Page 40 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

Fear flitted over Stellia’s face as she took in the men. “What… They’re not supposed to be here. I don’t know why they would do this, I swear.”

Frayson shifted his gaze to the many guards that now surrounded them and inclined his head.

Two guards immediately stepped up to grab Stellia while a few others picked up the two unconscious soldiers and made their way down the hallway.

“I’m sorry, Stellia. You know the rules: you cannot harm another nominee. You’re eliminated from the election.”

“No! Frayson, you know me! You’ve known me since I was a child. I would never do this!” Stellia fought against the guards as they began to pull her away. “Karli!”

Her accompanying guard unsheathed his sword as he stalked closer to Stellia.

“Let her go,” he said quietly. “We’ll leave, but you will take your hands off her.”

Frayson nodded once, and the guards released her into Karli’s arms. The guard cradled her against his chest as he started to stalk out of the castle.

Sobs racked Stellia’s body as she glared at them over his shoulder. “You will regret this, you know. It wasn’t me, Frayson,” she got out before they rounded the corner.

When Lessia took a step to follow her, Merrick gripped her shoulder.

“Don’t,” he hissed softly. “Don’t draw attention to yourself right now.”

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to still.

She couldn’t believe Stellia had done this—regardless of what Craven might have done to her.

But a small voice inside her whispered that Stellia had warned her against underestimating her.

Lessia didn’t know what to believe as she sliced her gaze across the lingering group.

Loche also observed them all with narrowed eyes, and when they met hers, they narrowed further.

Lessia didn’t know why, but she shook her head as he continued to eye her, and after a moment, he moved on.

“Will you live, Bernedir?” Frayson asked.

The old man nodded, and without another word, he stalked into his room and slammed the door.

Loche and Zaddock soon disappeared as well, with Frayson following and the rest of the guards taking up posts outside their rooms.

As Lessia made her way to her room, her mind still spinning, she turned to Merrick. “Where were the guards before? I didn’t think of it, but I didn’t see any of them when I wandered around the castle.”

Merrick licked his lips, and her eyes fell on his tongue, flicking one of those sharp canines. “I don’t know. Perhaps Stellia had them removed from this wing before she sent her guards after Craven.”

He didn’t sound convinced, and Lessia’s brows drew down.

Opening his door, Merrick said quietly, “No more walks without me, Lessia.”

Then he walked inside, shutting it softly behind him.

She couldn’t stop her lips from curling.

He’d called her Lessia.

At least she was making some progress.

Chapter

Nineteen

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