Page 31 of This Vicious Dream

Fresh rage floods my body. “Give up,” I yell. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She ignores me. Her mare is tiring, and the horse bucks as Fox gets too close. Madinia bounces in the saddle, fear flashing through her eyes.

After three years without riding, her body no longer has the muscle she needs to stay on the horse in these circumstances, and she knows it.

Enough of this.

“Now,” I tell Fox.

He lunges toward the mare, and the horse darts to the side. Madinia begins to fall.

I yank her into my arms, scooping her from the horse.

Fox slows, and I haul Madinia from him as her mare stops dead in the center of the road, chest heaving.

Annoyance burns through me as the hellion lashes out with feet and fists.

I grip her arms tightly, keeping her from reaching for the sword strapped to her back. She fights longer than I’d expected—and dirtier—lashing out with her flames. But I’m prepared. I raise a personal ward between us, shielding myself from her fire.

She’s powerful, I’ll give her that. The little minx’s flames eat at my ward, but I’m furious enough that I lean close, growling into her ear.

“You’re just tickling me, sweetheart.”

She stiffens and then fights with renewed rage.

I heave a sigh. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

Taking her to the ground, I place my knee on her lower back, holding her in place while I reach for the chains. The metal clinks together and she goes wild, bucking, slamming her head backward, and kicking out with her little foot. I grind my teeth, taking both her wrists in one of mine.

“No, don’t,” she says, still writhing in an attempt to slip from my grasp. “Please.” She twists, turning her head, and when her eyes meet mine, they’re wide, stark with fear.

A hint of remorse stabs into my gut. I stand by my first thought when I recognized Madinia Farrow.No oneshould steal her freedom.

And the only time she should beg is when she is lost in pleasure.

But I harden myself to her pleading eyes. This woman would have run to the edge of this continent before allowing me to find my grimoire. The time for reasoning with her is over.

I’m…tired. Tired of the blank space before my life began in that forest. Tired of searching for my vengeance.

“Just…cooperate,” I grit out. “I won’t mistreat you. You shouldknowthat, woman.”

We stare at each other for a long moment. I’m not sure what she’s thinking.

I squeeze my hand.

The click of the cuff around her first wrist seems to echo through the clearing. Madinia bucks, but I have all the leverage here. The next cuff goes on, and the blood drains from her face in a rush.

When I roll her onto her back, she winces as her weight falls onto her arms, and I instantly pull her into a seated position. A lock of her thick hair falls in front of her eyes, and she tosses her head, since she can’t even lift her hands to brush it away. I should have cuffed her hands in front of her.

When I tuck the lock of hair behind her ear, sheflinches.

Something twists in my chest.

Madinia seems to gather herself, rolling her shoulders and lifting her chin. Her eyes meet mine, and they’re no longer filled with fear and despair. No, they’re filled with a fury so dark and deep, I know better than to attempt to unchain her hands and rechain them in front of her.

This woman would slit my throat if she could. And then she would gleefully burn my body to ash. There must be something wrong with me, because that look in her eye makes me want to crush my mouth to hers.

Instead, I pull her to her feet. “You may not believe me, but I didn’t want it to be this way.”

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