He nodded, giving her a comforting half-smile before leaving her on her own once more.
Kyrin slipped out into the darkened hall, pulling the door silently closed behind her. Far down the hall, a candle flickered in its wall sconce. No one was in sight, yet goose bumps rippled up her arms. Rothas and James had been here only moments ago and could still be close by. What if a door opened and one of them stepped out? She had no excuses for being in this wing of the house. Was this the way a rabbit felt venturing out at night?
She reined in these thoughts and set off down the hall with swift, yet careful, steps. Her thudding heart urged her to move faster. She took deep breaths to slow it down. Still, it would be a while before it settled completely. Certainly not until she reached her room.
Halfway there, she rounded the corner and collided with a hard male chest. She gasped and looked up. Her heart jumped back into the same place in her throat it had occupied in the office.
James peered down at her, an unnerving little half-smile raising his lips—the very opposite of the one Aaron had just given her. Kyrin tried to swallow her heart back into place, but it stuck, sucking the moisture from her mouth. James eyed her, and she took a step back. A tremor passed through her at the spark of satisfaction kindling in his eyes.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
Kyrin swallowed again and wrinkled her nose at the sour sting of alcohol coming off his breath. She worked hard to disguise the fear in her voice. Cowering would surely encourage him.
“Lady Anne is waiting for me.”
Her only relief was that she was far enough from the office now that he probably wouldn’t suspect that’s where she’d come from. He clearly wasn’t thinking along those lines anyway.
She set off to walk past him, but he slid sideways to block her path. So much for trying to slow her heart rate. It spiked again. She looked up at him. That sickening smile had widened.
“Surely she can wait a bit longer.”
Kyrin stood rigidly and scrambled for an escape. If only Kaden or Jace were here with her. But she was alone, and only too aware of it. She didn’t even have a weapon to defend herself. Still, she somehow managed boldness.
“Please, excuse me; Lady Anne cannot wait.”
She made another attempt to bypass him, but this time he caught her by the arm, stopping her in an iron grip.
“I didn’t say you could go yet.”
Breathing hard, Kyrin spoke through clenched teeth. “With respect, sir, I am not one of your servants.”
“But you’re in my house,” he responded, his tone low and entirely too much in control.
A thread of terror shivered through Kyrin. She strained against his grasp, but he drew her closer.
“Let go of me, now.” Kyrin hated the way her voice quivered at the end.
James gave a low chuckle of sinister amusement, just like in the office. Reality crashed in on Kyrin. No plea would be effective with him. He was a man used to getting exactly what he wanted and wouldn’t take no for an answer. The urge to scream rose up in her throat, but would anyone who cared even hear it?
Eyeing her lips, James leaned toward her. She jerked against his hold and turned away, but with contemptuous ease, he grabbed her other arm and yanked her around to face him again. She tried to knee him, but it grazed off his thigh.
His lips curled in frustration. “You won’t get away from me.”
Tears bit at Kyrin’s eyes and helplessness washed over her like ice water, but she would not give in. Not without a fight. Drawing back her foot, she aimed hard at his shin this time. He grunted and spat out a curse as he hopped back on one foot. Kyrin ripped out of his grasp to run, but his right hand caught her sleeve, tearing it away from her shoulder. It slowed her down just enough for him to grab her around the waist.
She sucked in a breath and screamed as loud as she could. “Jace!”
James’s hand clamped over her mouth, smashing her lips against her teeth. His fingers dug painfully into her cheeks.
“Shut up!” he hissed in her ear.
She clawed at his hand, struggling with all her might.
“If you don’t cooperate, I’ll see things go very badly for you.”
James turned, dragging her down the hall. She fought to resist, but her efforts grew weaker as a nauseating horror enveloped her. Tears trickled out. Elôm, please! She could hardly breathe with James’s hand covering her mouth and the growing terror of what was going to happen.
