Page 19 of Box of Frogs
I sighed loudly and stepped back so she could deal with whoever it was. Then I froze. Dark and Despicable glared at me with frosty rage then grabbed my arm. ‘This conversation is over.’
‘Wait, I—’
‘I mean it, Madrona. You’re coming with me.’ He lifted his green-eyed gaze to Paeonia. ‘You should watch yourself,’ he added coolly.
She looked utterly terrified. ‘I’m sorry. I mean it! I’m really sorry! It wasn’t me, though. It’s all her fault.’ She pointed a long bony finger at me.
Irritated, I tried to wrench myself out of DD’s grasp. I wasn’t beyond making a scene if I needed to.
‘Don’t try anything,’ he murmured in my ear, his voice like tempered steel sheathed with pure silk. ‘Not unless you want more rowan flooding your system, Maddy.’
I felt something jabbing the side of my ribs. Rowan. That was the stuff that I’d been poisoned with. The arsebadger was threatening me! Unwilling to risk it, I gritted my teeth and forced my body to relax. A moment later, and with an iron grip, DD led me straight out of the library at high speed.
Chapter Eight
When we reached the steps outside, I felt DD’s weight shift and the sharp object pressing into my side disappeared. I whirled away from him. ‘What exactly do you think you’re doing?’ I demanded.
He casually slipped his hands into his pockets before I could see exactly what manner of rowan weapon he was carrying and regarded me disdainfully. ‘I might ask the same of you.’
‘You threatened me!’ I spat. ‘In a library of all places!’
‘You’re soliciting custom, Madrona. Spreading your tentacles across the city – as if you didn’t have your talons in everything already.’
I glared. ‘Well, it’s either tentacles or talons. I don’t think it’s physically possible to have both.’
He didn’t blink. ‘So you’re admitting it. You were selling your disgusting dust out in the open. In broad daylight.’
‘Hardly,’ I scoffed. ‘I just wanted to use a damn computer to do some research. That woman approached me, not the other way around. Besides, what’s it to you?’
DD’s nostrils flared slightly. ‘You dare ask that of me?’
For goodness’ sake. It was like having a conversation with a brick wall. I stepped towards him to indicate that I wasn’t in the slightest bit afraid of him. ‘Why is this dust stuff so abhorrent to you?’
He gazed at me in abject disbelief. ‘You have got to be kidding me.’ He tutted loudly, turned on his heel and strode away, calling over his shoulder, ‘Don’t let me catch you selling again.’
Nuh-uh. I wasn’t going to let him get off that easily. Not this time. Forgetting that he’d only just threatened me, I sprang after him and grabbed his arm.
He turned back, sneering as he gazed at my hand clutching his elbow. ‘Let go of me.’
‘Why? It’s alright for you to manhandle me but when the shoe is on the other foot, I’m some sort of evil being? I told you,’ I hissed, ‘I’ve got amnesia. All I’m trying to do is find out who I really am. Not to mention whoyouare.’
‘And I told you,’ he snapped back, ‘that I’m not falling for your games. Not this time.’ He continued staring at my hand. ‘Why in Fey haven’t you sorted that wound out yet?’
I let go of him. ‘Have you not been listening? I. Have. Amnesia. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what’s wrong with my finger except that it hurts like hell and you told me I’d been poisoned by rowan and I should get some nux to heal it. Except I don’t know what nux is. I tried a pharmacist and he just thought I was nuts.’
For a moment he looked at me with fathomless eyes. ‘Rubus,’ he began.
‘I don’t know who Rubus is!’ I shrieked. ‘Bloody hell, DD, why can’t you just put aside your own issues and listen to me?’
Something odd sparked in his expression. ‘DD?’
‘Well, I don’t know your real name, do I? I can’t remember it.’
He moved up to me until we were barely inches apart. He really did smell very good. I inhaled deeply while he merely frowned. ‘What does DD stand for?’
His scent was making me feel light-headed. ‘Dark and Despicable, of course.’
He laughed aloud ‘Right.’
