Page 125 of To Bleed A Kingdom

“No.” I stop a few spans from the pub.“Just enough to get a read on how he’ll react. He's just now beginning to trust me. If I tell him what Brecca is planning, he’ll want to know everything else, and you know I can't reveal that.”

“Not yet, at least,” Amara replies, no judgment in her tone.

I smile at my wonderful friend. Always there. Always supportive. The first constant in my life. The first to choose me instead of feeling obligated to, like others have. Although, that's not fair to say. My family loves me and would sacrifice their lives for me, but they were forced into this life. Not like Amara, or even Tristan and Zander. They chose to stand by my side of their own free will. Even when I did everything in my power to push them away, they stayed. I’ll never forget that, and I’ll never take their friendships for granted. And there’s nothing, absolutely nothing in this world or the next that I wouldn't sacrifice for them. I’ll watch the realms burn, dancing on its ashes with a smile on my face if it means I can keep them safe.

“Did you find anything of note in the royals’ chambers?” Amara asks Tristan.

“Nothing,” he replies, his lips slashed in a frustrated line. “But I wasn't as thorough as I would've liked. Kiora and one of her many lovers came back earlier than I expected.”

“Ugh! The heir needs to rid himself of that viper,” Amara says, her single starlight jewel glowing with her rising anger. Amara dislikes just about everyone and everything, but the one thing she hates most of all is disloyalty.“Do they have divorce in these lands?”

I shake my head. “No, they’re only released upon dea–”

Pain suddenly lashes at the bar of my cage, the snap as sharp as a whip, rattling the bars in its terror. Familiar terror.

“Trip,” I whisper and bolt, my boots slapping against stone and splashing in puddles as I race down the darkened alley beside the tavern. Another spike of pain pierces me just as I near the end of the alley, where I find Trip pushed up against the wall of the tavern by a male with an aura as black as tar. The attacker kicks him in the gut and Trip cries out, falling to the ground. I widen the bars of the cage, allowing more of myself to seep through. My legs move quicker, faster, my feet barely touching the ground as I speed towards them.

The male swings back a leg, ready to deliver another blow just as I reach his side. I grab him by the back of the throat and fling him through the air to smack against the wall of the opposing shop.

Crouching before a curled over Trip, I stroke his back. “Are you alright?”

“Lena?” Trip winces, clutching his ribs. “You can't be here. He'll hurt you.”

A shuffling noise echoes off the stone wall and I give Trip a reassuring smile, turning away from him to stand before a wiry male with slicked back, blonde hair and what appears to be a blackened handprint on his throat.

“You stupid cunt! Do you –” The Air immortal’s words abruptly cut off and his eyes widen in awe. “Gorgeous.”

I crinkle my nose. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to people reacting that way to me.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, the Air immortal strides towards me, his face twisting into a cruel leer as his eyes run along my body with vicious intent. “I planned on killing you slowly, but now that I've seen you, I’m sure I can find much more enjoyable ways to punish you.”

I’ll bite your dick off before you ever touch me with it.

“Not interested.”

“Even better.” He groans and squeezes the bulge of his trousers. “I do love when you females scream.” Pausing mid-step, he narrows his eyes, scrutinizing me more closely. “You're not a female though, are you?” He startles. “You're a human!”

I roll my eyes. These beings are so naive to believe humans can’t cause them harm just because they don’t have magic. It's kind of embarrassing.

“How dare you put your hands on me!” he shouts. “Do you know who I am?”

I shrug. “A rapist.”

He sputters in fury and lunges for me. I kick him in the balls, dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

See? You don’t need magic to defeat a male. All you need is a good swift kick to the balls. Or if it’s a female, to the cunt. It may not be as painful for a female as it is for a male, but from someone who has received many cheap shots to the pussy, mostly from a pissed off Amara, I know firsthand how effective it is. It fucking hurts!

“Do you want me to kill him, or just break a few bones?” I ask Trip, gesturing to the Air immortal rolling around on the dirty street.

“Lena, don’t,” Trip says. Now standing, he presses his back against the pub’s wall, attempting to become one with it as his frightened eyes dart between me and his attacker. “He’s Princess Kiora’s brother.”

“How lovely,” I say on a smile that's all teeth, my amethyst eyes honing in on the Air immortal. “Is there anyone in your family who isn't an asshole?”

“I'm a powerful male,” the would-be rapist squeaks, clutching his balls. “You don't want to make me your enemy.”

“I believe I already have.”

“Lena,” Trip grasps my vambraced wrist and tugs me towards him. “Please let him go. He…” He shakes his head, speaking with a tremble in his voice as he watches the Air immortal struggle to his knees. “You'll just make it worse for me.”

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