Page 6 of Savagely Mated

“I need my sword sharpened,” I tell him. “Gotta kill…”

“Excuse me.” Someone taps my shoulder rather sharply.

“What?”

“I was next in line.”

I turn around and look at the man up and down. He’s got long dark hair, blue eyes, and a thick beard. He’s conventionally, classically attractive and he has that smugness that attractive men have about them. I’m not impressed. I already met a very attractive older man today, and meeting one for the second time isn’t as impactful as the first. Or maybe it is.

I don’t know what’s going on with me today. Am I ovulating?

This man is close to the age of the other guy I ran into today, but not quite as old. Probably thirties or something? I don’t know. I’m not standing here doing a deep age analysis of a completestranger. I have to stop being so impressed by attractive strangers. It’s not usually a problem for me.

“I was next in line.” I repeat his words in a mocking tone. Not the most mature response, but he sounds kind of childish complaining about his place anyway. “I won’t be long. I just need to get this sharpened.”

He quirks a brow at me. “I don’t care what you need. It’s not your turn.”

“It is, actually,” I start to say. I’m about to throw my jacket open and reveal the fact that I’m female, and ladies always go first—but I don’t get the chance.

“Oh, I see. Another spoiled city kid desperate for a lesson he doesn’t know he needs to learn.”

I cast a glance over at Jory, who doesn’t look happy about this because I’m making a scene in his place of business.

“Don’t,” Jory whispers to me. “That’s Rafael.”

He says the name like there’s weight to it, like I’m supposed to know who he is talking about.

“Who?” I squint my eyes and look back at the guy. I’ve never heard of any Rafael. Probably because I don’t know a lot of actual criminals. As much as I like to slum it on occasion, I’m still pretty insulated from the worst parts of Eclipse. Even at the weapon-smith, I shouldn’t really be meeting anybody actually bad. That makes me think this guy, whoever he is, is just acting like he’s impressive.

He takes my question as the insult I intend it to be. At first he smirks, but then he narrows his eyes at me and speaks in low, menacing tones that don’t quite go all the way through thewords. It’s like he wants to be intimidating, but he can’t quite bring himself to fully invest in the moment.

“Meet me outside the monastery at one o’clock, and bring a body bag.”

“Bring your own,” I shoot back.

He turns on his heel and leaves, giving me the last word, which is satisfying as hell.

“Just a sharpen, please, sir,” I say to Jory. “Sounds like I’m really going to need it.”

He arches a brow at me and shakes his head.

“You just made quite an enemy,” he says. “I’ll let you leave out the back once I have this sharp, in case he’s waiting out front for you.”

“Don’t tell him anything about me,” I say as I hand my sword over.

“There’s not a chance I’ll be saying a word. I’ll be denying having any idea who you are, Darcy. Girl, you have got to start being more careful. Eclipse City isn’t at all like the academy. You’re not going to get special treatment everywhere.”

“Well, that’s insulting,” I pout at him.

“It’s not insulting. It’s just true. You get spoiled at that academy, and here. I worry about you, Darce. One day you’re going to realize you can’t always get away with everything.”

“I’ll let you know if that happens.”

Jory rolls his eyes and sets about sharpening my sword for me. While he works, I sit out back by the forge and think about the day I’ve had, and the day yet to come.

That’s two duels.

Somehow I’ve managed to live twenty years without ever being in a duel, and now I am going to be in two in a single day. That’s how life works, isn’t it. When it rains, it absolutely pours. Doesn’t matter. I can kill the first guy at midday and have a good fifty-minute nap before the next one shows up to be dispatched.

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