18 Chapter 18 (1/2)
”What's wrong?” he asks sarcastically. I can feel myself shaking, but I do my best to keep my cover. ”I am sorry, do I know you? Was I supposed to bring you something?” He smirks at me. ”How about another drink. I didn't actually expect you to take a sip from mine.” I feel a tremor run through me. ”Did I see you at a bar somewhere? I don't remember you.” He starts to looked irritated.
”I am done with your games. You know exactly who I am.” I try one last time. ”Are you a guest of the Princes?” He grabs me by the neck and shoves me up against the wall. ”Stop playing stupid. You know exactly know who I am.” ”Fine, but how do you know who I am? And why are you here? Also, why did you drug me?” I claw at his arms, and he set me down, but kept his arm across me neck and me pinned to the wall.
”I saw you fighting earlier today, that gave it away. I am here because I am working with Xalem. As for drugging you, I needed to figure something out. You did put on a mighty fine show though.” ”What were you trying to figure out?” I ask deliberately ignoring the remark about the show. He was staring at me. I tried to pull a series of moves to get away, but it ended up with me further down the hall, with a blade at my throat. My face was turned up so I couldn't see him. His breath was sending goosebumps down my neck. ”I was trying to figure out how well your memory is when under the influence of Calveis. How well you know your surroundings.”
I try and look down at him, but the blade at my throat keeps me from doing so. ”Why would you want that information?” I asked bitterly. ”Oh, trust me. You will know that all in good time. I just thought I should tell you. You better watch over your shoulders at all times. We have many things to discuss. You have many things that you need to know. I can't take you from here, but I can take you from plenty of other places. I can and I will. I figured I shouldn't drug you and not tell you why.”
I growled at him. ”You are going to kidnap me? One, the odds of you succeeding are almost zero. Now that you have told me, the odds just went to below zero.” The blade went a fraction of an inch higher pressing tighter into my neck. ”Trust me. I will get you. I expected you to either die here, or to stay away once you escaped. Of course, the infamous Huntress didn't do the smart thing and came back.”
I raised my arm to shove him away even though that would have slit my throat. Luckily, he caught the arm. ”Now, if you don't want to die any sooner, you will stop what ever you are doing. I don't know what you are planning, but I do not want it to interfere with my plan. Understood?” ”Whatever you say.” I answer with a bit too much bite in my words. He uses the hilt of the blade to hit me in the jaw. I let out a wince as the back of my head the wall.
”Let's try that again, understood?” Before I can answer, I hear a guard turn down the hall, and yell, ”What is going on down there?” The assassin in front of me quickly put his dagger away and he leaned a little closer to me. His lips were inches from my mouth. ”Don't you dare tell this guard anything.” I tried to shove him away, but he grabbed my arms and pinned them above my head. I could tell from the end of the hall, it looked like we were kissing, so when the guard grabbed the assassin in front of me and yanked him back, I wasn't surprised.
”You know our rules about guards and servants kissing in the halls.” He was staring at me, towering over me. I immediately moved back into cover mode, using my face voice, and cowering down slightly. ”I am sorry. It wasn't my fault. And I don't think he is a guard.” He took a step towards me, and I looked at the ground. ”You know the rules for when a pink gets caught.” I shook my head at the statement. ”No. I am new, so I really don't know.” The guard gave a cold laugh. ”Oh, trust me then. You will know very soon. He grabbed me by the arm and yanked my towards the end off the hall.
That is when he got a good look at my attackers face. ”Oh, sir. You are not a guard.” The assassin shook his head. ”No. I am not.” I pulled away from the guard and the assassin. ”Kiya, come back here. Now.” The assassin said to me. I shook my head. ”I can't. I have...work to do.” I was actually stumbling for excuses. I turned and all but ran down the hall. When I get to Garret's room, I slammed the door and leaded heavily against the wall. I could feel tears wanting to fall out. Not only had my cover been blown by someone, they also had all the power over me.
I cursed under my breath before noticing it was too quiet in the room. I looked around, the bed was made, everything was neat and organized, there was no sign of someone sneaking in. Then I heard the bathroom door open. Garret walked out, and our eyes instantly meet, and two seconds later he was at my side. ”Jaycie, what's wrong?” I shook my head standing up straight. ”Nothing, I just went on a run, so I am tired now. I am perfectly fine.” I went to take a step, but he stood in front of me. ”No. Don't give me that your fine crap. I know you better. You aren't fine.”
