Page 75 of Guardian's Dilemma

“We’re outside the territory,” I reminded him again.

“So?”

“So Lord Somerville said you were to chase me out. You did.”

“He said I was to tear you to pieces.”

“Only inside the territory.”

“Yeah, well he won’t know the difference, will he?”

I wanted to sigh. That was the trouble with Conley. He liked to fight but he wasn’t too smart. For a start, he’d already forgotten how afraid he was of Lord Somerville. And it was clear that he was there for the pleasure of killing me – not that he’d get a chance to – and not because it was his duty. He would ignore his duty to protect the territory if it meant getting something he wanted. He was no Guardian.

I felt the disgust twist my face and it enraged Conley.

“I’ll take your body back to burn in the incinerator,” he said.

He probably meant that to sound much more intimidating than it was, since I had actually taken more than one body to the incinerator and so it didn’t impress me as much as it would anyone else. Our clan was getting small. Over the years, there had been some who thought that the great Somervilles were losing their power and they’d tried their luck. Well, their luck had run out when they’d met me.

I raised an imperious eyebrow at Conley.

That enraged him even more. Oops.

He lunged for me and I easily side-stepped him. My biggest worry was that he’d keep following me around, dogging me and trying to kill me while I was heading back to see my mate. I couldn’t let Conley find our cottage and it was going to wear on me to have him constantly there, whining that he wanted to kill me.

I turned to face him, wondering whether it would be better to knock him out and deposit him back inside the territory or to use my power to disappear at the edges of the field and slip away. That would risk him coming back to search for me, though. I was undecided.

As we circled each other again, Conley’s eyes caught on my necklace.

“I’ll take that back.”

My hand went automatically over the locket.

“This is mine,” I said.

“It’s Somerville gold. You’re not entitled to it.”

“It’s mine,” I said again. “My mother gave it to me. It doesn’t belong to Somerville.”

Conley snarled and darted at me. I had time to wonder if it would be better for me to just kill him, since he was going to be a liability as the Guardian. At least if he was dead, Lord Somerville would be forced to get someone better; he could get me back or even promote Matilda. She might not be any good at it right now but she’d learn. She couldn’t be worse than Conley.

Before he even reached me, there was a shout and an arrow of magic shot straight and sure, landing directly in Conley’s solar plexus. I recognised the magic as my mate’s and felt a brief surge of pride; his magic was strong and his aim was true.

Conley grunted with pain and fell back. I actually grabbed him, to stop him falling and hurting himself.

I wish I hadn’t bothered. He grabbed my locket and yanked, snapping the chain.

He had my locket.

He had Seren’s hair.

For the first time, I actively attacked him. I moved fast, using what power I could to reach him and drive him back. My hand closed around him wrist and we struggled for control of the locket.

I won.

Of course I won.

I was willing to kill to keep that locket safe.

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