Page 66 of A Lick of Flame

“An innocent maiden I can’t wait to break,” Jace sneers. “The louder she screams, the harder I’ll—”

Orion throws his sword hilt into his left hand, catching it easily. Jace isn’t expecting it when Orion attacks with just as much vigor using his left arm as he did with his now injured right. It puts the big bastard on the back foot in an instant.

Orion's blows come in fast and precise in a dance of death. The brute struggles to keep up, but he is not a man to be outdone. He, too, fights with a fierce determination. Sweat glints on both their brows. No one speaks or breathes, me included.

It doesn’t take long before Orion slices Jace’s right arm. The man drops his sword. Orion could end him now if he wanted to, but he doesn’t. He waits calmly while his adversary draws a second, shorter sword. His grip isn’t as sure, and his arm wavers.

“Shall we talk about this?” Jace stammers.

“What is there to talk about?” Orion asks.

“Perhaps we could make a deal,” he says in a voice that is like mulled wine.

“What kind of deal?” Orion asks.

“Give me the girl, and I will let you live.”

It is Orion’s turn to laugh; my blood chills just hearing it. Where Jace has a deep bellow of a laugh, Orion’s is quiet in comparison. It’s terrifying.

“Okay…fine…” Jace smiles; it’s clearly forced. His face is pinched with tension. “You keep the girl. It’s clear you’re fixated on her.”

Fixated on me? The bastard has it all wrong. Attraction and fixation are two very different things.

“How about I ride away, and we forget this whole thing?” He lowers his arm.

“Fight me,” Orion says.

The brute shakes his head.

“You wouldn’t kill someone in cold blood,” he sneers and drops the sword. “I know it.” He grins.

Orion chops his head from his shoulders in one swift move. “Wrong,” he says simply. “The world is now a slightly better place.” He uses the brute’s clothing to wipe off his sword before sheathing it. Then he turns to me. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

I shake my head. “I’m not. He had it coming. If you hadn’t finished him, I would have. I’m glad you’re alright. Although that arm looks like it’s still bleeding.”

He looks down at the wound. “It’s fine.” Then he smiles back at me. “Were you worried?’ he asks as he closes the distance between us.

I swallow thickly and nod once. “I need to break this tether, and if you die, I won’t be able to do it,” I lie. There’s more to it. I was worried for him. More worried for him than for myself. I can’t tell him that. I don’t want him to know.

His eyes darken for a moment with what looks like hurt, but the emotion doesn’t stay long enough for me to be sure. I feel the need to set the record straight, but I ignore it. It’s better this way.

There’s something that’s been on my mind since we escaped. I watch Orion check the cut on his horse’s flank. The superficial wound has already stopped bleeding. He mounts up in an easy motion, looking my way. “Ready?” he asks.

“Almost. I wanted to ask you something.” I look down at Midnight’s mane for a second before looking back up at Orion.

He nods once.

“Why is it so important that I keep my maidenhead?”

His eyes narrow a little as they lock with mine, and a scowl forms on his handsome face.

When he doesn’t say anything, I go on, “It has been mentioned more than once and by more than one group. It is important to whoever has the bounty on my head that I stay a virgin. Why?”

“I’ll tell you once we reach a place of safety. Right now, we’re sitting ducks. I’m sure that Ethan has sent more men. Then there’s Bard. We need to go, Maya.”

“Okay, but you’ll tell me once we reach your realm?” I lift my brows. “I know that there is more to it.”

He nods once and then spurs his horse into a jog. Okay, so at least I’ve established that there is something behind it. It seems to be a strict instruction from the very top. From Snow herself. Why? I burn to know.

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