Page 228 of Frost and Death
He extends his arms, taunting and mocking me to strike him. Nikolaj drops them quickly when he sees I don’t move, squatting to my eye level.
His entire face shifts, puckering his lips and blinking his eyes rapidly. “Oh, Niko, I don’t want to kill anyone!”
He mocks my grief, my pain, throwing everything I confided to him in these last five years against me. Nikolaj chuckles darkly before standing, kicking his foot again toward me.
I grunt and yelp out in pain when my bones crack. My ribs are breaking, a stabbing and fracturing pain multiplying in my body, air difficult to find and breathe.
I wish I had enough strength to brace for more pain.
Boots scurry across the floor beyond, mercifully drawing Nikolaj’s foot away.
My eyes flutter through pain and tears, peering over to the throne room’s entrance, Jerrick and Jonas coming into view. I know they want to kill me, but I can’t help my whimpered cries of relief at the two of them, even if they feel so far.
Their swords are unsheathed and bloodied, and gore is splattered across both of their bodies.
More echoes come from the hall, and my heart leaps when an armed Viggo with King Beauvais and others appear. They join Jerrick and Jonas a few steps back, a group of castle guards and bannermen behind them with swords drawn and bows nocked.
Jerrick halts everyone as they take in the scene unfurling in the throne room, and when his eyes find mine, my heart breaks.
I tried to fix everything, and I’ve fucked it all up.
I can’t tell if it is anger or concern in his beautiful stare, but it doesn’t stop me from letting out another choked sob to reach for him, for Jonas, formy family.
Nikolaj growls in irritation, his hands wrapping around my hair again, forcing a yelp from my lips.
I scream in pain, struggling against his hold. My prayers and pleas for my magic to manifest are ignored.
Nikolaj jerks me up, using me as a shield as he draws a dagger to my throat.
Jerrick, Jonas, King Beauvais, and even Viggo, sweet and bashful Viggo, step forward, but they are too far away to do anything.
Nikolaj laughs, clicking his tongue as he holds me hostage. “I see you’ve gathered quite the audience.Finally.”
The fighting beyond the throne room feels distant, the silence surrounding us thick and wary, everyone hesitant to make another step.
Nikolaj works his jaw, craning my neck more.
He whispers so only I can hear. “How fitting it is that the man who loves you gets to watch you die?”
Nikolaj applies light pressure to the blade at the side of my throat, the sharp jab forcing me to hiss.
“H-He doesn’t love me,” I gasp in shallow breaths.
Nikolaj chuckles darkly. “We shall see about that.”
He returns his attention to the men at the threshold, removing the blade from my neck to point at Jerrick. “I know I gathered everyone here today to watch me kill you, but it is much more fitting to killher.”
Nikolaj moves the blade directly over my heart.
I wrestle against him, but with his hand fastened around my hair pulling me upward, I only give myself more pain. It erupts everywhere in my torso, my movements unbearablewhen Nikolaj stretches me a few inches off the floor, making a spectacle of me.
“Don’t make another move,” Jerrick orders Nikolaj, his sword pointed in challenge.
Nikolaj laughs wickedly, completely unfazed. “Don’t you get it?Sheis the source of everyone’s problems. I am doing everyone here a favor.”
Everyone remains unmoving and silent as Nikolaj keeps me prisoner.
“Surrender.Now,” Jerrick demands.
