Page 55 of Trial of Bronze and Blood
The chanting stops as the Durevolian falls to his knees, clutching his stomach and crying out. Two others pull him up and carry him away, leaving a trail of blood behind them. They must be off to see a physician, but she’s not sure what can be done.
The rest of the crowd disbands quickly after that, likely so the Phaedrans won’t arrest or kill anyone else.
Once Marcus finds his way around the soldiers, Dru hurries over to Sabina. She grabs her hand, and the three of them rush up the path to the palace without a word said between them. Her heart beats hard in her chest, glad to be putting distance between them and the mob. Not that she thinks the Durevolians mean her harm, but innocents often become collateral damage once a riot starts.
Approaching the last olive tree in the grove before the palace, Marcus reaches out and grabs Dru’s arm with a little more force than she cares for. She stops at his silent command and turns, allowing him to grasp both her shoulders tight.
Anger and hurt war on his face, his jaw tight. “What have you done?”
Dru looks over his shoulder to regard Sabina. “Go to the palace without us. Tell no one what happened. Not even Cato.”
She nods, wobbling up the steps to the palace doors, where the guards let her inside.
Once they’re closed again, Dru shakes Marcus off. He releases her and clenches his fists at his sides, blue eyes sparking. Irritation shifts inside her own heart.He’s not the only one who gets to be angry.
She moves closer to him. “I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing volunteering when it’s your duty to protect the king?”
His gaze intensifies. “That’s exactly what I’m doing: protecting the king the best way I can, from inside the trials themselves.”
She won’t admit to him she thinks that’s a good idea. “You could’ve told me that was your plan. Why keep it from me?”
He frowns. “You would’ve tried to stop me.”
“You’re damn right I would’ve.” She clenches her hands. “There can only be two winners, Marcus, and now there are three of us.”
“That wasyourdoing. You?—”
“I—what?” She straightens and leans in again, leaving little space between them. “Do you think you’re the only one allowed to sacrifice themselves for others?”
He blinks, some of the fire leaving his eyes. “Cato is my friend. You don’t even know Sabina.”
“I know her well enough to guess she’d likely die in the second trial, if not the first. She doesn’t deserve that. None of the Durevolians do.”
She cuts in again before he can come up with a response.
“I was ordered to train Cato for the games. There’s no better way than from the inside, same as you.”And to protect you from yourself.
So close now, their breaths mingle, their heaving chests nearly brushing. Despite her anger at him, the urge to remove the distance between them grows stronger the longer they stand like this. Jaw softening, his gaze slides to her lips for a second and away again. His attention on her brings heat to her cheeks and chest, blooming lower as his gaze lingers on her.
When he steps back, she sucks in a breath, blinking rapidly.
He runs a hand through his hair, loosening it from its tie. “You’re endlessly frustrating.”
“You say that as if you aren’t.”
He grunts. “At least I try not to be.”
She wipes her sweaty palms on her tunic. “You give yourself too much credit. I should ask Cato what you’ve been like these past six years. I’m sure he’ll have a different story to tell.”
He turns and heads for the palace, leaving her to follow. “Do you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?”
“I can handle myself, which you would know if you’d stuck around.”
He laughs once. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“No, never.”It haunts me every day.
They barely make it inside the doors before Cato stops them. His outfit today could not be more pristine and put together, but the rest of him reeks of mania. Fury burns in his gaze and his crown sits slightly askew atop his head.
