“One of the things I admire about you,” he said, “is your desire to fight.” He dug his knee into her chest and pulled her arms above her head with his left hand. “I’m sorry to see you go.” His free hand snaked around her neck. “We could have had such fun together.” He squeezed.
She gasped for air, her eyes bulging. This could not be happening. After all she had endured, she would not die like this. If she could free a leg, she could kick him off her. However, between Soma’s body weight, the heavy blankets, and the lack of air, she could do no such thing. He squeezed harder, and her vision clouded. He readjusted his grip on her neck, his arm closer to her mouth now. Twisting her head, she bit him. His fingers loosened, and she sucked in some much-needed air.
“I’m glad you’re resisting and biting me to get free. It lets me know how badly you want to live.” He squeezed her neck again and leaned down close to her ear, his hot breath washing over her face. “I see the disgust in your eyes. And that overwhelming hatred is beautiful.”
She managed to pull one of her hands free and reached up, grabbing Soma’s hair and yanking a chunk of it out. He screamed, loosening his hold. She slammed her head against his. He released her, and she shoved his body. He hit the low table, tumbling to the ground. Gasping for breath, Allyssa climbed out from under the blankets and faced her attacker.
He grabbed her ankle and tugged. She fell next to him, landing on her backside. “You want to do this the rough way?” he sneered. “I tried to kill you quickly out of respect.” He nimbly sprang to his feet.
She twisted and kicked his leg. He lunged for her, and she rolled out of the way, a flash of pain ripping across her stomach. Soma stood hovering above her, chuckling, a dagger dripping with blood in his hand.
“You cut me,” she said, anger boiling inside of her. She could not lose this fight—not with so much at stake. Her people’s fate depended on her surviving this.
“It’s the first of many.” He darted forward, cutting her arm.
Bloody hell. She had never encountered an opponent who could move so fast. Scrambling to her knees, trying to put space between them, she looked for something to use as a weapon.
Soma took a slow, menacing step toward her. “Now don’t be shy.”
Suddenly, he flew across the room, his body hitting the wall and crashing to the ground.
“Are you okay?” Kerdan asked, his shoulders heaving up and down.
She blinked, surprised by the turn of events. He’d just thrown Soma. “I think so,” she croaked out, her voice hoarse, and her throat on fire. Climbing onto the couch, she tried breathing normally. Her head felt like it was spinning.
Kerdan unsheathed his sword, pointing the tip at his stepbrother. “Get up, you filthy piece of slime.”
The assassin wiped the blood from his split lip as he stood. “I was just trying to have a little fun with her.” The dagger in his hand disappeared up his sleeve. “You seem to be overly concerned with her well-being. You know she is Russek’s enemy, don’t you?”
“I told you not to touch her,” Kerdan said, the tip of his sword still pointed at Soma. “I am the crown prince, and you will obey me.”
“I think Father will be very interested in hearing how you’re becoming soft over a girl. Perhaps he’ll give her to me instead.”
Allyssa’s vision blurred, her arm and stomach going numb. Something was wrong. “Kerdan.”
“Get out of my bedchamber.”
Soma spit a mouthful of blood on the floor and then waltzed out of the room.
Kerdan slammed the door closed and locked it. “There’s blood covering the front of your shirt.” He hurried around the room, lighting several candles. “Let me see.” He sat next to her on the couch.
With shaking hands, she pulled up the fabric of her tunic to examine the wound. “It’s not deep,” she assured him. “But it hurts far worse than it should.”
He sucked in a sharp breath and jumped off the couch, heading to the bathing room. He returned a moment later carrying a small tin.
“What’s that?” It reminded her of Soma’s poisons.
“Exactly what you think it is.” Sitting next to her on the couch, he examined the cut across her stomach. Under normal circumstances, she would never allow a man to see her exposed flesh—especially in such an intimate environment. However, if the dagger had been laced with poison, time was of the essence.
His fingers hovered over the wound. “Definitely poison.” Her skin started burning, and tears filled her eyes. “This is going to hurt,” he said. When he opened the tin, an odd smell filled the room. “If I don’t counteract the poison, you’ll be dead in less than ten minutes.”
Allyssa nodded and clutched onto the couch, holding it as tightly as possible.
“I’ll treat your arm first.” Kerdan shook the tin, pouring the fine powder onto her cut. Without hesitating, he quickly moved to the larger one on her stomach, completely covering it with the powder. It soothed her skin, taking away the sensation of being on fire.
“Thank you.” She sighed.
“Don’t thank me yet.”
She was about to ask him what he meant when the powder coating her wounds started to bubble as it interacted with the poison and her blood. It felt like an animal’s claws were shredding her skin to pieces. The bubbles grew to the size of grapes, breaking and reforming over and over. Bloody hell. Her skin turned bright red as black spots filled her vision. Kerdan took the tin, sprinkling the powder over her cuts once again. She thrashed, trying to escape the horrific pain.
“I’m here. You can do this. Don’t give up. It’ll be over soon.”
She clutched onto Kerdan’s hand, squeezing. It felt as if her skin was being peeled off her bones. She screamed, and everything went black.
***
Allyssa woke up in bed, a fire roaring in the hearth. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the luxury of sleeping in a bed, even if the sheets were a little rough. The memory of last night and the poisoned dagger came flooding back to her. Her stomach felt as if it had been kicked by a horse. Her arm ached like it was broken. She groaned, turning her head to the side. Kerdan was sitting on the edge of the bed, a couple of feet away from her.
“You’re awake,” he murmured. His hair stuck out in several directions, and his eyes had dark circles under them.
“I feel like death.” Her voice came out hoarse. It hurt just to swallow. She couldn’t believe Soma had tried to kill her last night.
“Your body has been fighting off the poison.” He rubbed his exhausted face. “I wasn’t sure you would make it. You’ve been unconscious for almost ten hours.”
She was about to respond when a knock resounded through the room. His eyes widened with surprise. “No one ever comes to visit me.”
“Kerdan, darling,” the queen crooned from the other side of the door. “Are you in there?”
His entire body went rigid.
“Kerdan?”
“Hang on,” he called out. Leaning close to Allyssa, he whispered, “Stay in bed.” He straightened and removed his shirt, revealing his bare, muscular torso.