A whimpered cry clawed its way out. In the next instant, something ripped James away from her. Kyrin tumbled to the floor. She looked up just in time to see Jace’s fist land a solid blow to James’s jaw. James staggered and would have landed flat on his back, but Jace grabbed him and slammed him up against the wall, pinning his forearm against James’s throat. James choked in an attempt to breathe.
Kyrin just stared at them, her entire body shaking until someone took her by the arm. She flinched and looked up into Kaden’s eyes. The last time she had seen them so dark and intense had been when she’d stood on the execution platform. Snapping from the paralysis that had taken hold, she looked past him. Anne and Rayad had just shown up. It only took one look for them to know just what had happened. Carefully, Kaden helped her to her feet.
Her gaze jumped back to Jace, who spat in his brother’s face, “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t break every bone in your body.”
Kyrin had never heard such a dangerous edge to his voice before. Fear pierced her heart again. If Jace had a mind to, which he certainly did, he could beat James to within an inch of his life. And if Kaden were to join in, well, there would be nothing left. Rothas would kill them both.
“Jace,” she tried, her voice wobbly, but another voice broke in.
“What is going on?”
Rachel stood in the hall now, her eyes rounded. She looked from Jace and James to the others, her gaze resting on Kyrin, specifically her torn sleeve, and understanding dawned. She paled.
“Jace, let him go,” Rayad murmured.
But Jace would not move, and James struggled to breathe.
“Jace, please,” Kyrin said softly.
Her voice seemed to get through to him. Breathing heavily, he jerked himself away from his brother and turned, locking eyes with Kyrin. She sucked in her breath at their fierce glow. She’d only seen it once before when they had faced a group of ryriks, but that had been a fighting will to survive. This time it was hatred. Hatred for his brother and what he had done; all mixed with the outrage and concern he must feel for her. Never had she seen him so angry.
He stood between her and James, ready to leap in should his brother even look at her. James pushed away from the wall, dabbing at the blood that oozed from his lip, and glowered at him, but it was Rachel who moved in.
“How dare you do this? How dare you? Have I not done everything in my power to raise you better?”
“She’s just a servant girl.”
“Don’t you ever use that sorry excuse with me. She’s a defenseless young woman, just like the others.” Her voice wavered. “Just like I was.”
James scowled. “I’m not some ryrik animal.” He cast a loathsome glance at Jace.
Kyrin sensed Jace tense and reached for his arm, hoping to keep him from doing something he would later regret and get himself in trouble. She could only imagine how furiously Rothas would respond to find that Jace had beaten his son to a pulp… or worse. Tremors passed through Jace’s taut muscles.
“Oh, so that makes it all right then? Do you think it makes a bit of difference to any of these girls?” Rachel shook her head, her eyes filled with a deep heartache. “No, James. Ryrik, human, it makes absolutely no difference at all. The act is just as unspeakable.”
James scoffed. “I’m done with this.” He pushed past his mother and skulked down the hall.
With pain etched all over her face, Rachel turned to the others. She focused on Kyrin. “Are you all right?”
All eyes turne
d to Kyrin now. She took in each probing look, and reached for her torn sleeve to cover her shoulder. Suddenly she felt exposed, vulnerable. She forced a nod, working to set her mind on the positive.
“He didn’t really hurt me,” she murmured, though her cheeks and lips throbbed.
“I am so sorry.” Tears ran down Rachel’s face.
“It’s not your fault,” Kyrin replied, her own eyes stinging.
“But he’s my son,” she cried. “I tried so hard . . .” She hung her head.
“We know,” Kyrin whispered.
Rachel wiped her cheeks and drew a breath to calm herself. She stepped closer to Kyrin with an understanding, motherly look. “If there is anything I can do, tell me.”
Kyrin nodded. “Thank you. I think I’ll be all right.” However, her words sounded hollow. Could one be all right after such an encounter? It would take a long time for the horror and paranoia to diminish, just like after the ryrik attack. The sinister and terrifying feelings now associated with the memories would never truly fade.
