rest of my Guard, waiting at the front of the house. When they are finished, if there is anything left, they will dump you in the fountain at Fifth Point as a warning to any other woman who might be stupid enough to think they can fool their betters.”
Laila stared back at him, her anger rising. The hate inside of her for every bully she had ever faced or run from. All the nights hiding in the dark terrified that they would find her. Then, Flint. Flint saving her and demanding nothing in return. She had seen a glimpse of something good in this world. And, this royal prince was going to ruin it. He was going to take away her dream.
Smiling at her, the Prince reached out and squeezed her breast just because he could. The pain and humiliation shot through Laila. The Prince continued to stare into her eyes as if daring her to do anything about it.
“I will take this,” he said, looking down at the locket around her neck, “as a keepsake for our night together. I am so going to enjoy it.”
With that, he snatched the locket with the coin, breaking the chain around her neck.
“No!” Laila screamed. Not Flint’s coin. No, he couldn’t. She twisted and turned until she was able to break free of his grip.
The Prince smiled at her. Yes, he definitely wanted her to fight back. Laila didn’t care about that, not now. Now, she needed that locket. Everything else could wait.
Reaching out, she tried to grab it back from him. He swatted her hands away and pushed her to the ground as he laughed.
Jumping up, she spit in his face.
“Go ahead,” she said. “Do whatever you want. But, when you are done, remember, you are still a short, little man with a tiny prick. And, nothing you do in this world is ever going to change that.”
The Prince’s hand slapped her across the face so quickly she didn’t have time to react. The world exploded into a dozen stars. Each twirling around the other. The pain in her jaw flashed through her, making her heart pound and her ears ring.
“Hold her down,” he said to his Guardsman.
“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice said from the darkness. Laila’s heart began to beat again. She would know that voice for the rest of her life. Flint, the one thing in this world she could rely on.
The tall Golden Man stepped out of the darkness. He looked down at Laila, his eyes sparking with fire when he saw the bruise on her cheek. Slowly, he pushed the fire away and shook his head.
“I am sorry, Princess. I should have arrived sooner."
Laila scrambled to pull her dress into some kind of decency. Flint, he Flint, it was all she could think about. She wanted to melt into his arms. The one place in this world where she felt safe. Then, she remembered what was important.
“He has the coin,” she said. “My locket.”
“That isn’t important for the moment,” Flint said. Then, mumbling to himself, he added. “What is it about you that you attract the most obnoxious pipsqueaks?
“I don’t know,” she said, as she dusted off the back of her dress. “I’m just lucky I guess.”
“What are you waiting for?” the Prince yelled to his Guardsman. “Get rid of him.”
Big mistake, Laila thought to herself. Big mistake. Flint might be unarmed, and the Guardsman might have nice, sharp swords. But, there was only two of them. And, this was Flint. Big mistake.
Flint immediately began to prove her right. Before either of the Guardsmen could remove a weapon from its sheath, Flint jumped forward and punched the larger of the two guards, square in the nose. Not a gentle tap. But a full, powerful punch that made the man’s face erupt in a shower of blood.
The man immediately forgot his sword and brought both hands to his face. Flint wasn’t watching that. He had already shifted and grabbed the other guards head and brought it forward to meet his in a massive head-butt.
Just as the first guard was returning to some kind of awareness and once again reaching for his sword, Flint twisted again and
Laila stared back at him, her anger rising. The hate inside of her for every bully she had ever faced or run from. All the nights hiding in the dark terrified that they would find her. Then, Flint. Flint saving her and demanding nothing in return. She had seen a glimpse of something good in this world. And, this royal prince was going to ruin it. He was going to take away her dream.
Smiling at her, the Prince reached out and squeezed her breast just because he could. The pain and humiliation shot through Laila. The Prince continued to stare into her eyes as if daring her to do anything about it.
“I will take this,” he said, looking down at the locket around her neck, “as a keepsake for our night together. I am so going to enjoy it.”
With that, he snatched the locket with the coin, breaking the chain around her neck.
“No!” Laila screamed. Not Flint’s coin. No, he couldn’t. She twisted and turned until she was able to break free of his grip.
The Prince smiled at her. Yes, he definitely wanted her to fight back. Laila didn’t care about that, not now. Now, she needed that locket. Everything else could wait.
Reaching out, she tried to grab it back from him. He swatted her hands away and pushed her to the ground as he laughed.
Jumping up, she spit in his face.
“Go ahead,” she said. “Do whatever you want. But, when you are done, remember, you are still a short, little man with a tiny prick. And, nothing you do in this world is ever going to change that.”
The Prince’s hand slapped her across the face so quickly she didn’t have time to react. The world exploded into a dozen stars. Each twirling around the other. The pain in her jaw flashed through her, making her heart pound and her ears ring.
“Hold her down,” he said to his Guardsman.
“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice said from the darkness. Laila’s heart began to beat again. She would know that voice for the rest of her life. Flint, the one thing in this world she could rely on.
The tall Golden Man stepped out of the darkness. He looked down at Laila, his eyes sparking with fire when he saw the bruise on her cheek. Slowly, he pushed the fire away and shook his head.
“I am sorry, Princess. I should have arrived sooner."
Laila scrambled to pull her dress into some kind of decency. Flint, he Flint, it was all she could think about. She wanted to melt into his arms. The one place in this world where she felt safe. Then, she remembered what was important.
“He has the coin,” she said. “My locket.”
“That isn’t important for the moment,” Flint said. Then, mumbling to himself, he added. “What is it about you that you attract the most obnoxious pipsqueaks?
“I don’t know,” she said, as she dusted off the back of her dress. “I’m just lucky I guess.”
“What are you waiting for?” the Prince yelled to his Guardsman. “Get rid of him.”
Big mistake, Laila thought to herself. Big mistake. Flint might be unarmed, and the Guardsman might have nice, sharp swords. But, there was only two of them. And, this was Flint. Big mistake.
Flint immediately began to prove her right. Before either of the Guardsmen could remove a weapon from its sheath, Flint jumped forward and punched the larger of the two guards, square in the nose. Not a gentle tap. But a full, powerful punch that made the man’s face erupt in a shower of blood.
The man immediately forgot his sword and brought both hands to his face. Flint wasn’t watching that. He had already shifted and grabbed the other guards head and brought it forward to meet his in a massive head-butt.
Just as the first guard was returning to some kind of awareness and once again reaching for his sword, Flint twisted again and
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