Page 85 of Keeper

Apparently, he’s hard of hearing, because instead of listening, he grabs a chair, dragging it across the ground with a screech that sets my teeth on edge. He plops down next to my bed.

Great, just what I need—an unwelcome guest with boundary issues.

Wine sloshes in the jar as he lifts it in my direction. “Are you sure you don’t want some? It’ll help you relax.”

I eye the jar suspiciously. “I’m plenty relaxed.”

Doran shrugs and takes a long pull from the jar, his gaze never leaving my face.

“You should leave,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m tired.”

He pays no attention to me and indulges in another sip of wine. A drop escapes, and he wipes it away with the back of his hand.

“I said you should leave.” I inject more force into my tone this time.

He leans back in the chair. “And I didn’t hear you.”

Fantastic. Not only is he creepy, but he’s also selectively deaf. I consider my options. I could scream, but I doubt anyone would hear me over the music. I could try to run, but he’d probably catch me. That leaves me with one option: bore him to death.

“So,” I say, forcing a cheerful tone, “how about this weather we’re having? It’s quite mild.”

He blinks, clearly not expecting small talk. “I’d rather we stopped talking.”

I scowl at him, my patience thinning more rapidly than a crowd during a lightning storm. “And I’d rather you leave.”

He doesn’t listen. Instead, he moves faster than I can blink, grabbing my arms and yanking me up against him. He slams his mouth against mine, his lips bruising and painful.

Fury ignites inside me as I place my hands against his chest, shoving with all my might. He rocks backward, and I take advantage, slapping him hard across the cheek.

Shock freezes his features. Then, his eyes narrow, and his fist connects with my cheek. Pain explodes through my head as I topple backward, landing hard on the bed. Brilliant light dances before my vision as I blink, desperately trying to stay conscious, to fight, to live.

My hand gropes blindly as I search for something I can use to defend myself. My fingers brush against something solid—the wooden fox Kassandra carved. I snatch it up.

He lunges forward, and I swing the fox with all my might. Itconnects with a sickening crack against his temple. He staggers back, cursing loudly.

I scramble toward the entrance, and he charges after me like a raging bull. His massive hands clamp around my neck, and he yanks me off my feet. I gasp for air and claw at his fingers. He slams me against the washing stand. Pain explodes through my back as the wooden structure splinters beneath me. The basin topples, shattering into a thousand glittering shards on the ground.

Fight!

You cannot die like this.

Summoning every ounce of strength I have left, I drive my knee upward, connecting solidly between his legs. He grunts, his grip loosening just enough for me to gulp in a precious breath of air.

Unfortunately, it earns me another punch. His fist comes down with a mighty blow. Pain explodes through my face as I fall to the floor, and blackness consumes me.

Chapter

Forty-Nine

CENRIC

Laughter and musicdrift on the night air as I walk away from the pig roast. All day I couldn’t stop thinking about Everly. Couldn’t forget the words we spoke. Couldn’t forget the pain in her eyes as I accused her of being a spy.

I turn to the left and head toward her tent. I could arrest her for being a spy. Praxis, Luc, Gabriel, and Liam would expect it if I told them what I discovered, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, to condemn her in their eyes too.

I stop outside her tent, lift the flap, then duck inside.

“Everly, I—”

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