I tried to take another step, but he said, ”I am giving you two seconds to stop moving before or I will tie you to a chair until you answer me. I glared at him. ”You really think you have the skill, time, and pain tolerance to tie me to a chair?” He raised an eyebrow. ”Pain tolerance?” he questioned. I nodded. ”Trust me, there is a reason I am hardly ever tied to a chair when I get caught. It is next to impossible to tie me to a chair when I am still awake. I have put full grown men in casts for even bringing a chair and rope into the room.”
His face paled the slightest bit. ”All I want to do is sleep and forget today.” He nods and says, ”I have a few more things to do. I will be up later.” I nodded and changed into pajamas, then I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
Two Days Later:
The whole place was still on high alert. I had been thanked several hundred times by all the girls for me saving them. Xalem had thanked me in person as well. Prince Azeel had decided to baby me with my wounds. When Garret came up to me after dinner on night with a bunch of other guards and servants, asking if I wanted to come with them, I almost cheered. ”Where are you going?” I ask as I look over the group. The only other pink I saw was Janel. ”We are headed to a local bar. I nodded. ”Yes, I could use a drink.” Garret smiled and swung an arm around my hips.
I saw all the other guards following suite, so I didn't shrug it off. When we got to the bar, one of the guards said, ”Ladies, go get us that table in the back. We will get drinks. We all nodded, and I heard Garret say, ”Kiya, what do you want?” One of the other guards put a hand on his shoulder. ”Don't worry Avi. We know what to get her.”
I didn't like the smile on his face as he quickly looked over me and then walked away with Garret, whispering to him. I followed the other girls, and they lead me to a booth. When we get there, a group of men are sitting there. ”Excuse me boys, can we have this spot?” One of then looked Janel over. Then I noticed how they all looked us all over. Since I was in the very back, I was the last one to be seen, but I did notice how the man that seemed to be in charge locked eyes with me until I ducked my head.
I heard one of them stand up, and by looking up slightly, I saw it was the one that had locked eyes with me. ”What is a group of pretty girls like you doing here all alone?” He asked us. One of the other girls with us, a green, spoke. ”We are not alone. The boys are buying us our drinks now. They wanted this table, so that is why we are asking you to move.” The leader pointed right at me. ”You, come here.” I shook my head. ”No thank you. I think I will stay here.” He let out a loud laugh. ”Did you hear that boys. She thought she had an option.” He looked back at me. ”I said, come here.” I felt anger inside me. Not boiling like it used to, but simmering, building up slowly.
”I am glad you know what you said, but I also know what I said. I said no.” The red right next to me leaned towards my slightly. ”Girl, it is better to just do what they say.” I looked down at her and she shrugged. ”Here, I will make you a deal, she comes here, and you can have the table.” Janel's smile faltered a small bit. She looked back at me and I shook my head slightly. She put on a pouting face and I crossed my arms. ”Kiya, he probably just wants to give you a compliment. Please, the boys like this table.”
I stare for a moment longer before I walk to the front of the group. ”What do you want?” I say looking up at the leader. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and said, ”Lets go, take a walk. I would love to get to know you.” I nearly gagged at the fact of him being anywhere near me. He looked at his crew and said, ”Leave these girls their table. I am going to make head off for the night.” He started walking me to the door. I planted my feet into the ground and said, ”I am not leaving my friends.” He smiled.
”It is only a walk. You will be back soon.” He tried to walk again, but I didn't budge. ”I really should head back.” I say quietly. He shook his head. ”No, you are coming with me.” He tried to pull me closer to the door, until he heard someone behind us. ”Let her go. Now. Unless you would like to leave with one or two less organs in your body.” I turned and saw Garret standing there, hand on sword. ”Avi.” I said turning. I shoved the arm off my shoulders and wrapped my arm around Garret, standing slightly behind him.
The man who had been walking with me took a step towards Garret. ”Look, I don't know who you are, but I am taking a walk with this beautiful woman so take your leave.” He tried to reach for me, but Garret quickly stepped in front of me, easily putting the two drinks he was balancing in one hand, in my hands. ”Look sir, I don't know who you are, but if you don't leave right now, you will be dead.” The man glares at me and says, ”It doesn't matter. I don't want to go home with some whore anyway.” The words hit me like a slap on the face, but I didn't so much as take a step towards him.
He walked past me, but as he did, he said, ”You better never show your face in here again after tonight.” I slightly leaned away from him as he walked past. Garret took the drinks with me and we walked to the table. Garret and I got there right as the other boys got there. ”Were you the first to head back?” I asked him. He nodded. ”I had our drinks first. I was going to wait, but I saw that man walking away with you. Tell me the story later.” I nod not planning to tell him anything. Garret doesn't need someone else on his mind that he wants to kill. ”What's the drink?” He looked slightly concerned. ”How about I just say, try and take it slow. These are meant to make their drinkers a little...dependent...on the person they are with.”