Page 60 of The Dark Prince
“Insolent little bitch! I didn’t curse him. I never said I did! No one listens, do they? No one sees, do they? Just you wait! Time runs out, and then everyone will see.I’ll save you for last so you can watch him DIE!”
The room grew quiet, and the heaviness lifted.
Was she gone?
She was. I cried quietly as I allowed myself to wallow in pain for only a few minutes. Then I dragged myself into a sitting position and felt all over my body. The pain was a terrible ache in my ribs, but I didn’t think she’d broken them. She was too weak. I couldn’t touch my neck without pain; I’d likely bruise there. Tyr would see it. He’d ask all kinds of questions.
I jerked in fear as footsteps pounded down the corridor outside.
Tyr threw the door to my chambers open, chest heaving and hair hanging limply over his golden eyes, which trained on me immediately.
Shock and horror stretched his features;allof his features. He’d been in such a hurry to stop me from carrying out my threat that he’d left his maskin his room. If I wasn’t in so much pain I would have laughed in pure joy to see his emotions cover his entire face.
“You dare—” he began, his voice nothing more than a raspy growl that set fire to my veins. He cut himself off at seeing me on the floor, bruised and bloody. Tyr jerked physically, taken aback as his anger at me deflated, then reignited all at once with a new target.
My mouth went dry as I stood there, staring dumbly at him.
“Who did this?” He hissed, setting my blood on fire.
If this had been my step-father, I’d be cowering and stepping back. I’d be cringing and already apologizing, promising not to do whatever I did ever again.
But staring at Tyr in a fury, his clothes and hair rumpled and displaced as all of that feral anger was on my behalf? I only felt heat. I met his gaze, and he froze.
“Don’t,” he growled at me, half pleading, half demanding.
“Don’t what?” I fired back, obsessed with how the low v of his collar displayed the muscles hiding underneath his blouse. I wanted to run my fingers over them. Tyr’s scent surrounded me, leather and ice taking me back to the small village and the roaring fire in the longhouse. If I concentrated, I could almost hear the logs cracking in the fire, and the indistinct conversations of the surrounding men.
“Don’t look at me as though I’m your salvation and ruination all at once,” he pleaded, his voice cracking.
I reached for him like a child and he caught me in reflex, clearly surprised as he tensed around me, then relaxed. I closed my eyes and clutched to him, for a moment back in the saddle as we rode north from my manor. Everything had seemed so much simpler.
Tyr held me just as tightly, and I fought back tears. I wish it could be easy. I wish I could just be some girl and Tyr just some boy.
But we weren’t.
We were a jumped-up servant girl and a bastard lord; a scared woman looking for a way out and a man who could turn into an outward representation of his own inner hatred.
I curled further into Tyr’s chest, closing my eyes as I felt his heart beat against my temple. If only the curse was reversed, and reflected outside what was truly inside. Then my step-father would be the beast, and Tyr could just be a man.
“I’m sorry. I wouldn’t really go into the forest again. I just … You were ignoring me,” I whispered against him. I put one hand on the ruined part on his face, slightly stroking the skin there.
Tyr jerked, as if suddenly realizing he didn’t have it on. He dropped me to cover his face with both hands.
“Tyr, look at me.”
He’d do anything I asked. I realized that now. He’d move heaven and earth for me, and bare his disfigurement to the world if needed. He’d tear apart anyone and anything that threatened me.
Including himself.
Was his protection still out of duty? Or was it something more? I was determined to find out.
“Who was here? What happened?” His brow furrowed, his fingers gently touching my neck. “Isadora, there are bruises forming! Tell me who—”
“The witch was here. She doesn’t like me.” I admitted.
Tyr’s face twisted. “It’s true then. You found her in the forest. Maddeus was being purposefully cagey about it, but I didn’t push him since there was so much else going on.”
He paused, shaking his head with incredulity. Then he barked out a laugh. “You are incredible.”
