Page 5 of Lies That Blemish
The way he said my name, like he knew me. “Did you come to kill me?” I asked, wondering how he knew who I was. Aisling was always well known as Father’s heir, but my younger sisters and I were lesser known to Imbrians.
“I’m Arjun. Arjun Badshah,” he said, and I sucked in a breath. His older brother stood, still glaring at me as he held a bandage to his ear. “That’s Tej.” Arjun flicked his head in his brother’s direction. “Our brother Kohen sent us?—”
“To kill me,” I growled, pressing the tip of my dagger into his chest so that it punctured the cloth.
He took a step back, muttering a string of Imbrian that I could barely pick up—it was too fast. Something about…beautiful demon.
“We came to help you bond a Talanagi!” Tej screamed. “But there’s no way in hell I’m helping you now.” He hooked Arjun by the underarm and began to drag his brother away.
Confusion flushed through me.
Help me bond a Talanagi?
Arjun dug in his heels, ripping away from his brother. “No. Kohen said she would resist. Without us, she dies!” he argued with his elder brother, and at his declaration, cold, hard fear flushed through me.
Without us, she dies?How the hell would he know that?
“Yeah, I don’t care.” Tej indicated his bleeding ear.
Arjun nodded, yanking out a rolled-up paper that was peeking out from his brother’s pack. “Then I’ll help her.” He turned back over to me and began to open the paper wide.
It was a map. I was so confused that I lowered my dagger, trying to make heads or tails of what was happening.
“She cut my ear!” Tej groaned.
Dammit, they didn’t seem like very good assassins.
“I can cauterize it if you come over here.” I lowered my dagger and my pack and began to rifle through for my med-kit. I had a small bit of gauze that, when activated with anything wet, turned to a glue-like putty. Aisling had to raise hell and search three army bases to get it for me.
Tej continued to glare at me. “If you think I’m ever letting you touch me, you’re insane.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Suit yourself.”
I shoved the med-kit back into my pack, picked up my dagger, and sauntered off into the woods.
“Would you both stop acting like children before she gets killed!” Arjun shouted, and I stopped.
There it was again. A threat to my life? I wasn’t sure. He was speaking like he knew the future.
I turned, pulling my blade again. “I am heir to the empress’ throne. If you have intel on a threat to my life, speak now,” I warned.
Arjun looked at his older brother, who shook his head.
“Our brother Kohen can see the future,” Arjun blurted out.
“You idiot!” Tej scolded him, going as far as to smack him in the back of the head. It made me smile a little, reminding me of my sisters, but the smile was erased quickly when I processed what he’d said.
“See the future? That’s illegal.” And a total lie, I was sure.
“I know, so that’s why if you tell anyone, it will be big trouble for my brother. I’m trusting you—like Kohen told me I could,” Arjun said.
Something about that softened my heart, but only for a fraction of a second. “Oh, your brother,who murdered myfather, said you could trust me? That’s cute.” My voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Arjun frowned. “He killed that bastard to protect your sister, who he’s in love with.”
Chills raced along my arms, and my mouth popped open.
“She can’t see reason. Don’t bother,” Tej snarled.
