Page 54 of Wings of Lies
“You wouldn’t wake up,” he stated.
“What, and you couldn’t shake me awake? You had to dump a damn pail of freezing water on me?” My nails bit into my palms. Or no, one palm. My other tweaked with pain and hit the stiff cloth wrapped around my hand and wrist.Did he splint it?
“Clearly, you’re not dying, and now you don’t have to wash off in a stream,” he said, pulling my attention back to him. “Now get up.”
His cocky words plucked the cords, enticing the itch. The crashing musical ice started. Blood rushed to my cheeks. In seconds, I stood, shoving my hands into his chest, chains jangling, and wrist protesting. A pulse of purple light flashed before the cuffs around my right wrist electrocuted me.
He didn’t re-cuff my broken wrist.Why? To satisfy his conscience?I doubted he had one. My power vanished, replaced by lingering aftershocks that made my knees wobble.
“I—” I dropped my hands quickly, ignoring the throbbing in my left one, and stared at the white frost coating his chest.Was it going to dissolve his leathers like the sleeping bag?Part of me hoped it did; another knew if that happened, I’d be executed. But the ice did nothing.
He stepped forward, and I stumbled back. He took another step forward, and I took another step back until my legs bumped into Brock’s tree stump. I tilted my head up, holding my breath. He appraised me with unreadable eyes and intimidated me with his nearness. His hand rose, and I flinched, expecting him to hit me or worse. Last night, I insulted Brock, and he broke my wrist. Today, I accidentally attacked a prince.Would he break my arm or leg?I leaned back as far as possible, squeezing my lids shut, and waited. A light flashed, and I opened my eyes, squinting at his raised hand covered in flames the color of his eyes.
The heat painfully licked my skin, and I fell over the stump. I hurried back a foot with my splinted wrist clutched to my chest. His hand moved, but instead of burning me alive, it brushed the leatheron his chest, thawing the ice. His threatening irises, wreathed in blue fire, trapped me.
What was he? An angel?
He lowered himself, placing his elbows on the stump. The heat from his flames burned my cheeks, threatening to take out my eyebrows. While he smirked, his power retreated into his interlacing hands, but his eyes were still consumed by fire.
My heart abused my sternum, pushing at the needles beneath my skin.
“Don’t. Do that. Again, prisoner.” A light flashed beneath his chin, and the blue fire flashed brighter in his eyes before he stood and left.
I let loose a breath, taking in three more. He had flames and, by the looks of it, could control them ten times better than I could.
My wrist throbbed, pumping along with my erratic heart. Chills skittered across my back. I wished it was caused by my soaked shirt, not the guy packing up the janky carriage with the two monsters.
“Huh.”
I scrambled back from Brock’s voice and stood.
Brock sneered. “Scared?”
Yes. Not that I’d tell him that.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen the prince attacked without getting their head severed or burned off.”
Great.I already didn’t want to move from my spot. My wet pad laid unrolled in hopes that they’d leave me behind.
“I suppose the need to keep you alive restrained him.”
“So, he won’t kill me?”
Brock eyed the wrist clutched to my chest, crouching down. “Kill, probably not. She wouldn’t be too happy about that. Maim, onthe other hand, I’d be surprised if you didn’t break a few more bones.” His mustache spread with a knowing smile, rolling up my blanket and pad.
I backed out of reach. “She who? Your sovereign?”
He stood with my supplies. “You’ll find out.”
“Sweetheart,” my princely jailer sang. “Time to go. Don’t make me chase you down.” His eyes pulsed with blue flame.
A flash of irritation overpowered my apprehension. I should’ve pushed him harder. Dragging my feet to the carriage, each slide and pull stirred a question of whether or not I’d be safer with them or on my own. That was if I could manage to escape.
Right now, I’d be lucky enough to keep my life.
He met me at the back, the monsters already stuffed inside. “Next time, I’ll drag you by your feet if you take that long.”
“I’d like to see you try,” I snapped with false vibrato.