Rachel gave her a long look. If anyone understood, she did. She then looked at Jace. His eyes still flickered torturously. They parted then, Rachel walking off with her head bowed and her shoulders drooping.
Everyone else turned. Kaden put his arm protectively around Kyrin’s shoulders as they walked back to the room. She was safe now, yet James’s menacing presence seemed to lurk in every shadow. By the time they walked in, her knees wobbled. She sank down in a chair, hugging her arms around herself, and shivered. Now she felt cold. Anne draped a blanket around her shoulders and knelt in front of her.
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
Kyrin nodded, though her breath still caught at how close she came to that not being so. “He only grabbed me and covered my mouth to stop me from screaming.” She rubbed the sore spots on her cheeks.
Jace forced out a hard breath. She glanced up at him. He clenched his fists so tight that his fingers turned white aside from the red scuffs on the knuckles of his right hand. The fire still lit his eyes, but it had an even rawer, pained look to it now. This would torture him for days.
Kyrin cleared her swollen throat. For his sake, they needed to stop talking about it. If not, he might still go after James. “I got the information.”
Her quiet words brought a startled look to their faces, as if they had forgotten all about the mission.
“It doesn’t look good for Samara. Rothas is definitely helping Daican plan an attack. I don’t know the details yet, but you can ask Aaron. He read more than I did.”
“Aaron?” Rayad asked, voicing the confusion displayed in their expressions. “How in Ilyon did he get into the office with you?”
“He climbed in through the window.”
Rayad’s brows shot up.
“Thank Elôm he did or Rothas would have caught me. Both he and James came in as I was finishing, but Aaron helped me out onto the ledge outside the window.” Her mind went back to that moment, and the brief conversation between Rothas and his son. “The two of them spoke while they were in there. Rothas asked James if he was prepared, and James said he would go find someone after it was quiet. They were talking about a woman, because Rothas asked if James was sure she would do as she was told.”
Kyrin paused, and a deep chill shuddered through her body. Could they have been talking about her? Had James been intending to come after her? She shivered again, but halted her runaway thoughts. It couldn’t be her. James’s words pointed to someone he knew personally.
“I don’t know what it was all about, but we have to be careful.”
Rayad exhaled slowly, trading a look with Jace and Kaden, and nodded. “At least now we can get you and Anne out of this place. The sooner the better.”
Anne agreed. “We’ll discuss it and make plans in the morning.”
Rayad turned to Kaden. “We’d better get back downstairs.”
Kaden stared at Kyrin, his face set and his stance immovable.
“I’ll be all right now,” she assured him. “You can go.”
It still took him a moment to move. Rayad stepped out into the hall, and Kaden followed. Jace, however, remained. Kyrin met his eyes, trying to convince him he could go too. Finally, he walked out after the other men, and the door closed.
Kyrin hung her head. She didn’t want Jace to see her cry and fuel his anger, but moisture welled in her eyes now that he was gone.
Once Anne had locked the door, she returned to Kyrin and gently rubbed her shoulder. “It’s all right. You’re safe now. We won’t let anything else happen.”
Kyrin looked up, blinking her friend’s face into focus. Her mind was too quick to replay the scene and what could have happened had they not shown up. “Did you hear me scream?”
Anne shook her head. “No. None of us did except for Jace.”
“I won’t just leave them here alone.” Kaden’s voice hissed sharply in the hall.
Neither would Jace. He didn’t want to let Kyrin out of his sight until they left Ashwood. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep watch from my room.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Kaden replied.
Rayad shook his head. “No. We need to keep things quiet and not draw any more attention, especially tonight when we don’t know what is going on with Rothas and James.”
Kaden’s jaw hardened, an argument brewing in his eyes, but he refrained. Jace met his fierce gaze and sent a clear message of his own. No one would pass through the women’s door and live to tell about it.
Sighing hard, Kaden nodded.
