SWNOVELS Chapter 36
I’m losing this fight.
Theo knows me better than the other guards. He’s countering every one of my moves and when his fist catches me across the jaw, blood fills my mouth, stars blinking in my eyes. The force of the blow spins me around and I stumble to the stone on my knees.
Get up! I scream at my aching, exhausted body. Get up!
“Wendy. Wendy. Wendy.” Theo clucks his tongue as he ambles over. “I had really hoped you’d make this easier on yourself.”
“Who paid you, Theo?” I scramble to my feet. “Don’t you know you can’t trust any of them?”
He smiles. Watery blood is coating his teeth. “Maybe you can’t trust the witch, but she’s already given me twice what you have in gold. Did you really expect me to believe you when you said you’d marry me once the old man died? It was easy to say yes to the witch when she propositioned me.”
“What witch? What are you talking about?”
“Mareth,” he finally says. “Mareth is the witch.”
Hally’s betrothed? That doesn’t seem right. She’s so quiet. So timid.
But of course now that I think of it, isn’t that the perfect way to hide in plain sight?
God I’ve been so oblivious. Too focused on my own misery to notice there was someone scheming right in front of my face.
“What does Mareth want?” I ask as Theo circles me in the tunnel. “What does she stand to gain?”
“Power,” Theo admits and then he lunges for me.
He gets his hand around my throat and drives me back against the wall. When I hit the stone, the force of the blow knocks the wind out of me and pain lances through my ribs.
I choke on the need for oxygen.
Theo wrenches the dagger from my grip and then turns it on me.
Still gasping for air, I block his advance, crossing my forearm in front of his.
But I’m not strong enough to fight him hand to hand for long.
The sharp end of the dagger gets closer and closer to my chest.
Theo grits his teeth, pushes forward.
If he strikes, he’ll pierce through my heart and I’ll be dead. I don’t exactly know what I’m fighting for anymore, but I know I don’t want to die.
There’s only one option.
I have to control the outcome.
I drop my stance, sinking down the stonewall while at the same time letting up on the block against Theo.
Withdrawing my opposition takes him by surprise and the dagger plows forward, hitting me in the shoulder instead of the heart.
He growls in frustration, but the sound is distant, like I’m underwater.
The pain is nearly insurmountable.
It blows through my shoulder, down my neck, vibrating down my spine.
My mouth forms a cry but no sound comes out. The pain has stolen all the air from my lungs.
It’s only seconds later, when a breath manages to trickle in, that a wailing screech makes it past my lips.
“Shut the fuck up,” Theo says and winds back his hand to slap me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Theo comes to a sudden halt.
Roc emerges from the shadow in the tunnel’s natural curve. Behind him is Asha, blood crusted on her forehead.
Theo smirks but anyone with two eyes could see the fear etched around his mouth.
“She attacked me,” Theo says. “She’s gone absolutely crazy.”
“You know,” Roc says as he comes forward with slow, lazy steps, “I made myself a promise when you barged into our room at the inn, when you hit my Captain.”
“Oh yeah?” Theo takes a step back as if the way to keep himself safe is to keep a distance between himself and Roc.
“I promised myself that at the first opportunity, I’d fucking kill you.”
Theo laughs. “I was just doing my job.”
“Sure. Sure.” Roc takes a few more steps. Flame from the torches embedded in the wall skim him in flickering light. “Then, after you arrested us and dragged us in front of the queen, you hit me with your baton. Do you remember?”
Theo runs his tongue along his teeth. “Not particularly.”
“I made myself a second promise. That you were double dead.”
“What the—”
Roc reaches back, steals Asha’s dagger from her hip and sends it sailing through the air. The blade hits Theo in the throat and blood geysers from the wound.
Theo blinks wide-eyed and pale.
Then Roc darts forward, almost a blur, and takes Theo’s head between his two hands and twists.
CRACK.
Theo’s face is turned away from his body at an unnatural angle.
He drops to the floor like a sack of sticks.
“There,” Roc says and dusts off his hands. “Double dead.”
Asha comes over to me. “Are you okay?”
I hold my injured arm close to my side. “I think so.”
Roc asks, “Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should go.”
“What about James?”
Asha and Roc share a look. “We haven’t found him yet,” Roc admits. “I was looking for him when I found your friend.”
My heart sinks. I push away from the wall and grimace as pain burns through my shoulder.
“Don’t take it out,” Roc warns.
“Here.” Asha comes forward and rips a length of fabric from the bottom of my nightgown leaving it tattered and hitting just above my knees. She takes the strip and winds it around the dagger and my shoulder stabilizing the weapon.
I squeeze my eyes shut the entire time, worried that if I don’t, I might pass out.
“Better?” Asha asks.
I give her a grim nod. It’s as good as it’s going to get for now.
Roc comes over and hooks his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. He drapes my arm over his shoulders, holding on to my hand to keep me anchored. “If you need me to carry you, tell me.”
“I’ll be fine. Really.”
“No,” he says and looks down at me. “You’ll tell me.” It’s not hard to know when Roc is giving a command and not a suggestion. His default state is all charm. Anything other than that is not to be ignored.
“Fine. I’ll tell you.”
“Good. Now let’s move.”