What do you want with me?”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to accompany me to find out. But I swear to you upon my life and our people that you will come to no harm.” He crossed his daggers in front of his chest and gave the barest dip of his head.
Vera shifted her weight and fought the urge to look at Trey to see his reaction. Part of her knew the male was dangerous, knew, without a shadow of a doubt, leaving with a stranger capable of overpowering her was literally the stupidest thing she could do.
But the other part of her, the part she’d been hiding for fifteen years, rose to the surface. What if he could answer all her questions? He was Magyki after all. What if he was her only chance at finding out more about herself?
At her continued silence, he clenched his daggers tighter, as if the idea that she wasn’t immediately agreeing, irked him. She was tempted to roll her eyes. What did he expect was going to happen?
Lowering her sword an inch, she breathed through the pain radiating from her side. “You said you won’t kill him if I agree to go, but I want you to swear not to harm him either.”
She could almost see the tension leave his body at the implication of her words. He opened his mouth to respond, but Trey grabbed her arm, and he emitted a deep warning sound instead, his green eyes flashing.
“What are you thinking? Absolutely not. I swore an oath. Your life over mine. You’re not a prize for some Magyki scum to collect.”
“Trey—”
“Your life over mine.” He tightened his hold on her arm, and with his other hand, tried to pry his sword from her fingers.
Vera maintained her grip and refused to let go. “You can’t beat him, so he gets me either way. The only difference is whether or not you live. So shut the fuck up and back off.”
“I’d heed her warning if I were you, tha.” The Magyki grinned, exposing his sharp canines.
“Just because you have no interest in hurting me, doesn’t mean I feel the same about you, Green Eyes.” She saw the barest hint of real humor enter his eyes before he shut it out.
“He already hurt you!” Trey was staring at her like she was completely insane, and maybe she was.
She finally lowered the sword completely and took a step away from her friend. Her side was throbbing in pain, and she didn’t need the reminder.
“He didn’t do this. This happened because the emperor demanded I play dress-up for him, and I am unaccustomed to fighting in layers,” she snapped, gesturing to her gown.
Trey’s eyes followed her hand before he turned to Green Eyes, contempt coating every word, “Just tell me what the fuck you want with her.”
“That’s not going to happen.” He pointed one of his daggers in her direction, “I will tell her as soon as we leave the capital. But my patience is wearing thin, so I suggest you hurry up, little star.”
He looked at her, and after concluding she didn’t plan on attacking him again, sheathed his blades and took one long stride toward her.
Vera offered Trey his sword and then reached down and gripped his free hand. She truly believed the Magyki wouldn’t intentionally hurt her since he’d already had more than enough opportunities. He needed her for something. But no matter what he promised, she didn’t believe for one moment he’d leave her friend untouched, not when Trey could alert the rest of the guard within minutes of their departure.
“I have a condition.”
Green Eyes responded with only the raise of a dark eyebrow.
“Trey comes with us.” She watched as his lip curled and his hands twitched toward his weapons.
“Pha.”
“Yes. You said you’ll tell me what you want as soon as we’re out of Matherin. I am choosing to temporarily trust you with my life, but that does not mean I trust you explicitly. We both know you have no intention of letting him walk away unharmed.”
He didn’t bother denying it.
“If you want me willing, you will allow Trey to escort me. Otherwise, I will scream like the delicate damsel this dress makes me appear to be and bring every guard in the vicinity rushing this way.”
“Who’s to say I won’t kill him once we’re out?”
“Is your word truly worth so little? Should I question my own safety with you then?” Vera stared him down. For the first time in days, she felt no fear. Just pure conviction.
She was growing tired of men telling her what to do. The emperor wanted to marry her off? Fine. She could understand his reason, no matter how much she detested the idea. But she refused to be pawned off until she knew the truth about Bhasura, and the Magyki was the perfect person to tell her. He thought he was using her, but she would use him right back.
He must have seen something in her eyes because he gave a terse nod and gestured for her to follow. A humorless laugh escaped her lips, causing both him and Trey to glance at her.
“What? You think I’m going to go in this contraption? Yeah, I don’t think so. My side will likely stop bleeding the second I get this deathtrap off.”
Those piercing eyes darted down to her exposed cleavage, and she nearly growled again. Choosing the high ground, she ignored him, holding her head high as she walked away.
“Will you just listen to me?” Trey was right on her heels, putting his body between them.
“No. You swore to Eithan to answer to me, not the other way around. I’m going, and if you value your life, I suggest you listen and come with me.”
Moving toward the back of the armory, she continued, “Elric is inside so I’m going to sneak through my window to change.”
Trey’s eyes flickered to the armory, and already knowing what he was thinking, she whipped around and stood a hairsbreadth from his face. “If you even think about alerting Elric and endangering his life, I will stab you myself.” He stopped in his tracks, staring at her in shock as she continued around the building.
Vera had just gripped the window ledge to push herself up when she felt hands wrap around her waist. She tried to spin, but the hands held her in place, carefully avoiding her wound. With one smooth motion, she was lifted and positioned to slide easily through the opening without pulling at her side.
As soon as she landed, she twisted to see Green Eyes staring at her from the other side.
“Hurry up.” He shot a glare her way and turned, placing his back to the window to give her privacy.
Ignoring the phantom warmth that still spread where those hands had gripped her, Vera darted for the lamp at her bedside, banishing away the creeping shadows.
She could hear a repetitive banging noise coming from the other side of her door and knew Elric was working in the armory. Her heart ached at the thought of how worried he’d be when he discovered her gone. She considered leaving a note, but after recent events, she couldn’t bring herself to trust that he wouldn’t run to the emperor.
Fighting the burning sensation behind her eyes, she grabbed a pair of clean clothes from her chest and stood. It wasn’t until she reached around her back and felt the knotted laces that she realized she had a problem.