“Go on,” Rayad told him. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Trading one more look with Jace, Kaden trudged down the hall.
When he disappeared around the corner, Rayad turned to Jace and looked him directly in the eyes. “I need you to promise me something.”
Jace narrowed his eyes. He knew already what was coming and didn’t like it.
“Promise me you won’t leave your room unless someone is breaking down this door. Not for any other reason, do you understand? Promise me that.”
It was clear why Rayad would request such a promise. Probably the same reason he wanted Kaden downstairs where he could keep an eye on him. Simmering right under the surface was Jace’s belief that James deserved far more than one punch to the face for what he had done tonight.
“Jace, retaliation won’t solve anything and won’t erase what has already been done. You have to promise me that you will stay in your room.”
Jace shifted his jaw. A man shouldn’t be able to attack a woman and just walk away. But Rayad continued to stare hard at him.
“I promise,” he ground out, but it took much effort.
“Thank you.” Rayad sighed and squeezed his shoulder before turning away.
Jace watched him walk down the hall and then went to his own room, leaving the door open a few inches. Here, everything he had been fighting to control let loose. His breaths came hard and fast, shuddering in his lungs as he relived the moment he had come upon that vile worm of a brother dragging Kyrin away. His fists clenched again. If James had truly harmed her… To think of Kyrin scarred for life in such a way and what could have resulted… she could have ended up just like his mother.
Jace nearly lost his supper. Thoughts and impulses he hadn’t felt in years took hold. His blood boiled in his veins. He hadn’t felt it this hot, this driving since… the day he had killed Dane. His heart raced. He was losing control.
No, a very faint voice whispered inside him. Don’t. He pressed his palms against his burning eyes. Don’t, the whisper came again. For several minutes he stood as stone, afraid that if he moved at all, he would grab up his sword and go after James.
After a long, agonizing struggle, his heart stopped pounding so hard. His breaths came more evenly, and his mind cleared, no longer driven by thoughts to avenge Kyrin. The blood in his limbs cooled, leaving them leaden and aching. He hung his head, his shoulders sagging. He had almost done it. Almost given in. Guilt ridd
led his heart, but not nearly so much as if he had acted. Ashamedly, he still wished harm on his half-brother, but to exact revenge would only cause more harm, especially for Kyrin.
A light knock tapped his door and he straightened, spinning around to pull it open. Kyrin stood just on the other side. Even in the dimness of his room, her eyes glinted with a watery sheen.
She cleared her throat. “I wanted to make sure you were all right… that you wouldn’t do anything.”
She stared earnestly at him, no doubt reading every thought leaking through expression. She knew him too well.
“I wanted to, but I won’t.” He’d given Rayad his word, and now he gave it to her.
She attempted a small smile, but it wobbled almost immediately, breaking down as more moisture filled her eyes. Jace’s blood grew hot again, but he fought to keep it in check. Still, to see her so traumatized and be powerless to do a thing about it was worse than torture.
Before he could say a word, she stepped closer and her arms slipped around him as if still seeking protection. Jace embraced her tightly, his heart thudding with a vengeance. If he could, he’d keep her right here with him until they left this place. He glanced out into the hall. Anne was watching from their door, and Jace would make certain Kyrin didn’t leave the sight of someone within their group for however long they remained here.
A moment later, Kyrin pulled away. Her cheeks were damp, but she managed to offer him a more stable smile. He tried, but couldn’t quite return it. The emotions were still too raw.
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
Jace murmured in reply, and she turned. He watched until she was once more with Anne. The hall grew dark as their door closed, and Jace listened for the click of the lock. He then turned and grabbed a chair from near his bed and set it at the door where he could watch the hall.
Glancing down, he realized he still wore Rothas’s clothes and scowled. He yanked the buckles loose on the jerkin and changed back into his own outfit, tossing Rothas’s into a heap on the floor. Once he sat down, he fixed his gaze on the door to Kyrin and Anne’s room.