Page 175 of The King's Man
“Until he lost his nerve at the Shadows of Shade, then attempted to claim my mate when I brought him through. My loyalty only extends so far.”
The man’s brows rose, but Jann only thanked him for the directions and jerked me forward to trot at his side as he strode down the corridor, glaring at anyone whose eyes settled on me.
‘Don’t worry, he’s nobody,’he sent before I’d even asked.‘The Nephilim of account will be with the King, whether they plan to pursue women or not. Which is why we need to get there.’
‘But surely Gall isn’t going to be—’
‘Let’s just get there and see,’Jann muttered in my head. I felt sick at the thought of what we rushed towards, but trotted next to him as he stormed through all those plush corridors and taken a curving staircase down to yet another wide corridor, this one smattered with huge double-doors on one side, all open to the largest ballroom with delicate crown molding, cathedral height ceilings, and the most intricate tiled floor I’d ever seen. It was empty now which made it cavernous space, but Jann strode through, tugging me with him—his thumb stroking the inside of my wrist in apology for the rough treatment. At the center of the ballroom, two shining glass doors that formed a peaked arch were open to the night air. Delicate curtains fluttered inside, but the night glowed with light on the balcony beyond, lighting the forms of at least two dozen Nephilim—and they didn’t fill the huge balcony by half.
‘Keep watch for any who might approach me from behind. Stay submissive, but let your eyes form the challenge if anyone draws close. You’re my mate, but I’m still teaching you to submit—itmustbe clear that you aren’t cowed.’
I swallowed and nodded quickly.
Jann traced the pad of his thumb inside my wrist again.‘It’s a pageant for their sakes. Please remember that.’
‘I know. I trust you.’
Warmth and gratitude washed through the bond, but my heart hammered against my ribs. There were so many of them out on this balcony, and no women at all. I would be alone with them, and if they decided to overwhelm Jann—
‘I will die before I let them take you, Dee.’
‘I know.’
‘This is a mental game. Let me lead, give them your angry eyes if they purr, and leave the rest to me.’
I swallowed, but there was no time to respond because we’d reached the doors out into the night and suddenly I was surrounded by the hulking forms of Nephilim men all dressed in a similar manner to Jann.
I recognized none of those whose faces I could see, but most had their backs to us, clustered at the balustrade, looking over into the gardens below.
A few of the men grunted in surprise when Jann elbowed them aside. More greeted him with a mixture of shock and warmth.
Jann returned their greetings, but didn’t stop to chat as he pushed closer to the front of the group, but he let quick thoughts bleed to me.
‘These aren’t the men of power, these are the sycophants and servants. They gather around the King to be seen with power, but they’re yes-men. Ignore them. As my claimed woman, you carrymyrank.’
Until the King removed it.
I didn’t send him the thought, didn’t want to undermine his confidence, but we both knew his rank in this society was unclear until the King had affirmed it—and if this was an imposter, or if they had leverage on Gall, all it would take was one wrong move, one slip that made them think Jann was here for Melek and…
We made it to the balustrade, but away from the center. The balcony swept out from the palace wall in a wide arc, and the men near the front faced forward, watching the ground below, speaking to each other and pointing.
I couldn’t see until Jann tugged me past the last two Nephilim bodies—then I felt his cold jolt in the bond.
I frowned and followed his gaze… to find a cluster of women on the ground below.
Then I tasted bile.
They were all human and wearing less than me. Two were stark naked. Every one of them was either dirty or bruised, and they were impossible to count because they huddled together, trying to hide their bodies from the Nephilim men peering at them above. But there had to be at least a dozen.
Two guards, each with a blade in one hand and a spear on his back, stood to either side of the group, not close enough to touch, but close enough to dart after any that tried to escape.
For a moment, looking at those shaking bodies and terrified eyes, I was thrown back to that day in the camp when that bastard had dragged me—
‘Dee… Dee, breathe. I’m here. You’re safe. Don’t let your mind go there, it isn’t going to happen. I won’t allow it.’
‘What about them?!’I shrieked in his head, gripping that balustrade with my free hand, desperate to leap it and run to the women, to kill the men standing over them, and in the same breath terrified, becausethey were me,and—
Something brushed my other side and I sucked in a startled breath, my body convinced the worst of my nightmares was about to come true. But even as I flinched, I instinctively grabbed for the knife I usually wore at my thigh, cursing because of course it wasn’t there. I whirled to face him, looking for a tender spot to aim a fist or knee, only to have Jann tug me back to his side as the Nephilim—with hungry eyes—smiled brightly at Jann.
