Page 144 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
“And I can just stand over him–” He picked up a dagger from the side and twirled it with expert movements, before grasping the pommel hard enough that his fist shook. His eyes glazed and his top lip curled over as he stared down. “–and end it. One swipe and I’ll end his pitiful existence which had brought nothing but misery.”
The silence that followed was filled with
“He wouldn’t put up a fight. Wouldn’t even have time to open his eyes and see his own nephew had killed him,” Dax said in a haunting voice, eyes still unfocused. “It would be so easy.”
It would.
Silas would be gone in the blink of an eye, after a life of nothing but sucking on the Vegheara family’s legacy. The only good and pure thing he’d done was have Clara, and that had taken maybe thirty seconds of his time.
“Tell me not to kill him, Allie,” Dax said, so low, I almost didn’t hear him.
But I did–and, for a terrifying moment, my mouth opened, but the simple no didn’t come.
“Tell me not to do what I know I can easily do. What I want to do. Tell me not to kill him. Because I am losing my mind,” he said, almost pleading, eyes jumping to me.
For the briefest moment, I allowed myself to indulge in that violent, insane plot.
Simply let Dax loose and get rid of Silas.
Cut the snake’s head off and watch its body writhe underneath our boots as we reclaimed what was ours.
As we restored the order we knew our Clan deserved, through brute power if we had to.
It was tempting. So tempting, I had to grip onto my seat to keep from saying anything I would regret.
One word.
That’s all it would take.
The monster in me, poked and prodded for too long, wanted to let it loose.
But I was stronger than my violent urges.
I had to be.
“We are not warlords. Or cowards,” I said evenly. “Let Silas be the only stain on the Vegheara name.”
Dax still gripped the dagger tightly.
“Killing Silas won’t bring us answers,” I said at last, fighting my baser instincts, just like he had to. “He couldn’t have planned this whole takeover on his own. He had help–and we need to find out from whom. We have a better chance of discovering that while he’s alive.”
Dax nodded and released a heavy sigh, like he finally had the permission to not murder. Then kept on nodding, lost in his own thoughts.
I’d always had a weird sort of fascination with Dax’s attitude. Ever since we’d been children, he’d captivated rooms with nothing but an easy grin and a tilt of his head.
He’d only gotten better with age, charming leaders, queens, merchants, spies, and everyone in between.
It was a skill I’d wanted for myself, but had never been able to mimic.
That easy air that made people lower their guard and gravitate toward him.
I’d envied him for it, my own cousin.
Then I’d found out what turmoil hid behind that charming smile. And I only knew a glimpse of him.
I wondered if anyone, even his twin sister, knew what he truly hid behind his sharp allure.
I hadn’t envied him since and I definitely didn’t right now. My own thoughts tormented me, only in different ways.
