Page 102 of Lost and Stolen Gods
“What are you doing, Bash?” his companion demanded.
“She feels soft. Smells good too. I can see why he wants her.”
“Boss’s orders were clear.”
“He didn’t say we couldn’t have her, did he?” Bash said.
I waited for his companion to shoot him down.
“No, he didn’t say that…”
Fuck!
“I’ll go first,” Bash said.
I felt his shadow over me, but I could sense he was kneeling on my left side. There was no time to waste. I snapped my eyes open, and the shock of seeing me awake froze him long enough for me to roll away and run.
We were in the woods. Of course we were. Fucked-up, horror movie shit. I ran, weaving through the trees, with no idea where exactly in the domain I was, only that I needed to get away. But I was still weak from thepoison, and my lungs began to ache within a couple of minutes.
The small head start that the element of surprise had given me didn’t last long. I heard them closing in.
Why were they after me? It made no sense.
And how large was this fucking forest anyway?
A growl made the hairs on my nape quiver, and a body slammed into my back, taking me down.
“Get off me!”I bucked and twisted.
I was hauled up by the back of my shirt and slammed back into the ground hard enough to knock the breath from my body and make me see stars.
“Give me the blade. Now!” the guy ordered his companion.
Primal fear loaned me strength, and with a growl of my own, I bucked the bastard off, coming up to deliver a kick to his face.
“Back off!” I stood, chest heaving, vision swimming with black dots. “Walk away.”
The rakshasa that I’d just kicked in the head looked up at me with a murderous expression, apt considering that was his intent. “Why don’tyourun?”
The fucker knew I didn’t have it in me. The flash of adrenaline was gone, leaving me depleted. It was taking everything I had to stay upright, and wait a second… “You’re Ravi’s friend.” I looked across at the other guy who was holding a knife. “Both of you are.”
“Yes, and we do this for him.” The guy I’d kicked stood slowly, and my racing pulse dithered at his size. He was a big guy. They both were.
I wouldn’t be able to outrun them in my condition, but maybe I could talk them down. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because you’re a distraction the prince doesn’t need,” he said.
“Prince?”
“Of course, he didn’t tell her,” the knife guy said. “Typical Ravi, always so humble, isn’t he, Bash?”
“That he is.” Bash took a step toward me, and I matched it with a step back.
“Look, I didn’t know, and I’m not sure why you have to kill me over it.”
“It’s nothing personal,” Bash said. “But the prince’s heart must be protected until his fated mate shows herself. Our royal bloodline depends on it, not that it matters to your kind. You take us, toy with us, and spit us out.”
“Like you were planning to do with me?” My lip curled in. “Violate me while I was unconscious?”
