Page 3 of The Lands Defying
I don’t know if I will strangle him and collapse to my knees.
“If you need me, come and get me,” he says. “I will keep the others out and give you both some time.”
With that, he turns and leaves me all alone with Darius in this cold dungeon.
This cold dungeon full of blood, pain, and misery.
There is a tense silence in the air as Darius breathes harshly, just as harshly as I am, I realize. My chest rising and falling deeply as I look down at the blood once more, feeling bile rise in the back of my throat at seeing him like this. He looks…weak.
Darius never looks weak.
I bring a hand up toward my mouth, only to realize that I’m still holding the whip. I drop it like it’s burned me and stumble back as it lands on the floor with aclack, a whimper spilling from my lips.
“Leave,” Darius repeats, and my eyes snap to the back of his head as his whole body tenses.
“I don’t…” I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get my thoughts straight. “Why was Leo whipping you?” I snap, letting my anger come through, my emotions swirling all over the place. “Why are you down here, bleeding, being hurt? Why!” I demand.
“Rhea,” he growls in warning, and goosebumps pepper my skin. “Leave. This doesn’t concern you.”
I growl at his nonchalant attitude. “You cannot just dismiss me! For fuck’s sake, Darius.” I run a hand down my face. “Look at the mess of your back.” I can barely stomach it. “Explain. Now!”
I scrub a hand down my face, wiping at a tear as it rolls down my cheek. I’m angry, scared, and hurt. After everything with the crystal, and now this, it feels like too much.
Sniffling, I make a move toward him, trying to breathe through my mouth as the metallic smell of his blood continues to make me feel sick.
He’s hurt, wounded. I’ve never seen Darius so hurt before, I’ve never seen him on hiskneesbefore. I don’t like it. It makes me uncomfortable. Like it’s wrong.
“Darius Rikoth, answer me!”
I’m about three steps from him, my shaking hand reaching out, when a barrier is put up in front of me.
I gasp in surprise, looking at it with wide eyes, and then to Darius.
“No,” I tell him, shaking my head. “You don’t get to do this.” I slap my hand on the barrier, calling my magic. It comes more easily as I guide it within me to the palm of my hand. I try to use it to disperse his barrier, but it doesn’t work. “You don’t get to ignore me, and expect me to shut up and walk away, that’s not fair. Answer me, Darius!” I shout.
Silence.
Heartbreaking silence.
I stay where I am for a few minutes, watching his back, waiting for him to say anything at all.
He doesn’t.
“Fine,” I growl, but the sniffle I let out gives away my hurt. I sit down, my back to the barrier as I stare at the whip on the floor. “I’ll stay right here then.”
“Just fucking leave, Rhea” he shouts, and I squeeze my eyes shut, wrapping my arms around my knees. He’s never sounded so… out of control.
“No,” I croak out, putting my head on my knees. “Tell me why.”
Nothing.
Runa releases a whine.
I stay.
Three
Rhea
