Sword …Sword… Sword
“Where’s my sword?”
Lena snaps her vest over her head and tugs her hair free, pointing at the floor. “Over there.”
Ripping back the rumpled sheets, I snatch up my scabbard and strap it to my back. “Stay here.” Stalking towards the door, I open it. “I'll come get you when it's safe.”
“Wait!” she calls out, shimmying into her fighting leathers. “Let me just find...” She trails off, peering beneath the bed to pull out her boots.
As I step over the threshold, I glance at Lena over my shoulder, something making me hesitate. An instinctive feeling nags at me that this isn't how women send their males off to battle. I don’t expect her to sob and beg me not to go. That's not the type of person she is. But I would think she would show her concern in some way. Or at the very least, send me off with a goodbye kiss. Yet, she does none of that. She's calm and focused, preparing.
“What am I waiting for?” I ask, already knowing the answer, but dreading it all the same.
Sitting on a trunk, she pauses slipping on her boots, her black brows pinched. “I’m coming with you.”
Like hell you are.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
She huffs a laugh. “I'm certainly not staying here.”
Gritting my teeth, I crush the door handle within my grip. “Lena.”
“Darius,” she mocks.
“I can't focus out there if I'm worried about you.”
“I don't need you worrying about me.” She peers down at her chest as she threads the laces of her vest. “I can take care of myself just fine.”
I groan, rubbing my fingertips on my forehead. “Lena, be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable,” she replies, standing. “I heard your concerns and I'm reasonably ignoring them.”
Fuck me. Does she have to have an answer for everything?
I don’t have time for this shit. My people are dying out there and here I am, wasting time arguing with her because she wants to play warrior. It was cute before. Sexy, even. But now I see how dangerous it is to allow her to believe such a thing. We are who we are, and Lena is not an immortal. Not even fae. She’s human. A gifted one, yes, but still slow and weak, breakable. She wouldn’t last a minute with a Soulless.
The traitor guard flashes into my mind. My stomach roils in remembrance of his warning that the King of Brecca has been searching for Lena, then of his plans for her when he finds her. If he ever gets his hands on her…
I slam the door shut. “The Soulless have never breached these walls.”
“They have today,” she snorts, rummaging through her trunk and tossing clothing over her shoulder.
“Have you considered the possibility that it might not be a coincidence that the Soulless managed to breach them while you're here?” Bracing for her reaction, I add, “When the Breccans have been searching for you?”
Her back stiffens and she stands, slowly turning to face me. “Are you implying this is my fault?”
“Alura’s tits, Lena!” I say, scrubbing my face. “Of course not.”
Biting her lip, she watches me for a long moment. She seems to be debating something, but then she shakes her head and turns her back on me before crouching before her trunk. “They aren't here for me.”
Guilt suddenly flashes down the bond, but Lena quickly smothers it.
She knows something. Something pivotal.
The traitor guard admitted as much, but I foolishly assumed that if it was a direct threat to Cascadonia, Lena would share that information. But as I watch her evade my gaze, feel her guilt, and see the way her hand trembles as she tosses a pair of leggings aside, I’m no longer sure.
With two large strides I reach her side, grabbing her by the arm and jerking her to her feet. “How do you know?”
“I just do.”
Snatching her arm from mine, she steps back, but I follow, stalking her, forcing her to retreat until her back presses up against the wall. “How?”
She says nothing, dropping her gaze to her feet.
Done playing games with her, I grab hold of her chin and jerk up, ducking my head toward hers until we’re nose to nose, hissing, “How?”
“Because they don't know I'm here!” she shouts, then gasps, slapping a hand to her mouth.
A surge of excitement shoots through my veins at finally discovering something, anything about her, but it just as quickly sputters out. “So they could be searching for you?”
“I didn't say that.”
“But you didn't deny it, either.”
Her lips tighten, shutting me out. Even after everything, she still doesn’t trust me.
Frustration, worry, and anger, but above all hurt slam into me and I slap my hand to the wall above her head with a growl. Lena jolts as her startled eyes fly to mine. “You're staying here and that's final,” I growl, pushing off the wall and heading towards the door.
