticed he was not alone. Dax followed at his heels, the giant dog padding along soundlessly. He trailed him through the fortress only to pause outside the shieldbearer dormitories.
The mongrel let out a low growl and Wilder halted, looking from the dog to the door.
Unsure of what possessed him, Wilder reached for the handle and opened it a crack. ‘Look out for her, will you?’ he told Dax, who slipped through the gap without a backward glance.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Thea had pushed all thoughts of Hawthorne aside, hurrying back to the dormitories, having dressed in tomorrow’s fresh shirt and trousers to avoid any awkwardness in the morning. As the minutes passed, she steeled herself once more, determined that she would grit her teeth through the hazing and bullying, that she would prove the bastards wrong. She was going to be the best damn shieldbearer they’d ever seen – and one day, something more, something formidable.
But as she’d crept back into the sleeping quarters after her encounter with Hawthorne, dread had settled in her stomach. If anyone inside was remotely like that prick Seb, there would be unpleasantries ahead.
Inside, a lone candle was still lit. The same man who’d called her ‘love’ earlier was reading. His eyes roved over her as she made her way to the dark corner where her bed was and Thea’s skin crawled. She was more glad than ever she’d dressed in a shirt and pants and not a nightgown.
The man’s words returned to her in a chant.You don’t belong here. You don’t belong here.
Her prickling scalp told her there was more than one pair of eyes on her and all that determination and courage she hadfelt only moments before fell away as she resigned herself to a sleepless night, wishing that she had her dagger with her. Heart hammering in her chest, she reached her bed and pulled back the covers, checking the sheets for any sort of pranks they might have put in place.
There was nothing to be found. But that didn’t mean she was out of the woods. The tension in the surrounding air told her that there were several who wished her harm.
Fighting to keep her movements steady, Thea tucked her possessions under the bed and slipped beneath the quilt, suppressing a yelp at the cold sheets, her body tense.
The lone candle blew out.
Pitch-black swallowed the room and Thea’s heart pounded.
Would they wait until they thought she’d fallen asleep? What manner of horrors did they have planned? Was it merely hazing? Or something far more sinister…?
The springs of a mattress sounded, and Thea tensed, hearing bare feet slapping against the floor.
So there would be no waiting. They were coming for her now. She balled her fists, ready to swing, vowing that if she made it through the night, she’d steal a weapon from the armoury, or even a knife from the morning meal. She could hear them getting closer.
A menacing growl sounded.
Thea sat bolt upright.
‘What the —’ a shieldbearer muttered, followed by a shout of terror.
