Page 10 of To Claim a King

“I need to make it through to at least the quarter finals,” said Demelza through a mouthful, “so those court bitches don’t get ideas about pushing me around.”

“Sounds like my life, except you need to substitute ‘family’ for ‘courtiers.’ Yet, they’d be wickedly jealous if they knew I’d seen a dragon.”

“You haven’t said anything, have you? I’m not exactly supposed to meet humans.”

“That would be a no. I’d be in as much trouble as you. Being outside the village walls without the required permits, missing curfew, blah-blah-blah. People get whipped for less.”

The two women talked and laughed and ate and played “stay away” with Claws as though they’d been friends since birth, rather than strangers who’d met five times since Xandrie toppled off a cliff not a month ago. As the sun set, they packed up, said their farewells, and went their separate ways.

Claws followed Xandrie as far as the tree line outside the village. She kissed her tiger cub on his magnificent head. “Dream valiant tiger dreams and such things, sweet.” Claws took his cue and ambled back into the thicket.

Scaling the wall around the village wasn’t a problem, the trick was doing it when there were no guards around. Xandrie had it down to a science. It wasn’t that the guards were lazy, per se, they just preferred wine and dice to patrolling in the dark; their village was so dreadfully dull, she could hardly blame them. She was certain they’d have finished their rounds on the quarter hour, but she scanned the alley to be sure it was clear before launching herself over the wall.

Hands were on her as soon as she landed. She knew, based on his height and strength, but mostly his god-awful cologne, that it was Darsen. How had she missed that smell? He must have positioned himself downwind, which meant it was premeditated. What a slime bucket.

“Well, well. What have we here? A song bird caught in my snare, perhaps?” said Darsen.

She writhed against his grip. The man was strong, there was no way she could out-muscle him. She could, however, outwit him. She slumped in his arms. He was a fool. He’d fall for the “you got me, I give up” trick. The minute he relaxed his hold, she jammed her heel into his shin and wrenched herself free. She was sure she could outrun him, but Darsen dodged left, then right and blocked her path. He was surprisingly nimble for such a blockhead. He backed her up against the rough stone wall, mashing himself against her, his hands tearing at her clothes. There was no mistaking his intent. His erection said it all. She felt like throwing up and yelling in anger all at once; rage burned and rose from her solar plexus, through her chest, down her arms and into her hands. She’d never felt anything like it. She drew her arms back and thrust at him, as hard as she could.

Darsen stumbled away from her. “Bitch,” was all he managed. He pawed at his clothes, rending the fabric and swearing oaths. The alley was filled with the smell of singed flesh.

Xandrie didn’t wait to see more, running down the alley as fast as her legs would carry her.

The Guard

Xandrie crashed into the house, slamming the iron door behind her. For once, she wanted everyone to hear her; it didn’t take more than a second to decide she had a duty to tell them what Darsen had done. It wasn’t just that she’d been in danger; if he was willing to attempt to rape the daughter of a mage, there was no one he wouldn’t attack. It wasn’t just rumors and her instincts talking now. She knew the facts.

Mages stood above anyone of noble blood, except princes and kings; that meant her parents surpassed Darsen, and they were not known for being light-handed when it came to punishing miscreants. He was a noble, so they’d probably commute the sentence to exile, but she was certain they’d banish him someplace awful and keep her safe.

As her mother entered the front room, Xandrie steeled herself to recount the details of the attack. “Darsen Usta tried to rape me.”

Her mother frowned. “Say what, now?”

Xandrie repeated the facts of the matter as plainly as she could. The man had lain in wait in a dark alley, restrained her, and tried to rip her clothes off. She didn’t mention his hard on; it was her mother she was talking to, after all.

“Lars,” her mother shouted up the stairs. “Get down here and listen to the nonsense your middle-born daughter is spouting.”

She stared open mouthed in shock. That was her mother’s reply? Calling her accusationnonsense?

“Where’s Talia? She’ll believe me,” said Xandrie.

“Talia has been selected as the decade’s most promising mage and was removed to the capital this very afternoon. Which you would have known, if you weren’t wandering about again.”

Her hands flew to her stomach. It really did feel like a gut punch. She wouldn’t ordinarily have shown that much emotion in front of her mother, but she couldn’t help herself. Without Talia here to back her up, nothing she said would be taken seriously.

“I knew you’d be selfish about it, instead of pleased for your sister,” her mother spat, and it hurt more than a slap. She didloveTalia, and her first reaction should have been feeling glad that she’d been chosen. Perhaps her mother was right, and she was self-centered. Or perhaps she’d just escaped a rape attempt and wanted some comfort from the only person likely to give it to her. “You never see the bigger picture. The training she’ll receive will put her head and shoulders above the competition. At least someone around here knows how to be a good daughter. Lars!”

Lars Astria had finally come down the stairs.

“What, now?” he growled, his frown deepened as it often was when he looked at Xandrie. He was a formidable presence, even in his lab coat and slippers. “Can’t this wait? I’m formulating some high-end compounds. I should not be away from my lab.”

“Your daughter, here, says Darsen assaulted her.”

Her father rolled his eyes, and shook his head.

“Pathetic,” he laughed casually. “More attention-seeking. You should have grown out of this nonsense by now.”

More? When had she sought their attention? She’d known by age twelve, over a dozen years ago, that they would give her none.

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