Page 67 of Shattered Veil
His gaze is disconcerting, and I feel my anger rising to mask my discomfort. Lochan takes a step closer, his voice dropping to a low rumble.
“Listen to me, Brigid. If you don’t start taking better care of yourself, you’ll answer to me. Understood?”
The authoritative tone in his voice makes my back stiffen. Who the fuck does he think he is?
My hand darts into my bag. I yank out an orange, brandishing it in his face.
“There. Happy now?”I tuck the orange back in the bag.
Lochan’s eyes narrow, a muscle twitching.
“Brigid,” Lochan warns, his voice a low growl that sends shivers down my spine.“Don’t test me.”
I arch an eyebrow, defiance surging through me.“Or what?”
His eyes tighten, and he takes another step closer. We’re toe to toe now, the heat from his body apparent against mine. His gaze drops to my lips, then slowly trails back up to meet my eyes.
“You really want to find out?”
Part of me wants to step back, to put some distance between us. But a larger part wants to lean in, to push boundaries, to fuck around and find out.
Lochan’s hand comes up, his fingers lightly tracing along my jaw. It’s the barest whisper of a touch, but it sets my skin aflame.
“I could show you exactly what happens to when you don’t listen to me,” he says, his words laced with a promise and a threat.
In an instant, Lochan closes the distance between us, backing me against the wall. His hand comes up to rest beside my head, effectively caging me in.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” he murmurs, his lips inches from my ear.
“Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t know what I’m capable of,” I whisper back, tilting my chin up in challenge.
He smiles.“There.”
“There, what?”
“There you are.”
We stand there, our eyes locked on each other, for what feels like ages, until the sound of footsteps approaching catches our attention. Lochan steps back.
I take the opportunity to duck under his arm and run back to my room, putting some much-needed distance between us.
Chapter Thirty
Marius
The labyrinth looms before us, a sprawling maze of danger and potential death. My eyes scan over the other contestants, lingering on Brigid. Her face is an emotionless blank slate, but I see the fear. A slight tremble in her hands gives away the anxiety simmering below the surface.
Fuck. This is going to be a challenge. Anyone who thought day one was the worst it would get is in for a big surprise today. This is where things really get dangerous.
I need to focus on surviving this nightmare test, but I have a bigger job to do, and that’s making sure Brigid gets through it in one piece.
“Welcome to the second trial,” a disembodied voice echoes.“Your magic won’t save you here. Only your wits will see you through.”
Brigid hesitates at the entrance, her shoulders tense. She takes a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and steps forward.
That’s my girl.
I watch as she steps into the shadows and follow closely behind.
