Page 76 of Frost Bound

“To the left,” Eyri shouted, his spectacles fogged up. “They’re trying to force us into the bottleneck.”

Neve urged Cessa left, past the dead assailant. The ring of therukhals’ hooves against the stone cobbles echoed around them. Cessa snorted and panted hard as they continued to run. He wasn’t made for sprinting but rather for endurance.

They swung around the corner and Dahlia was torn from his arms, his claws ripping right through her cloak. He yelled, and vaulted from the beast’s back, a blade already in his hand. He spun and snarled at the giant dragging thevallesby her thick braid. She held her scalp, tears in her eyes as her feet tried to find purchase against the slick stones of the alley.

“Drop her now,” he bellowed, stalking toward the stranger dressed in black.

The vagabond wore the royal color. A taunt.

“I’ll slit her from ear to ear if you get any closer,” the giant threatened, his tattooed head on display.

Vergllos.This was one of his men.

“Release thevallesand I’ll let you go free.”A lie. Neve would kill him.

The traitor cackled. “I know you better than that,reillov. Watch as she bleeds crimson.”

Neve lunged as the assailant yanked Dahlia up to her feet and brought the knife to her throat. The little human sank her teeth into the fleshy part between his thumb and wrist. The giant yowled and loosened his grip, dropping his blade, but still she didn’t let go.

He shoved her, her body flying through the air before tumbling over the hard ground. “I’ll kill you,bentai.”

Neve drove his blade into the attacker’s upper heart. “Me first,” he barked. “Who sent you?”

The giant laughed, the sound deranged. “Your reckoning.” His laugh cut off as an arrow lodged in his throat.

Neve tossed him to the ground and spun to find Flyka on the nearest roof, her crossbow in hand. “We needed information.”

Eyri helped Dahlia up from the ground, and Flyka slid down a drainpipe to land silently beside Neve.

“I saw his tattoos from above. He was Vergllos, and wouldn’t have given you anything.” A pause. “Plus, you had already stabbed him. He wouldn’t have survived.”

“He threatened myreilleve. He deserved it.”

Neve scanned his little human from head to toe as she turned to face him. Her clothes were filthy, and she had a bruise forming on her cheek, but other than that she looked fine. She spat on the ground and wiped at her mouth with her sleeve.

“Your shoulder?” he asked brusquely, crowding into her space. He crooked his finger underneath her chin and tipped her face to the side so he could see the bruise better. No blood, only the attacker’s. That was something.

“It’s fine.”

“It seems your flat teeth do have some use.”

She bared them at him and pulled back out of his reach, once again spitting on the ground. “He shouldn’t have grabbed my hair.” Her gaze narrowed on the tramped lysterm flower. “He ruined my gift,” she snapped. “I hate bullies.”

It seemed his littlevalleshad some fight in her. She’s survive another day.

“Olwen?” he asked, striding back to Cessa.

“Cleaning up the mess. He’ll meet us at the edge of the city,” Flyka answered, her eyes sweeping the ally and roofs above. “Where your soldiers await you.”

Neve nodded, and held his hand out to Dahlia. “Let’s be gone.”

She didn’t complain as he lifted her onto Cessa’s back and then mounted behind her. Nor when he pulled her curvy, soft body against his own. She shook slightly, but he didn’t scent fear.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“After-fight jitters. Happens every time.”

He stared down at the top of her hair. Just how many times had she gotten into fights? Just what sort of mischief had the princess gotten up to in the past?

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