Page 41 of The King's Man
I pulled out of his hands and tested my balance, stamping my feet and gripping and opening my hands, breathing purposefully until my head was clearer.
“Thank you. I… I owe you. Or… or maybe we’re even now? I always s-said that was a fate w-worse than death.”
“No, Diadre—”
“You’re free, Jann.” I turned and stumbled. Jann cursed and leaped for me, but I caught myself and stumbled on.
I was still having some trouble because my body trembled so violently.
“Diadre, please, don’t be so fucking stubborn!” he muttered, staying right at my back.
I shook my head and opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t need him… until I remembered that I did. I very much did. Against these creatures… I had just had evidence that I needed him a great deal.
And that killed me a little bit inside.
“Diadre…” His fingers brushed my shoulder and I flinched, and almost fell over.
Cursing again, he caught me and held me on my feet, gripped me to his chest andhugged me.“You need to stop andbreathe,” he murmured, stroking my hair. “I’ll take you back to my tent. They won’t even know you’re there.”
I should have been able to walk the shadows and get myself through that camp without anyone seeing me. But I felt weak as a day old kitten.
“I… th-that w-would help… thank you,” I managed through chattering teeth. Then I turned and started walking.
With a heavy sigh, Jann hovered at my shoulder, one hand under my elbow, muttering instructions on which path to take through the trees.
And even though the fear wouldn’t leave me. Even though I knew I wasn’t thinking straight, I let him usher me back.
And I didn’t fall apart because the wall of him at my back made me feel a little less afraid.
17.What a Mess
~ DIADRE ~
I screamed, clawing at the dirt as that fucker dragged me backwards by one foot through the entire camp—every Nephilim present watched. Some of them nodding.
“Please!” I begged. “Help me! Please!”
But they smiled.
As the monster pushed back the tent flap to drag me inside, I knew. I knew what would happen, Jann broke through the crowd, rushing—and stopped dead right on the edge of the gathered Neph, staring down at me.
Relief and pure hope. “Thank God, Jann! Please—help me! He’s—”
But Jann turned to the man next to him and tipped a thumb towards me, asking a question I couldn’t hear over my own screams.
I was jerked backwards again and caught his foot. On thenext tug I was pulled up and off the ground by the tension between my grip and the Neph’s grip on me. But Jann growled and kicked me loose.
I screamed his name over and over, grabbing anything I could to keep myself out of that tent, clawing the rocks, breaking nails, scrabbling until my fingers bled. But he only turned cold eyes on me and shook his head like I was annoying.
Then the tent flap fell in front of my face and they all disappeared and I sobbed, desperately trying to crawl away as that monster ripped off my leathers and growled the things he planned to do to me.
I tried to rise, torun,but I was shoved face-first into the dirt. Then, as I spluttered, he flipped me over onto my back and a thick, hard length nudged between my thighs.
“NO!”
Huge hands grasping for mine as I clawed and fought, spitting and screaming.
“NO, YOU FUCKER!”
