Page 27 of Trapped to Tame
She glanced at them. ‘I’m sorry.’
Priest stood up. ‘I don't need your fucking pity. What I need is an open portal so we can get there and find out what has happened to our kin.’ He put his goblet down on the table hard. ‘I'll see about our accommodation for the night.’
He left the room, the door banging closed behind him.
‘But I don’t understand what you need me for.’
‘We already told you,’ Drax said, regarding her, ‘but we'll talk about that when we get closer. We're still more than a week out, and the land between here and the Ice Plains is treacherous at this time of year.
‘More so with everything else that’s happening,’ Fie murmured and Drax shot him a warning look.
His Brother clearly didn't want their Fourth to know about all the Dark Realm creatures that were spilling into this world if she didn’t already.
‘Shouldn't you be trying to get there as quickly as possible?’ Eve asked.
Drax shrugged. ‘It's been months. A few more days won’t matter.’
Spoken like a true leader, Fie thought, his lip curling as he stood up.
‘Months? But why has it taken you so long to—'
‘We were prisoners,’ Fie blurted out, turning to her in frustration. ‘We got stuck in Kitore. The city’s fucking wards wouldn’t let us out. We were there for months until the First Scholar died, and the ward key was passed to someone else, but don't worry your tiny human brain about it,’ Fie said. ‘Let your betters sort it out. You just be ready to do what we need you to do when the time is right.’
‘But I don't know what you need me to do,’ she said, staring at him with those wide eyes of hers. She didn't look like a fighter now. She looked like a naive girl. The thought made him angry. He stood up, the chair screeching as it dragged along the floor, and left without a word, finding Priest on his way up the stone steps to a long corridor of rooms.
‘How many do we have?’ he asked, catching his Brother up. ‘Only one. Fucking place. Fuck this realm. Fuck Drax and fuck that fucking little female as well.’
Fie chuckled. ‘Perhaps you should.’
At Priest’s venomous look, Fie took a step back. ‘I jest.’
Priest’s eyes narrowed. ‘Don’t forget who she is, who her father is. After what he’s done, we should send him her head in a box once we’re finished with her.’
Fie shrugged.
‘She is a blood enemy,’ he continued. ‘Her father is the reason for all of this, would that we could prove it. Regardless, I aim to get my revenge any way I can.’
Fie nodded. ‘And I. She acquiesced too easily down there, and she asks questions to learn more about us. This could all be a trick, a trap for us. At the very least, I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to run again.’
‘Agreed. Get close to her. Drax is feeling the bond. He won't realize that she's treacherous until it's too late. And she must be treacherous with his blood flowing through her veins. Anything she shows us that is innocent or kind we must treat as a ruse. Do not let your guard down. We’ll try to keep that fucking fool Drax safe as well.’
Priest turned away and Fie wondered how much longer it would be before he challenged Drax for the leadership of the unit. He almost wished they’d get it over with, but those two would never get along while one was above the other. Another challenge for command between the two of them wouldn’t do their unit any good either. They’d all lose in the end unless his Brothers sorted out whatever remained of their friendship after their months in Kitore.
* * *
Eve
She tried notto make it obvious that she’d never been in such a fine establishment before as her wide eyes darted around, taking in the colors on the muraled walls, the sanded floorboards, and the flattened glass fitted into the casements.
She shoved something else in her mouth. She didn't even look down to see what it was. She didn't care. She was hungry all the time now, and it was beginning to worry her. Gods knew she'd had little enough to sustain her during her time with Talik, but Eve had never felt like this before.
At least Priest and Fie had left for now. They clearly couldn't stand being in the same room as her. She wasn't sure exactly where their animosity stemmed from. Perhaps it was because she was human or maybe because she was a woman. Most men didn’t like her, but she’d thought that was because she could win against them so easily in the rings. Priest had beaten her and Fie probably could too what with them being fae and all.
She swallowed and stuffed yet more food in her mouth, belatedly noticing that Drax was staring at her, amusement lurking in the depths of his eyes, which she bristled at. She didn’t like being mocked, but she didn't say a word, just stared back until finally he looked away and she regained a tiny bit of her confidence.
But then he got up and she tensed, sure he was going to throw her over the table and take from her what he willed.
Oddly, that thought didn’t fill her with the disgust and abhorrence that it should. She didn’t want him to do it, did she? Between Eve’s legs fluttered and she frowned. What had he done to her to make her think of such a thing being at all pleasurable?
