Page 49 of Over the Emerald Valley
Solon calculated the risk. He’d bet his reflexes were faster than Ottah’s, honed from a lifetime’s career in battle, but could he risk Temaj in the fray?
No.
As Solon obeyed, Temaj growled, dug his nails into Ottah’s wrist, then bit his forearm hard enough to draw blood.
The knife clattered to the floor.
Solon sprang.
Temaj darted away, his hand clasped to his throat as Solon landed a hard punch.
A satisfying thwack of knuckles meeting jaw followed by a bruising fist into Ottah’s kidney.
The guard stumbled.
Without stopping to think, Solon grabbed his head by both ears and drove his knee into Ottah’s face so hard he broke bones.
Ottah collapsed to the floor, unmoving.
Silence descended like fog over the Red Sea at dusk.
Temaj’s voice pierced the quiet. “Did you kill him?”
He might have. The guard’s breathing was shallow, but what worried him more was the blood dripping down Temaj’s collarbone like so many rubies. “You’re hurt.”
Temaj took a step back. “I’m fine. Ottah is not.”
“He could have killed you.”
“I’m aware. Or I could have just sucked his cock, and we would all have walked away alive, but you nixed that plan quite emphatically.”
“Are you angry?”
Temaj blinked. “Somewhat. I don’t know. I think I’m in shock. My stomach doesn’t feel so good.”
“Come, let me see your neck.” Solon approached, but Temaj flinched. “I won’t hurt you.”
Golden-brown eyes watched him warily, and Solon deflated under their heavy gaze. The energy of battle remained, but he forced himself still.
“Check on him.” Temaj nodded to the crumpled guard.
Solon couldn’t care less about what happened to Ottah, but he checked the guard’s pulse anyway. The rhythm was strong. “Still alive. Just passed out.”
Temaj slid to the stone ground. “Oh, thank the skies. I don’t want him to die.”
“He threatened you first.”
“Would that make his death right?”
Solon thought so, but that didn’t seem to be what Temaj wanted to hear. “We need to leave. The palace won’t be safe for us after this.”
Temaj remained still, one hand clutching his stomach, the other covering the wound on his neck. “This is my home.”
“Not anymore. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“I can arrange to leave you out of this, if that’s what you want.”
