disgusting—”
He slapped her so hard it pushed her to the side, slamming her check into the rough brick wall. He grabbed the back of her dress and yanked. It ripped like paper. She jabbed her elbow towards his nose, feeling the crunch of bone and cartilage. Blood splattered over her and ran down his face.
The cold night air rushed over her exposed chest. She stumbled forward, automatically covering herself. Her dress was shredded and hanging nearly to the waist on one side.
Terric charged, letting loose a steam of profanities muddled by the blood running into his mouth.
Auriella ducked and swung to the side, raising the dagger as she did. The blade bit across Terric’s cheek as he rushed past her. The dagger opened a gash from temple to lip, barely missing his eye.
New blood poured across Terric’s cheek and dripped down his neck. He was nearly unrecognizable.
Terric’s fingers went to his face, probing the wound.
What had she done? Rowan would not forgive this. She turned and ran, heading for the stables.
Tybolt stared at Aja’s cart from a distance. It was still on display and the villagers gathered around it, taking turns spitting and cursing at him. Terric had vanished, which was strange. He was supposed to stay with the cart.
Aja ignored everything and everyone. He stood at the bars and stared at Tybolt.
Refusing to look away, Tybolt clenched his fists at his side. He was a Hunter, and no wizard would intimidate him, especially one responsible for the death of his family.
Then Aja gave a little twitch of a smile. Maybe it was the shape of the mouth or the way the eyes laughed along with it, but Tybolt jolted. He knew that smile.
“Hess?” he whispered.
Tilly plopped down next to Tybolt and threw her hair over her shoulder. “I think he likes you,” she mocked, nodding towards Aja.
“I think he likes looking at the misery he’s created.”
She folded her hands demurely in her lap and batted her eyes, which was the exact opposite of her normal demeanor. “Where’s Auriella?”
Her tone was sickly sweet, and Tybolt’s skin crawled. He wanted to shout every obscene thing he could think of at her. “Why are you so concerned with—”
He was cut off as a horse clattered through the square, Auriella on its back. People shouted and dove out of the way. The horse’s flank caught the edge of a cart and upended it.
“Where….” He trailed off. Auriella’s dress was torn and spattered with blood. She was heading for the gate. “Spawn of Aja!” Tybolt took off at a dead run towards the stables.
Auriella was barely aware of the villagers as they yelled and dove out of her way. A subtle exit would’ve been a better plan, but any shred of logical thinking was buried beneath an avalanche of memories and a desire not to die.
Ahead of her the gate loomed. Matthew stood beside it.
“Open the gate!” she yelled.
Matthew made no move to open it. She yanked Fire Dancer to a halt and leapt off, using one hand to keep the remains of her dress up.
“Lady Auriella.” Matthew’s tone was not one of shock but a whisper of wonder. His gaze roamed up and down what was left of her clothes.
It would be so easy to take her anger out on this fool, but if she did she would likely kill him. “Matthew!”
“The king has ordered the gates not be opened after dark, for anyone.”
Auriella grabbed him by his skinny throat and shoved him against the wall. “I don’t care what the king said. If you don’t open this gate, I will snap your neck and take the keys off your dead body.”
“My lady,” Matthew croaked. “Please, the king will have my head.”
“It’s either him or me—with the bruises I’m leaving around your neck, I’m sure you can convince the king you were coerced.” She squeezed tighter. “I can guarantee your death right now, or you can take your chances with King Rowan.”
“All right. All right!”
Auriella released him and he fell forward, gasping
He slapped her so hard it pushed her to the side, slamming her check into the rough brick wall. He grabbed the back of her dress and yanked. It ripped like paper. She jabbed her elbow towards his nose, feeling the crunch of bone and cartilage. Blood splattered over her and ran down his face.
The cold night air rushed over her exposed chest. She stumbled forward, automatically covering herself. Her dress was shredded and hanging nearly to the waist on one side.
Terric charged, letting loose a steam of profanities muddled by the blood running into his mouth.
Auriella ducked and swung to the side, raising the dagger as she did. The blade bit across Terric’s cheek as he rushed past her. The dagger opened a gash from temple to lip, barely missing his eye.
New blood poured across Terric’s cheek and dripped down his neck. He was nearly unrecognizable.
Terric’s fingers went to his face, probing the wound.
What had she done? Rowan would not forgive this. She turned and ran, heading for the stables.
Tybolt stared at Aja’s cart from a distance. It was still on display and the villagers gathered around it, taking turns spitting and cursing at him. Terric had vanished, which was strange. He was supposed to stay with the cart.
Aja ignored everything and everyone. He stood at the bars and stared at Tybolt.
Refusing to look away, Tybolt clenched his fists at his side. He was a Hunter, and no wizard would intimidate him, especially one responsible for the death of his family.
Then Aja gave a little twitch of a smile. Maybe it was the shape of the mouth or the way the eyes laughed along with it, but Tybolt jolted. He knew that smile.
“Hess?” he whispered.
Tilly plopped down next to Tybolt and threw her hair over her shoulder. “I think he likes you,” she mocked, nodding towards Aja.
“I think he likes looking at the misery he’s created.”
She folded her hands demurely in her lap and batted her eyes, which was the exact opposite of her normal demeanor. “Where’s Auriella?”
Her tone was sickly sweet, and Tybolt’s skin crawled. He wanted to shout every obscene thing he could think of at her. “Why are you so concerned with—”
He was cut off as a horse clattered through the square, Auriella on its back. People shouted and dove out of the way. The horse’s flank caught the edge of a cart and upended it.
“Where….” He trailed off. Auriella’s dress was torn and spattered with blood. She was heading for the gate. “Spawn of Aja!” Tybolt took off at a dead run towards the stables.
Auriella was barely aware of the villagers as they yelled and dove out of her way. A subtle exit would’ve been a better plan, but any shred of logical thinking was buried beneath an avalanche of memories and a desire not to die.
Ahead of her the gate loomed. Matthew stood beside it.
“Open the gate!” she yelled.
Matthew made no move to open it. She yanked Fire Dancer to a halt and leapt off, using one hand to keep the remains of her dress up.
“Lady Auriella.” Matthew’s tone was not one of shock but a whisper of wonder. His gaze roamed up and down what was left of her clothes.
It would be so easy to take her anger out on this fool, but if she did she would likely kill him. “Matthew!”
“The king has ordered the gates not be opened after dark, for anyone.”
Auriella grabbed him by his skinny throat and shoved him against the wall. “I don’t care what the king said. If you don’t open this gate, I will snap your neck and take the keys off your dead body.”
“My lady,” Matthew croaked. “Please, the king will have my head.”
“It’s either him or me—with the bruises I’m leaving around your neck, I’m sure you can convince the king you were coerced.” She squeezed tighter. “I can guarantee your death right now, or you can take your chances with King Rowan.”
“All right. All right!”
Auriella released him and he fell forward, gasping
Similar Books
