Page 6 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile
Lessia met the eyes of a dark-haired Fae standing guard beside her.
A Fae she also recognized.
The memory of agony had her muscles flex, but she pushed it away, forcing herself to speak up again. “I know this isn’t real! I left this cellar years ago! This isn’t real!”
Spinning around so his robes flew all around him, Rioner drawled, “You’ve been in these cellars for years, Lessia Gyldenberg. I thought I had use for you—something only a halfling could do—but alas… I’ll have to find another.”
“No!” Her greasy hair slapped against her skin as she shook her head. “No!”
This wasn’t happening.
It wasn’t real.
It couldn’t be real.
Focus.
She tried to get Merrick’s voice to give her strength.
“Merrick,” she whispered. “Merrick, please help.”
She needed him to growl at her.
To make her snap out of this nightmare.
“Yes?”
Her eyes flew to the king again.
Then to the dark ones of the male who opened the creaking door.
A choked sound traveled from her chest when Merrick’s passive eyes trailed across her face, then moved back to the king.
“Do you know the halfling?” Rioner asked as Merrick pulled the door wider for him.
“Never seen her before.” Merrick’s eyes didn’t seek hers out again. “Is she important?”
“No. Perhaps you can do me the honor of killing her? I need more space?—”
Her heartbeat slamming in her ears muffled the rest of the king’s words, and before anyone could react, Lessia sprinted forward, grasping at the king’s robe and pushing him up against the wall.
“Merrick would never look at me like that,” she snarled as she gripped his head and forced his eyes to her own. “You can’t fool me into believing this is real.”
“Lessia, no!”
She ignored the vaguely familiar voice fighting to break through the haze of rage.
“You can’t breathe,” Lessia purred softly as her magic sizzled to the surface once more. “The air in this room is gone.”
She couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her features when the king tried to draw a wheezing breath, and when his eyes bulged after only seconds, the grin turned into a humorless laugh. “Doesn’t feel too good, does it? I hear you like to drown your enemies.”
“Stop! It’s not what you think.”
That voice again.
Who was that?
Lessia nearly turned her head, but when the king’s face turned blue, she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of watching him suffer.
