Page 130 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

Her brows furrowed.

She knew that voice.

“Who are you?” Theon, the guard with a tight grip on Lessia’s arm, demanded.

“Vali sent us. He thought you might need some company after being out here all alone for so long,” a more melodic voice chirped.

Another voice Lessia recognized, and she had to force her expression to remain neutral, her gait not to falter as shock jolted her.

The voices belonged to Soria and Pellie.

“Vali?” Something clapped to her right, and if Lessia had to bet, she guessed one of the guards just slapped the other on the back. “What a good man. We only need to return these two to their cell, and then we’ll have some fun. You may wait upstairs.”

“Oh!” Pellie exclaimed. “Are they Fae? I’ve never met a Fae before. What did they do?”

“Bad things. That’s why we’re taking them back to their cells. Head on up now.” Theon’s grip on her arm tightened as he pushed her until she stumbled forward.

“Move faster,” he hissed into her ear, drops of spit landing on her cheek. “I’m going to enjoy myself today. More than I’ve already done.”

“No, you’re not.” The seductive purr in Soria’s voice vanished, and Lessia barely had time to react before air rushed, and a sickening thud of something hitting flesh filled her ears.

A moan sounded somewhere beside her, and her ears picked up two bodies slumping to the ground, one likely Theon, as the hand around her arm released its grip.

Gentle fingers touched her face, and Pellie urged, “One second,” as she worked on the knot at the back of Lessia’s head.

Once the fabric fell to the stone beneath their feet, Pellie’s arms wrapped around her neck, and Lessia’s face was crushed into her copper hair.

“Lessia! We missed you so much,” she said with a sob. “We thought you were dead.”

“My turn.” Soria grinned as she dragged her sister away, pulling Lessia into a softer version of the hug—and without suffocating her with hair, as she kept her own copper hair cropped short.

“We did miss you,” she whispered as she pulled back, her blue eyes glossy in the light from the chandeliers dangling from the arched ceiling.

“I… m-missed you too,” Lessia stuttered as she stepped toward Merrick, her eyes flying across his tall body, making sure he wasn’t injured.

Well… more injured.

Once he’d rolled his eyes at her, she turned back toward the auburn-haired sisters.

Lessia’s confusion must have been evident because they both grinned back at her, and Soria threw out her hands. “Liar. You have probably barely spared us a thought.”

Rubbing her neck, Lessia flicked her eyes to Merrick, but the Fae was of no help as he only shrugged back.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

They were right.

She had barely thought of them since she joined the election.

But they had never truly been friends…

She and Ardow had saved them a few years ago, but it hadn’t only been out of the goodness of their hearts.

They’d needed distractions as they began bringing the children over, and Soria and Pellie were perfect.

Both beautiful, strong, and deprived of a life young women craved.

Pellie shook her head. “We’re teasing you.”

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