Page 7 of A Court of Broken Promises

I raised my head when, much sooner than I expected, the door opened again. Guard Fucker wasn’t alone.

My heart jolted. The guard had brought a healer. The gray-haired man had the thick outline of an upside down triangle on his neck indicating he was an Earth User. It was the vertical mirrored image of my Air Marking and a welcome sight. But why would anyone send a healer at this hour of the night?

The older man slumped as he walked further into the room, wringing his hands, and gazing downward like his life depended on it. As a low-level Earth User, it’s possible it did.

“Knock when you’re ready to leave. I’ll let you out,” the guard told the elderly Earth User, shoving him further into the room before sending me a scathing warning glare and turning to leave.

I had managed to make a lasting impression on that one.

“Thanks, Ralph,” the Earth User said.

Guard Fucker’s name was Ralph. It really didn’t fit him. It made me think of a complete loser, someone I would want to immediately punch in the face. Upon further consideration, that name fit him perfectly. I really did want to punch him in the face.

I could hear the guard talking to someone in the hallway. The other man’s voice had a distinctive timbre that I was sure I had heard before. I strained to hear, but it was too low to place the owner or make out their conversation before the door slammed closed.

“Wait,” Guard Fucker cautioned from the hallway when the door opened again. “Watch out for her. I don’t know if you’ve interacted with that horrible wench before, but she’s got a mouth on her and zero respect. I’m fairly certain she’ll bite if you get too close,” he chortled, pleased with himself. “The king decreed that she’s not to be roughed up anymore, so I couldn’t finish teaching her the proper respect.”

A dark haired man stopped on the threshold, looking back to answer Guard Fucker over his shoulder.

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind. Wait out here,” the man demanded before turning in the doorway to glare at me. His broad shoulders were a shadowy silhouette in the darkness, with torchlight flickering behind him. But I recognized his deep, raspy resonance. Knew that impressive frame. Dreamed about that strong jaw and handsome face.

Elijah Ashton, Liam's older brother, eyed my position at the table without sparing the humble Earth User a glance. Not so much as a single emotion flitted across what I could make out of his gorgeous face cast in shadow.

I had never been afraid of Elijah. Though he was a jerk, he wasn’t cruel. But now, with so much irresolution going on, it was impossible to discern his intent, and fear and uncertainty began taking over.

He had never visited me in captivity before, and definitely not in an interrogation room in the middle of the night.

Elijah shut the door, locking it behind him— locking Guard Fucker out and myself inside. With him. I refused to give him more than a glance. I could not make out his expression, but I knew from experience I would not like what I saw if I looked too closely. It hurt too much to see him. To see the hatred that I always saw. It would hurt more than usual.

But I felt him approach, as I always did. He walked around the side of the table, towering over me with his impressive height. I tried my best to not look up at him, only watching him from the corner of my eye, but his presence overwhelmed me. It always overwhelmed me.

Even as I refused to look at him, I could feel his eyes on me. They burned into the side of my face, trailing tingles along my hairline to the cut on my forehead, then lower to the fresh bruise on my cheek that Guard Fucker had just gifted me. His gaze was molten across my chapped lips, down the curve of my neck and shoulder before landing and lingering on my battered legs hanging out the bottom of my dirty shift.

He managed, quite successfully, to touch every part of me without touching me at all.

I shivered, curling into myself as much as possible, bringing my legs further under my chair in an attempt to escape his study. My shift had ridden indecently high up my thigh, and I had blood, dirt, and abrasions all over. It made me uncomfortable. He’d seen me in the Chambers earlier but hadn't seemed to study me this intently. Not this close. I could only imagine what he could be thinking.

Without looking up at him, I wet my lips and whispered, “What are you doing here?”

I peeked at him. I couldn’t help it. He didn’t meet my eyes, and the coldness in his expression almost making me recoil. I don’t know why I tried. This was the reaction I expected.

Leaning in even closer, so close his chest grazed my arm, Elijah unhooked my manacles from the table with one flick of his wrist, giving me more freedom.

He wasn’t using his element, but the smell of smoke, chocolate, and something headier overpowered all my other senses. As it always did. It was sinful, delicious, decadent, and forbidden-- taking my mind back to a place I never wanted to go. Ever again.

I rose to my feet, attempting to take a step away from him— trying to escape how his proximity made me feel. I was already half breathless, my pulse jumping out of control.

“Sit,” Elijah pushed me back down, keeping his hand locked tight on my shoulder, inches away from the bare skin of my upper arm. He offered no assurances, just his barked command.

Sitting stiffly in the chair, I shot him a glare. He glared right back.

I reached to grasp Mother's necklace before remembering, once again, that it was not there. They had taken it when I was arrested and never gave it back. It saddened me to think about. It was all I had left of my mother.

“Proceed,” Elijah commanded the Earth user in his most authoritative voice.

I sighed. The man was clearly terrified. He wrung his hands, refusing to raise his eyes as he nodded.

Elijah could tone… all that… down about 1509 degrees and would still scare the poor man. He had an intimidating presence with harsh eyes and even harsher-sounding demands. The name Ashton also held a lot of power in this kingdom. Both the king and his highest councilman were Ashtons. Being second in line for the crown, behind only his father, would be intimidating without adding Elijah’s brutish attention. His whole presence just screamed asshole.

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