Page 120 of Quest for her Knights
“Do you recall being in Drysdale a few months ago?”
I scramble for the memory, and when it clicks into place, I gasp. “Your brother is the man who tried to strangle me in my sleep!”
His grin vanishes, replaced by anger. He reaches forward, his hand wrapping around my neck, barely touching, but the threat is clear.
“My brother is no coward,” he growls.
“Any man who attacks a woman in her sleep is a coward,” I seethe.
His grip tightens. I suck in a breath and try to scream, “HEL—” but the sound dies as his hand clamps down harder.
My eyes dart around, but none of the knights are looking this way. I try to glimpse the royal box, but I’d have to turn my head to see it. No one sees what’s happening, that this man is strangling me in the middle of the arena.
What a horrible way to die.
My vision starts to blur. I yank hard against the ropes and feel them snap. My hands fly up, clawing at his, but I can’t even get a grip. I reach to scratch his eyes, but he’s too far. I kick, but my dress prevents me from getting any real momentum.
A scream bubbles in my throat, but even that takes too much air. My head grows foggy. My legs give out, and I sag, suspended only by the grip on my throat.
My eyes begin to close just as a blur barrels in from the side, slamming into my attacker and forcing him to release me.
I crash to the ground as my eyes flutter shut. I gasp for air, but my limbs refuse to move, my body is completely offline.
“Elora!” I think I hear Draven’s voice. I try to say his name, but nothing comes out. My body is lifted, and I’m held against a broad chest. My eyes blink open, catching the glint of a shiny helmet.
“D-Draven,” I rasp. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me, kitten. I’ve got you.”
I close my eyes and rest my head against him.
“Draven!” Blaze yells from behind us. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to win this, and put an end to it, once and for all.”
I hear the sounds of wooden swords whacking against each other as I’m carried through the arena.
A few times I manage to open my eyes and see several lords fighting in front of us. But as long as numbers eight, nineteen or twelve are there, I don’t worry.
Suddenly the crowd goes wild cheering like crazy.
“It’s over,” Draven whispers. “We’ve won.”
There’s a lot of noise around us as I try to take some deep breaths and steady my breathing.
“You really played the role of damsel in distress well,” King Ian says with a laugh, and I open my eyes as he and my other so-called parents come down the stairs to join us on the arena floor.
“She was almost killed,” Ranger seethes at him through his helmet.
“The swords were wooden, she wasn’t in any real danger,” King Cole responds.
“Take a look at the marks on her neck and say that again,” Draven says, angling me towards them. I know when they see it because several of them gasp.
“Could you not see that man strangling her?” Blaze asks, sounding enraged.
“I thought it was just part of the act.”
Feeling more level-headed I ask Draven, “Can you put me down please?”
