Page 60 of Duke of Chaos

“In fact, we will all search for her, not just you and your men. I just need to run to my quarters for a moment.”

“Allow one of us to go with you, Your Grace,” the guard replied, but Ezra waved him off. “I will be but a minute and the house has been guarded all day. I will be fine. Go, give your men my orders,and then head down to the staff quarters to do the same. We will find her tonight one way or another.”

The guard bowed as Ezra quickly made his way to his rooms. Thus far he had kept away from his pistols, as he found his dagger more efficient in even the most extreme circumstances. But tonight, with Lydia missing and a murderer on the loose, he wanted them at his side.

Ezra hesitated in his doorway when he saw his quarters were dark. Usually by this hour, his valet had both the candles, and the fireplace lit in preparation for his arrival. He took a furtive step inside and glanced warily into the darkness. From what he could see in the dim light from the hall, nothingseemedout of place.

I sent the servants into a flutter the moment I realized Lydia was gone. Perhaps he did not have time to light them this evening,

Deciding he was being ridiculous, Ezra pushed the door open wider and marched into his sitting room and toward the first fireplace. There, he struck a match and lit a candle, sending more light into the room. Holding onto its base, Ezra held out the candle and found the room empty.

“You just need some sleep, you paranoid fool,” Ezra muttered to himself as he opened the door to his bedroom.

How long had it been now? Thirty hours at least since he’d awoken with Lydia in his arms.It has been too long. He felt the need to find Lydia surge through him again.

He walked quickly toward the opposite end of the room where he kept his favorite weapons in an artfully crafted wardrobe. He set the candle down on the window sill so he could act quickly. Ezra opened the wardrobe doors and breathed a sigh of relief when he found his pistols exactly where he’d always kept them. He loaded and holstered his pistols with speed and precision and turned to leave.

The sudden punch in his face caused blood to gush from both nostrils. Ezra’s body flew back into the open wardrobe, the force of which knocked several of his weapons loose. Ezra blinded himself to the pain in his face as his hands curled around one of his fallen billy clubs, and he brought it down on his assailant’s head. He felt the blunt end of the billy club collide with flesh as another fist was delivered into his stomach, and he let out a strangled cough as he fell back again.

Ezra thrust himself away from the wardrobe and charged forward to drive his body into his doubled-over attacker. They tumbled together onto the floor, Ezra’s fists making a direct hit on the man’s left temple as they scrambled for power. Before Ezra could take another swing, something silver flashed in the man’s hand, and Ezra hissed as a blade sank into his right outer thigh.

A grunt ripped from his throat as he felt the searing pain and severed nerves, and he felt the strength of his leg fade as hisattacker got the upper hand. Ezra threw out a wild punch and tried to fling his body forward, but the man caught his fist and flipped him over. He felt the man’s heavy weight press down on him as a rope was wrapped around his neck, and with a violent jerk of the man’s fist, Ezra began to die.

Crushing pressure began to close around Ezra’s throat as he struggled to reach the pistol trapped beneath him. As he strained for it he felt the air in his lungs rush out and freeze and he was unable to draw a fresh breath. His fingers scratched deep grooves into the floorboards as he fought to free himself, but the pressure from the rope only increased until Ezra could no longer see.

No,he thought, his mind flooding with images of Lydia. He’d never been afraid of death before. It was inevitable for all men, even those likened to demons, but he refused to accept this as his fate.

No.The thought was faint now; the images of Lydia dimming. Something far off in his brain ticked sickly, and Ezra went limp.

The shatter of ceramic was so loud in his ears that Ezra was sure that it had struck him and not his attacker. The shards of the large vase rained down on him as he felt the crushing pressure around his throat finally release. He dragged in a deep, coughing breath as his oxygen-starved lungs took in the fresh air.

“Ezra, Ezra, breathe, please.”

He heard Lydia plead above him as her shaking fingers worked to unwind the rope from his neck.

Tears sprang from Ezra’s eyes and his throat burned and ached like it was on fire. He raised one hand to touch the bruised flesh as Lydia gently pulled the last of the rope away. He took another deep breath, winced at the pain, and slowly stood up.

“Ezra,” Lydia breathed, relief flooding her tone, “I’m so sorry I left, I’m so sorry I…”

“Be quiet right now,” he commanded hoarsely, his throat burning, and then pulled her into his lap to kiss her.

Lydia let out a soft sob as she melted into his arms, her hands moving as fast as her lips as she tentatively touched his neck, jaw, hair, and shoulders, as though she needed to reassure herself that he was truly still alive. With effort, he pulled away from their kiss so he could help her up as he heard the guards flooding into the sitting room. As he did so, he felt his right leg falter. Looking down, he saw that the assailant’s knife was still stuck in his outer mid-thigh.

He looked up just in time to see Lydia notice it too. He quickly forced her to look back up into his eyes before she began to panic again.

“I am fine,” he said, his hand trembling as he smoothed her tears from her cheeks.

“You arenotfine, you have been stabbedagainand you were nearly strangled to death, Ezra!”

Ezra chuckled although he did not know why.

“Better me than you,” he murmured, his hands moving to tuck a mussed curl back behind her ear.

“You are not to leave my sight again until I say so,” he warned, rubbing his hands over her hands, arms, and shoulders.

He needed to stop touching her, and he did, with some effort, once she’d agreed to stay with him. As the room filled with people and additional light, with Lydia tucked under his arm he looked down on the unconscious man that had attempted to take his life. Several attempts were made to awaken him, but no matter how hard his face was slapped, the man did not stir.

“How hard did you hit him with that vase?” Ezra murmured to Lydia, feeling a glowing sense of pride for her as two of the guards hoisted the man up between them.

---