Page 38 of Savage Is My Kingdom

“Yes.” I managed, between frozen lips. “I will hold out longer than you.” I didn’t know where my courage came from, but he would never break me. If this was where my life ended, I’d go to the Great Beyond without giving Solok what he wanted. But I shuddered when he ran his hand down my face, crushed his lips against mine, his foul breath filling my lungs.

I bit his tongue, hard enough to fill my entire mouth with his blood, hard enough to send him flying backwards, eyes wide in disbelief. But when he slid his knife out of his scabbard, my new-found courage floundered.

“You will pay for that, little thief.” He crooned. “Blood for blood.”

Someone banged on the door, hard enough to shake the table I was strapped to.

“Go the fuck away.” Solok hissed, bearing down on me, my eyes fixed on the point of that knife. “I told you not to disturb me.”

“Open up, Solok.”

I never imagined I’d be happy to hear Tavion Montgomery’s voice, but I went limp with relief. “The king demands your presence. Right the fuck now.” Solok hissed in displeasure, then drew the point of his knife along my belly. Without looking, I knew what he’d carved into my flesh

An S, cut deep enough blood tracked down my sides.

“Now I’ve marked you.” There was such sadistic delight in his words I shuddered. “We shall play later, little thief, and next time, no one will come to save you.”

This all-encompassing cold that filled me was eternal, pain flashing through me in waves, yet somehow, I hissed at the bastard, putting every ounce of my hatred into the sound.

The door opened with a squeal, then Solok was gone and Tavion Montgomery stared down at me, his dark eyes flashing pale green, the shift so quick I must have imagined it.

“Fucking hell, Anaria.” My name was a burst of breath, he threw his cape over me, then uncuffed me, his hands gentle. My arms and legs were limp, a delirium of pain shutting down my body, my brain.

Gods, this might kill me. I tried to move, sliding on the bloody table, and barely managed to curl into a pitiful ball.

“Why are you helping me?” My lips were cracked, my voice barely a husk. “You hate me, remember?”

“Because you can’t fucking die.You can’t.” Tavion stuck his head out into the passage. “Go find a healer. Now.” There was the rumble of boots, then Tavion quietly closed the door.

“The healer will fix you, Anaria.” I dimly felt him rub my frozen hand between his palms. “She’ll take away the pain, just hold on for a few more minutes.”

“Get this collar off me.” I whispered, nausea swirling in my gut as I realized my bleeding…wasn’t stopping. “And I’ll heal myself.”

“I can’t do that. Not until...” He shook his head, his face pale. “I can’t do that. Not yet. I’m sorry.” He did look sorry, emotion shining from his eyes, once again pale green. “Just hold on, Anaria, hold on. I won’t let Solok touch you again, I swear.”

“Why do this?” I rasped, my vision turning darker. “Why bother?”

“Because you’re in an innocent in this fucked up situation.” Tavion muttered. “Where the fuck are the healers?”

“I healed myself once before. On the way here, after we were attacked by mercenaries. I can do it again, just get this thingoff me.” I tugged at the collar, but my numb fingers wouldn’t work.

Healing was only half of what I had planned. My magic would get Ember and me out of this city. Once we were free of this place, we’d…we’d take that road the High Seer mentioned and beg the Shadow King for asylum. Solarys had to be better than here.

Tavion had gone still. “What mercenaries?”

My body was acting weird, cold and hot at the same time, like it couldn’t decide what to do with all this pain, the room fading in and out, spots dancing in my eyes. “The ones who attacked us in the forest.”

“How many of them were there?”

“Three.” I swallowed, the heavy taste of copper coating my mouth.

“What did they look like?” I blinked, forcing myself to focus through the blinding agony. “What did the mercs look like Anaria?Tell me.” I studied his handsome face, his eyes no longer dark at all, but a bright bottle green. Exactly like my own.

Exactly like…

“One of them looked like you.” He dropped my hand and burst to his feet, a look of horror dawning on his face.

My pain-blurred brain was grappling with something, something that had lurked on the edges of my mind for days now. “The shape of his face was like yours, but he was big, even bigger than you. He had the most enormous sword, but he was kind…he called me…princess.”

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