Page 32 of Warrior's Captive
“Demonstrably not.”
“You wanted to see where she’d scurry off to.”
“I did. There was also some doubt as to her intentions when she encountered Vivian. We need more in order to justify detaining her. It seems no coincidence she happens to be in the same location as you and your mate, so I suspect we will soon have that justification.” Satisfaction in Vykhan’s tone, quickly banished. Satisfaction wasn’t Silent after all.
“Vivian’s being tracked.”
“Bold of them to attempt an extraction with you present. Bold is vexing. I feel we have not been firm enough with these insects.”
Tai’ri scanned the crowd and began to walk casually towards Vivian.
“No,” Vykhan said. “Stay back.”
Outrage, hot and immediate, welled up. “Vivian isn’t bait.”
“She is in no danger. Draw thekheterout now so we may eliminate the ultimate threat all the sooner.”
“Fuck,” he swore under his breath, knowing Vykhan was right. “Fuck.” But because Vykhan had not ordered him to comply, he obeyed. Unhappily.
He knew how to slip into the shadows so completely none would see him. Tai’ri did so, and waited, seeing the moment Vivian realized he was missing, and the moment when her faint irritation turned to unease, and then alarm mixed with anger. Haeemah’s Mercy, it twisted his heart when she finally sat down, trying desperately to maintain calm.
“Can’t do this, Vykhan,” he said. “I can’t do this to her.”
“Wait,” was the sharp reply. “Our prey approaches.”
A split second later he saw, because now he was no longer staring so hard at Vivian’s face.
The evening was ruined. Thekheterwould pay.
Calm settled over Tai’ri as he moved, approaching on silent feet, listened to the brief conversation. When the female reached out and grabbed Vivian’s arm, he shot forward—then halted.
Vivian hauled back between one moment and the next, and landed a solid blow on thekheter’sjaw, the crunch of knuckles on bone causing him to wince. His fierce mate made a deep sound of pain, but it was thekheterwho stumbled back, crying out.
Tai’ri moved up behind the traitor, slipping fingers around her neck. “You should have stayed away,” he whispered into his enemy's ear, pressing down. She crumpled, and Tai’ri let her drop to the ground.
People around them cried out, several starting forward but Tai’ri pinned the bolder ones with a look and a snarl, then flicked his wrist so the official insignia of his rank flashed out in front of his chest like a shield.
The civilians stopped, then backed away. There was not a person in the province who did not know the insignia of the royal guard.
“Sir,” Banujani said, appearing in the crowd as Tai’ri stepped over thekheterand slid an arm around Vivian's shoulders. She stared at nothing, body stiff as he examined her knuckles.
“That was a mean jab,” Banujani muttered. “Be careful.”
She said nothing else as she hefted the unconsciouskheterover her shoulder and jogged off. Tai’ri would take Vivian home, tend to her hand, and then slip away after his mate was asleep to watch thekheter’ssecond interrogation. And perhaps participate.
“I’m sorry, Vivian,” he said in her ear.
“I’m not a child, I can take care of myself,” she said, body still stiff, “but I realized how unsafe I feel when you aren’t with me.”
He choked down anger; at himself, at Vykhan, at the people who’d done this to her. He almost started to lie to her, but couldn’t.
“Vykhan ordered me to stay back when we saw thekheterapproach. We wanted to see what she would do once she made contact. But I swear, you were never in danger.”
She looked up at him, studied his face, her eyes impassive. “You were using me as bait.”
This time he did swear, low and vicious. “Yes. I won’t do it again. I don’t care who orders me.”
Vivian shook her head. “No . . . I understand. But if you could warn me next time, that would be helpful.”
