Page 92 of The Fury She Holds
She ripped her hand free, pulling it back to punch him in the temple, but he caught it easily.
“Quit fighting me, dammit.”
“Fuck you!”
She tried to bring her leg up around his neck in a maneuver that would flip her over and hopefully break his hold on her wrists, but he locked her legs with his own.
“Will you stop? Listen, it’s a trap!”
“Get off me!” She thrashed against him, her fury practically begging to be set free, but she held onto her control.
He released her and stood back. “It’s a trap, Tal. They knew you’d be here.”
“Of course they did.” She stood, fixing her chemise and brushing past him. She would find Badger on her own. She threw open the door and stormed out of the room, not really thinking about the guard who had left only moments ago.
A dark figure appeared at the end of the hall and stalked toward her. Before she could react, she was thrown up against the wall, a hand splayed by her face and a body pressed into her back, pinning her.
“There are apparitions everywhere.” Faron breathed into her neck. “Don’t move.”
He pressed up against her as if he would take her right then and there. She could feel evidence of his desire to do so at her back. She tried to push against him, but he held her firm, one arm around her stomach and the other blocking her face from view.
A door down the hall burst open and a half-naked male stumbled out. “Fire! She’s on fire!” Waylon’s deep, silky voice called down the corridor.
The dark figure hesitated, then spun on its heel and rushed past the man into the room.
Waylon slammed the door shut and waved his hand at them frantically. “Go!” he called after them.
The door next to them opened, and Oona poked her head out. “Come!” She waved them over. “You must go!”
Tal twisted and pushed against Faron as he lifted and carried her into the room. He set her down once the door closed, and she pushed against his chest, swearing at him.
Egan paced the floor while Oona opened a window and waved them over.
“Flaming hells, what happened?” her friend asked.
“I’m going back out there.” Tal tried to step around Faron, but he blocked her advance. She stared at him, wishing he could see the hatred in her eyes. He had betrayed her, and here he was, interfering with her chance at revenge because of what? Jealousy? She wouldn’t let him stop her.
“The man you’re looking for is dead. They both are. You won’t find any closure tonight. We must leave now.”
“What do you mean they’re dead? Did you do this?” This could not be happening. She’d behaved. She’d spent weeks holding herself back from proving to her attacker, to herself, that she wasn’t some weakling he could take advantage of.
“You know I would never take that from you.”
She could feel his breath on her face and her anger grew when she realized she enjoyed it.
“My men found them an hour ago. The mage knows you’re here. He wasn’t at the incinerator. I got here just before the apparitions arrived, then paid the headmistress for her newest girl.”
Tal’s eyes burned into him, but Egan doused her anger with his sharp tone.
“Get over it, Tal. We had to get you out of that room, which, by the way, was guarded by someone playing with a gold coin. We never would have gotten to you or Oona before the mage did.”
Sweet Egan had never spoken to Tal like that, and it cut through her inner rage. She swallowed her pride, if only for the moment. She stepped up to the third-story window, stopping with her foot on the sill.
“Tal, there’s no time!” Faron warned. “Waylon can’t hold them off forever.”
“I’m not leaving. There’s a girl, younger than Egan. She’s a worker here. I’m getting her out.”
Faron swore, but Oona’s hand on her arm pulled her attention. “Go. I’ll protect the girl. We’ll get her out, but tonight is not the time.”
