Page 33 of A Sword of Ice
Ryker’s scarred hand clamped down against Uric’s shoulder and yanked him backwards, out of Shula’s space.
“Uric,” Ryker growled in warning.
“Fuck off, Valda.” Uric’s pale hand flashed and suddenly there was a knife in his hand. He had the blade kissing Ryker’s throat, just beneath his thick beard.
“Enough!” Valerio cut in, raising his voice. The command had Uric lowering the blade immediately and sheathing it again. Valerio turned to Shula and she knew she wasn’t staring at someone she might have considered a friend in this moment, but at the Seelie Prince. A cruel, unforgiving prince. “When I give an order, I expect it to be followed.”
Her arms crossed against her chest defiantly. “You expect us to blindly follow your orders like we’re your subservient slaves and you’re our tyrant ruler.”
He snarled and stepped in front of her. For a moment, she knew true fear that passed as quickly as it came. “Do not presume me to be the Emperor of Illyk, Shula Azzarh. These men follow me and my father because we are just. I give orders and they follow them, because when they are not, someone dies. Be lucky it was not you this time.”
The reality of his words were cold as they sluiced over her like water. Still, she felt the oppressive weight of needing to contradict him.
“I was fine on my own. I found the Fae and if Uric hadn’t—”
“If Uric had not grabbed you when he did, soldiers would have found you. Did you even notice they were right around the corner?”
She pressed her lips together. She hadn’t noticed, and she wondered howtheyhad, but kept her lips clamped tightly shut. He’d probably had Weylyn spying in on her thoughts. Insufferable, mind-reading, Fae bastard.
Valerio read the response in her expression easily enough. “You did not. Because no matter what you want to believe you arenot a warrior.You are a dancer who, up until a few months ago, did not even use her own magic. You do not know how to fight, you do not know how to work as a unit, which is why I expect you to follow my fucking orders when I give them.”
He was so close, the edges of his dark hair brushed along her cheeks.
“You are used to being alone. You are not alone now.Wewill handle it. And you? You will stay here and hide. Because up until a few months ago? That is all you were good for anyway.”
He stepped away from her, no trace of kindness in him at all. He was nothing but a leader, a noble.
A prince.
A true tyrant, laying heartbreak and havoc in his wake, turning and walking away without caring what he left behind. Tears, shaking hands, and the words that pierced her worse than any sword ever could.
17
Useful to the Fae
Fucking females, Valerio fumed silently as he stepped out of the portal with Uric, Weylyn, and Ryker. This time, he’d made Julius stay behind to wrangle Shula if she got another stupid idea to go off on her own.
Fucking females.
“Don’t bother looking,” Uric snapped at Weylyn as he started walking down the alley. “The Fae is long gone by now.”
Weylyn cocked his head to the side in a silent question. Before he could use his magic to pierce Valerio’s mind, the prince scowled. “We need to come up with a plan. There are too many soldiers, and with our faces plastered against every building, we will be too recognizable.”
Silence followed as they all seemed to think, trying to come up with a solution to their problem. All save for Ryker.
Valerio felt the daggers in his bicolored stare that he was sending in his direction.
Valerio sighed and turned to meet his gaze. “Say it,” he ordered. Because he knew his healer was itching to snap his canines.
Mated males,Valerio wanted to scoff.Territorial, defensive bastards.
“You were too harsh,” he grumbled.
Valerio’s eyebrow rose. “I merely spoke the same truth you have been telling her since you met.”
Ryker’s jaw clenched so hard, Valerio was surprised he didn’t snap a few teeth. He tore his gaze away from the prince and muttered, “That’s different.”
“How?” Valerio’s eyes narrowed. “Because she’s your mate?” He hated saying the words, feeling like they burned on his tongue.
