Page 38 of The King's Man
~ DIADRE ~
I was halfway through to camp and trying to find my bearings before I heard him roar, and that pushed my feet faster.
I dashed tears from my cheeks as I passed a handful of Neph who stood when they saw me and turned to face me, their gazes following me.
Shit.Shit.
The King’s tent. Only servants were allowed in there when Melek was gone, but Yilan had given me permission. As soon as I was out of direct line of sight of any of these fuckers, I’d walk the shadows and slip in there, hide until they returned.
It had been stupid to come here alone, but I hadn’t been thinking.
Thankfully, none of the men I passed followed me, though they watched my passage. Three or four more steps and I’d turn between those two tents and as long as there was no one there,I’d twist into smoke in the shadow between them—Yilan had beenveryclear that I wasn’t to let them know we could make ourselves essentially invisible unless it was a matter of life and death.
I looked over my shoulder at that fist of men behind me, relieved that they hadn’t moved as I stepped off the path and between the two tents. But as I turned and gathered my power, an arm whipped out and hooked me around the waist.
It was exactly the same move Jann had used more than once in that battle to yank me to his side. For a split second I thought it was him, that he’d somehow reached this place before me.
But it wasn’t his hot breath on my ear, or his voice that growled in my ear.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
With a gasp, I let my body slump, slide directly down, through his arm to the dirt, then rolled as he grabbed for me and shoved back to my feet, darting between two more tents as I sucked in a breath to scream.
But a steel grip clamped over my ankle and yanked my foot off the ground. Unable to get my other foot down in time, I hit the dirt so hard my teeth clacked and the breath I’d taken was shoved out of my lungs.
Panicking as I was dragged backwards, leaving skin on the gravelly ground, I had a split second to make the call if this counted as life-threatening enough to warrant walking the shadows with a Nephilim witness—and decided that it did. Just in time for my head to bounce and the world to tilt, then go black.
I wasn’t sure how long I was stunned. But I blinked and the fog cleared by half, revealing a handsome but dark Nephilim, eyes wide and bright as he stared down at me like a child being served dessert.
Thick fingers gripped my chin and shook my head, which only made it spin more. “I’m going to plant a baby in your belly,” he grunted. “If the Halfling wants to kill you for it, come to me. I’ll protect you.”
I gasped, and tried to fight. But when I reached for the blade at my hip it was gone—had I not worn it this morning, or had this fucker stolen it? I couldn’t remember. I flipped onto my belly, blinking furiously and grasped at the shadows to shift to nothing, to give himnothingto grab. But I couldn’t get a hold of it. My head sang, aching from the blow, and the darkness slipped through my fingers like smoke.
I shrieked until he clamped a hand over my face—but he misjudged and his upper finger landed right over my mouth. I opened my jaw and bit down.Hard.
His roar of pain was satisfying—until the world rang like a gong and my head spun. I couldn’t tell up from down until a great weight pinned me to the ground.
“Stop.STOP!”I screamed, clawing at anything I could reach—trying for his eyes, but happy to gouge lines in his cheeks and down his temple.
He muttered curses, but gathered both my hands up and locked my wrists in one of his fists.
Iscreamed,demanding he unhand me and opened my eyes to catch sight of two other men peering around the edge of the tents… watching as he tugged down my leathers.
NO.No, this couldn’t happen. I scrabbled like a bug in the dirt, frantic, desperate.
“Help me! Help me, please! I’m—”
A thick, meaty hand clamped around my throat.
I couldn’t breathe. At all. Not to inhale. Not to speak.Nothingcould pass that rock in my throat.
“Don’t worry, it’ll increase your pleasure,” the monster rumbled.
One of the other men said something and my heart leaped—would they help me? But then my attacker snarled, “No. Find your own.”
I clawed at his grip on my throat as he lifted me like I was the prey on a hunt and carried me towards one of the nearby tents.
Lights sparkled in my vision and the pressure made my head scream with pain. I fought for my life—only to find myself dangling by his fist, feet unable to find purchase because he held me off the ground.
