Page 57 of Forcing Fate

The steel in his voice slid up my spine, brutal and demanding. I forced myself to meet his glare, even as my heart raced in fear.

“Gareth of Beor once saved my skin,” he said.

I jerked my chin up a fraction at my father’s full name.

He crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I never got the chance to repay him, so saving you from your little stunt back there, I consider my debt settled.”

I opened my mouth, but his hand shot out toward my face. My jaw snapped shut before he could latch onto it.

“Good girl,” he said, tapping a thick finger against my lips. “Let me finish.”

My whole body shivered, fighting the constraint he placed on me with that tiny movement.

“I’m no rat, so the Masters won’t hear about this from me. That said, if you make another dung-brained decision like this again, I won’t be here to save you.”

I swallowed my questions and glared. It might have been stupid, but I had to try. He wouldn’t comprehend that, though. My teeth ground together and I gave a sharp nod.

“Glad we understand each other.”

I shifted my feet and eyed the small entrance to the cave, hoping we could get out in the open. This man stole all the air out of the room. It was impossible to breathe or think straight. He made it seem like the storage cave wasn’t big enough for the both of us.

“One more thing–” His tone took on a bored cadence as my eyes flashed back to his.

He took one menacing step forward, crowding me into the wall again. I gulped as he straightened to his full height, and I craned my head to look up at him. My breath hitched as his hand settled lightly over my throat. His thick calluses were rough against my skin. I gripped my cloak as tight as I could. My nails dug into the fabric as deeply as I wanted to sink them into his remaining eye.

“If you ever breathe a word about what happened in that cave, I’ll kill you.”

His hold didn’t tighten on my neck, but it felt like a noose just the same. My eyes widened in fear, and my lungs wouldn’t work. I couldn’t breathe.

He looked down at me, and what I saw in that singular eye froze my heart. He would toss me over the edge of the abyss this very moment if I objected. His eye glittered with a silent promise. If I so much as breathed a question concerning it—he would strangle me right here and brush his hands off as if he just disposed of a rabbit.

It would be so simple, so easy for him to take my life.

I swallowed, my throat bobbing against his palm.

He didn’t say another word, but walked out of the cave, leaving me to fall to my knees and tremble.

Chapter Sixteen

Master Elenor was giving me the stink eye, and I didn’t know why. Surely she hadn’t discovered my escapade last night. General Rafe was rude, curt, brash, vulgar, arrogant… I could go on. But he didn’t seem like the type to lie. More like the type of man bound by his own twisted principles.

Like a messed up version of Willhelm.

“I was sure there was no lemon in that jam,” Master Elenor stated, looking at my expression with an arched eyebrow.

Looking down at the roll slathered in preserves, I realized I must have made a face when I compared General Rafe to Willhelm.

“There isn’t.” I schooled my face to a more pleasant expression and took another bite.

She gave a heavy sigh and settled onto the stool. “It’s going to be quite a day,” she said quietly, looking out my window.

“Why is that?”

All morning, I tried to act as though everything was normal. My week had been getting better, with my spirit on a high note yesterday. Until I sneaked off and a certain dragonling sealed my fate.

I wondered if Elispeth would listen to General Rafe’s command, and not tell Gavin, her Rider, that we were there last night. It appeared as if I had her approval to win over the dragonling, but Gavin had to hear the scuffle at the end, and I didn’t think she would hide that for me. If he learned of my attempt, he would take it to the Masters immediately.

“There’s been more raids.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, a gesture of frustration she normally would not allow herself. She always seemed so composed, as if nothing ever got to her.

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