Page 76 of Bound By Roses

“Put your claws away, dragon,” Erwyn says as he pushes passed me. For the briefest of moments, I think he’s going to defend the man, but then he says, “I can think of many uses for a Guardian.”

“Like target practice!” a voice from the crowd shouts.

“Let the wolves hunt him,” another suggests.

I’ve just about had it. I’ve been in the sun for far too long today. I’m hot, I’m tired, and I need a bath. “Enough!” I snap for the third time and hold a hand out to the injured man. When he takes it, I pull him shakily to his feet and allow him to use my arm to keep himself upright as I turn my glare back on Jade. “Did anyone see you take him?”

“The two who did are dead. There were no other witnesses in the forest.”

I look to Ty and use considerable effort to soften my stare. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” he gasps. “That monster killed them.”

Monster. That’s a word I know all too well.

“You cannot take his word for it!” Erwyn objects. This conversation is getting us nowhere and all he wants is to spill blood.

“So do not,” a siren says. I don’t know this one’s name, but I’ve seen her watching some of the sparring, though she’s never tried to participate. As if for my benefit, she add, “I am an influencer. I can project his memories.”

Project his memories? What does that mean? I don’t even have time to ask before an image appears in front of her. I see the Guardian, as well as two others, camping in the forest. Chaos erupts when Jade dives in as silently as any assassin and takes the two larger ones out. The man tries to run but doesn’t get very far when Jade’s hands ignite just before they make contact. The shriek that forces its way through Ty’s lips is one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

The image fades, and silence falls over the crowd.

“So much for an accident,” I mutter to Jade, but his smirk doesn’t falter.

I turn my focus back on Ty, who seems terrified to have just relieved his own attack as if he were watching it happen tosomeone else. I keep my voice calm because if he takes much more, we won’t be getting any answers out of him.

“What were you doing outside of Lunae?” He hesitates, so I press. “Answer me or they’ll kill you.” That’s the opposite of keeping him calm, but I need him to talk more.

“I was part of one of six groups scattered just outside the border. The queen thinks you’ll attack. We’re just the warning system.”

Of course she thinks we’ll attack. She knows we need Arabella. “When is your next check-in?”

“Four days.”

“How do we know he isn’t lying?” Erwyn growls.

Abby moves to Ty’s other side, putting herself between him and Erwyn. “Because he has no reason to protect Imelda.” She turns to him. “We’re going to stop her. Will you help us?”

After a moment of hesitation, he nods—just before he blacks out.

After more seemingly endless debate, we came to a tentative agreement that Ty would have to be detained until a proper decision could be reached. A healer is with him now, giving Jade, Abby, and I a chance to finish our conversation alone. It’s already getting late, and with the wedding tonight, at least we shouldn’t have to worry about anyone slipping in and murdering the Guardian themselves.

“You can’t ask me to do this,” I say for what must be the third time. My fists are clenched at my sides, and I’m starting to wish there was time for another match on the beach because I’d really love to hit something.

Jade scoffs. “And you can’t tell me you’re not curious if you still can.”

He thinks I’m curious? “Not one bit. I won’t do it.” Abby shifts beside me, and as much as I don’t want to take my anger out on her, I can’t stop the words that have been wanting to spill from my mouth since we moved him into Marein. “Don’t tell me you agree with this.” She hasn’t said a word since we left the beach, and the only explanation for that is she’s not entirely against Jade’s idea.

She lays a gentle hand on my arm, and that alone eases some of the tension. “This is your choice, but I think we should talk about what this could mean. Having eyes inside is invaluable.”

“Eyes and teeth, you mean.”

“No, I mean eyes.” She crosses her arms and turns to Jade. So maybe she’s not entirely on his side. “What was your plan?”

Jade, who is casually leaning against the door that separates us from Ty, straightens slightly. “Get him inside and set him loose. Take out their forces while they sleep.”

Abby looks as disgusted as I feel. “You want Quinn to take away his humanity and me to force him to slaughter his friends?”

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