Jarvis clutched at his neck. For a moment, nothing. Then blood erupted in a crimson arc, spraying across the marble floor and unfortunate courtiers who'd stood too close.
He made terrible sounds. Wet. Gurling.
Qasim's smile never wavered.
The crowd recoiled, a wave of silk and perfume retreating. My brother Kastiel and I remained still. Unfazed. There was little left that could shock us anymore.
Milora's scream cut through the hall, shrill and piercing. Blood had splattered across her yellow gown. "My gown!" she shrieked. "You fool! You absolute damned fool! This was my favorite dress!"
"Your favorite?" Qasim straightened, wiping his blade on the dying captain's tunic. "Forgive me, I did not know." His half smile held only malice.
"My Most Beloved Divine Grace, will you say nothing?" Milora turned frantically to the God King. "This gown was your bedding gift!"
Meanwhile, Jarvis was still in the process of dying. Rather noisily, I might add.
Then the woman moved.
Her chains rattled as she strode forward faster than anyone half-starved should move. She walked right up to where Jarvis lay writhing on the floor, stepped into the spreading pool of his blood with her bare feet, and planted one foot squarely on his chest.
The hatred in her eyes burned like molten gold.
She leaned forward, chains swinging, drew a breath, and spat directly in Jarvis's face.
"That," she snarled. The way she stood over him was more regal in her chains and tattered, grime stained garment than any Empress that had ever walked these halls. "Is for my husband, you bastard. May the Gates reject you and your lost soul wander the Void for eternity."
Jarvis's mouth worked. Only bloody gurgles escaped. Then his eyes glazed over.
Then she raised her gaze to the God King, still blazing. She held his gaze as silence fell over the Grand Hall.
She didn't look away first, he did.
My breath caught. By the Daeude, she'd just challenged the God King with nothing but her eyes and won.
"Seize her!" The God King roared.
I moved without thinking, charging forward ahead of the other guards. The crowd gasped. From the corner of my eye, I saw confusion on Kastiel's face, his hand half-raised as if to stop me. This wasn't our duty. We were Val'Rhayne, the God King's immortal guardians, not common guards who dealt with prisoners.
Several guards converged on her from multiple sides, their boots heavy against the polished tiles, hands reaching for the hilts of their weapons. She didn't flinch. Just stood there with her foot planted on Jarvis's chest, watching us approach.
A sharp glance from me stopped the other guards in their tracks. They halted mid-stride, uncertainty written across their faces.
She lifted her chin to meet my gaze as I reached her. Those golden eyes of the Vae Dra Lhor looked at me with the same burning contempt she'd held for the captain.
The realization hit me harder than I expected. To her, I was just another monster in the God King's court.
"What are you doing? I said seize her!" The God King's voice cracked like a whip.
"Don't fight," I said low enough that only she could hear. Not a command. A plea.
She held my gaze, unflinching. "Rot in the Void, you puppet."
The other guards were moving closer, emboldened by the God King's impatience.
That was when I saw it. Qasim's head tilted, his eyes running over her with a look that made my stomach turn.
"How interesting," he murmured.
Damn.
Without thinking, I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder as gently as I could, ignoring her angry cry of protest, and walked out of the chamber.
The crowd parted before me, their shocked whispers already fueling tomorrow's gossip. Fine. Let them talk. The sooner she was out of their sight, the sooner they'd forget her. For once I was grateful for their fickle memories.
Kastiel looked as confused as the rest, but he stepped aside as I passed with her writhing on my shoulder.
Her body went rigid with fury, every muscle locked in outrage.
Smooth, Mikhael. Really smooth. This won't make her hate you more -at all-. I thought to myself with a grimace.
"Put me down!" she snarled and twisted so violently I almost lost my grip. Her chains rattled like some macabre melody. "Put me down, you bastard!"
I tightened my hold. "Stop frightening or I'm going to drop you."
"Good! Do it!"
Mercifully none of the court had followed us, which left only the palace servants to witness as she used her manacles like a weapon and drove them into my left kidney as hard as she could. Even through my armor the blow was enough to drop me to my knees.
Pain exploded like white fire through my side. I gasped, releasing her.
This would be the first time she brought me to my knees, but not the last.
Without hesitation, she got to her feet and took off at a run down the hall as fast as her shackled ankles would allow. Which wasn't very. But she gave it a damn good try.
Just as I swallowed my pride and forced myself to stand, my side screaming in protest, her ankle chains caught and she went down. Hard.
The sound of her body hitting the marble floors echoed through the corridor. A sickening crack that made my stomach lurch and think the worst. These humans were damned fragile.
For a moment she just lay there, stunned.
I staggered towards her, still clutching my side, and caught the smirks on the faces of two of the servant girls who'd witness the entire spectacle. They stood near one of the arched windows, the sweet scent of jasmine flowing through, hands pressed against their mouths in an attempt to suppress their giggles.
A Val'Rhayne. One of the five immortal brothers, legendary warriors. Brought to his knees by a filthy, half-starved prisoner. In chains no less. More court gossip, just a different crowd. It was going to be a long time before I lived this one down.
"Not a word of this," I said firmly as I passed on my way to collect her.
Their response was to scurry away with what I swore was more giggles echoing in their wake.
By the time I reached her, she was already trying to push herself off the floor. Her arms trembled with the effort of trying to push herself off the marble floor. Blood trickled from her lip from where she'd bitten through it.
"Please…," I said quietly, crouching beside her, my hands visible. "You're hurt…"
"Don't. Touch. Me." She ground out each word with as much malice as she could muster. "I don't need your help."
"Oh yes, because you're doing a fantastic job escaping on your own."
Her head snapped up, golden eyes blazing with fury. "Don't you dare mock me…"
"Or what? You'll hit me with your manacles again?" I gestured to the side that still ached but was slowly healing itself. Quick healing was a gift of the Val'Rhayne bloodline. "Pretty effective, by the way. If I was a mortal man I would be pissing blood for a week."
She blinked. Fury gave way to a wary confusion. She didn't understand why I wasn't beating her senseless in punishment.
"Here," I reached out slowly, leaving space so she had to complete the connection of her own free will. "Let me help you up. We need to get you to a Witch Healer."
"Rot in the Void."
"I'm sure I will some day, but right now, you need to let me get you somewhere safe."
"Safe?" She spat, as if the idea of finding anything about this place safe. Then she paused for a moment, and I saw a flicker of calculation behind those spectacular eyes."Why do you care?"
Fair question.
"I don't know," I said, holding her gaze. "I just do. So please, let me help. I know someone who can tend your wounds and remove these." I gestured to the iron shackles that had rubbed her wrists and ankles raw.
She stared at me, her eyes searching my face for something, anything, to give her cause to fight more. Finally, grudgingly, she reached out and slipped her hand into mine.
There was a strange tightening in my chest when her skin willingly brushed against mine, but kept my expression impassive.
Carefully, like handling one of my mothers ancient fragile heirlooms, I helped her to her feet. She swayed alarmingly. I remained planted in place, letting her use me for balance until she was steadied.
The impulse to sweep her into my arms did cross my mind. I crushed down as soon as it arose.
"Don't you dare throw me over your shoulder again," she said through gritted teeth. "Or I aim for your other kidney."
"Fair enough," I said, and hid a smile as she wobbled defiantly.
By the Daeude, who made this human?