Page 114 of The Prince's Mage

The only saving grace was she could feel the illusions covering her scars hold.

“That band is—” Marcella tried again, and Gavril’s grip on her shoulders tightened. But she was cut off when Hypatia ripped her forward by her left wrist, holding it up so she could look at the rune etched into the metal. She then narrowed her eyes in on the matching one on Gavril’s clasp holding his cloak in place.

“I knew it. This rune is his name in their language, yes, I recognize it from the message we just sent.” Hypatia looked over Marcella’s wrist again before digging her fingers in painfully and glaring at her and Gavril. “You were not married. You werebranded.”

“No.No—Hypatia—” Marcella stuttered, wincing. “It wasn’t like that—”

“I will not stand for it. Foolish girl, and here I thought you had a fraction of my intellect. No more.” Hypatia flung Marcella behind her and snapped, “You are home now, and I will not let this silver-tongued heathen keep taking advantage of you in the most despicable ways.”

“Hypatia, no, please—” Marcella tried to rush back toward Gavril, but was interrupted when Hypatia twisted her wrist painfully, causing her knees to buckle. She couldn’t help the cry that rose in her throat.

“Marcella! Let her go, demon!” Gavril’s voice ripped through the tent, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him struggling against the lieutenant. “Like you had any care for her wellbeing when you sent her to die!”

“Lieutenant, get the Inimicus out of my sight before I kill the very valuable prize!”

Marcella grabbed at Hypatia’s arm, trying to get her legs back under her as she pleaded, “Don’t hurt him, please. That’s all I ask. Please, I went to die for you. I brought you a willing hostage. I want nothing in return but for him to live and be unharmed!”

Hypatia shoved Marcella farther back into the tent as Gavril was slowly being forced to the exit by the lieutenant, fighting him every step. Another Desero mage hurried into the tent, taking Gavril’s other side and dragging him back more easily with the two of them. Hypatia’s lip curled up as she sneered at Marcella, “I would say I’d take your opinion under advisement, but you should know better by now. Your value is in looking like me, nothing else.”

“Marcella—” Gavril’s voice was cut off as he was hauled out of the tent, and she hadn’t even gotten a last glimpse at him as the water filling her eyes blurred everything as she hit her knees. She was far too weak to have a hope of fighting Hypatia off.

“Hypatia, that isenough!”

Marcella looked up to see Konstantin standing between her and Hypatia. She held her breath in the tense silence that followed.

Konstantin’s expression was as cold and solid as marble while Hypatia narrowed her eyes at her husband. They seemed to be waging some kind of battle in the silence.

It seemed like an eternity, but then Hypatia took a long, slow breath and rolled her shoulders. She stepped back and turned on her heel, heading for the tent exit. She threw over her shoulder, “I will deal with you later, little one. Put whatever little of your mind that has been left uncorrupted by the Inimicus together in the meantime to explain yourself. I have an army to manage.”

Then she was gone.

Marcella stuttered over her sigh.

The second the flap closed behind her, Konstantin also sighed and deflated. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

What had just happened?

Marcella gaped up at Konstantin. Had he… Had he just won against Hypatia?

No one won against Hypatia. No one stopped Hypatia.

Konstantin turned around and offered Marcella his hand, saying, “Marcella, I’m sure you are exhausted and hungry. Come, let’s get you something to eat, and I will deal with Hypatia and the prince.”

Marcella let him pull her to her feet, whispering, “Thank you.”

She remembered thinking when she first saw Konstantin in passing while the marriage alliance was being worked out that Hypatia would eat him alive.

Maybe she’d been wrong.

Chapter41

GAVRIL

Gavril hadn’t expected to be treated well as the enemy prince. That was why he’d wanted his and Marcella’s relationship to stay between them. What little relationship there was, thanks to his cold treatment of her on the way there.

But the second Hypatia revealed she’d gotten her hands on Hirtus and believed a word out of that man’s mouth, it was over. Then the truth came out, and he hadn’t been able to hold his tongue a moment longer at the way the demon was pretending to care.

As he had been dragged away, he’d seen the Sordes gather around to watch. A few of them jeered out. He heard Chief Eustathios’ name mentioned as well as Hypatia’s and Marcella’s. He heard killer. Murderer. Kidnapper.

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