Page 112 of A Warrior's Heart

“Admiring my work?” Ezra asked, brushing aside my bangs.

I jerked away from his touch, but the chain around my leg wouldn’t let me go far.

After I was brought to his chambers the day before, I had been given a bath—cold water instead of warm—before being chained to Ezra’s bed. I had been terrified that he was going to force himself on me, but he didn’t return to the room until early that morning, having spent the night with King James.

“Keep your hands off me,” I growled.

“Or you’ll do what?” He grabbed my jaw. “Bite me again? I should pull out your teeth one by one.”

I spat on him.

“You little bastard,” Ezra said, wrapping his hand around my throat. He shoved me to my back and hovered over me, his grip tightening and cutting off my air. “If it were up to me, I’d kill you right now.” He let go, and I coughed before dragging in a deep breath. “But James wants you alive.”

“Do you always do what James tells you?” I asked, rubbing at my neck. “I think it’s the other way around. You’re using him to defeat King Triton. James means nothing to you.”

“I never said he did.” Ezra pushed to his feet. “He’s a means to an end.”

“Quite bold of you to admit aloud.”

“You think to tell him?” Ezra kicked the center of my chest, and it felt like my heart was knocked loose. “James is smart. He knows what he is to me. He wants Triton gone. Our alliance is mutually beneficial. The sex is only a bonus.”

Catching sight of my dagger attached to his belt, I lurched forward and grabbed it. Ezra knocked it from my hand and slammed his boot into my chest again. The breath left me, and I gasped, unable to draw in air.

He left the room without another word, taking my dagger with him.

Wrapping my arms around my knees, I stared at the tall window across the room, finally able to breathe. My chain only let me walk about four steps before yanking me back, so the window was out of reach. But I appreciated the view. I could see the clouds moving across the sky and the occasional bird.

A knock sounded at the door.

I ducked down and peeked over the top of the bed as King James walked inside the room, his eyes finding me instantly.

“You poor creature,” he said, kneeling in front of me and gliding the back of his knuckles across my cheek. I flinched at his touch. Ezra had hit me too many times. Flinching was impulsive now. “Here. Let me help.”

I watched as the king pulled a salve from the basket he’d carried in with him. Eva had made that salve many times. It was used for healing. He gently dabbed it on the cuts on my cheek.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, shying away from him again before stilling and letting him doctor the wound. “This is a trick.”

“Say about me what you will, but I’m a lover of beauty. And seeing your face this way pains me. My motives are purely selfish, though innocent, I assure you.”

“If that’s true, why did you bloody my lip when you visited me on the ship?”

“You spit in my face,” he said, his topaz eyes meeting mine before falling to the salve again. “I lashed out at you in anger, and you have my deepest apology. But that’s why I sent Ezra in my place after that, hoping he could persuade you to join us. I didn’t know he was doing this to your beautiful face or I would’ve stopped him.”

Strange enough… I believed him. Perhaps I was gullible. Or maybe it was because I had known nothing but pain and violence for the past month, and someone showing me even a glimmer of kindness was too tempting to resist.

“Ezra said you wanted me alive.” My voice was scratchy and dry. “Why?”

James stood up and walked over to a table in the middle of the room. He grabbed a silver pitcher and poured water into a goblet before bringing it over to me. “Drink.”

I accepted the water and gulped it down. James had a curious tilt to his head as he watched me.

“That water could’ve been poisoned, yet you drank it with no hesitation.” He grabbed the goblet and refilled it before handing it back to me. “I take that as a sign of trust?”

“No,” I answered honestly. “I don’t trust you.”

“Ah.” James nodded. “So it was desperation then. I can’t say I blame you for your distrust. Our sides are at war. You’d be foolish to trust me when I’ve done very little to earn it. But Ezra was correct. Idowant you alive.” He sat in front of me and held a cloth to the side of my face that cooled and soothed my skin. The scent was a familiar blend of herbs Eva had often used to help with swelling. “Again, my reasons are selfish.”

“I will never help you hurt Lorcan or King Triton,” I said. “You can torture me in the worst possible way, and I’ll still remain loyal to them. They’re my family.”