Page 64 of The Heart of Nym (The Twisted Roots Duology #1)

Her face broke out into a knowing grin, her bright blue eyes dropping just enough to home in on his hand.

Seamus was not lost to where her sights traveled, his brow furrowing when she leaned close to his face and whispered something to him.

Shock befell the Marquess, their waltz dwindling to a halt and his hands falling away from her body, only to grab her hand and practically drag her in Aziel's direction.

Gods, it worked.

Aziel fought to conceal the proud smirk that threatened to move its way across his face as they neared him.

Seamus's guards roused to attention as he came forward, only to deflate when their leader's feet stomped to a halt.

The Marquess wore a sly grin, eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked between Aziel and Nymiria.

"Haze," Seamus laughed, tucking a strand of brown waves behind his slightly pointed ear.

"I never thought you would be the type." Aziel was curious as to what excuse Nymiria fed him.

His mind leaned towards the idea of a threesome, but by the smirk pointed in his direction, he feared that was not the case. "You like to watch her get fucked?"

If he'd had a drink in his mouth, it would have spewed all over Seamus's finely tailored suit.

Aziel drew in a quivering breath, trying his best to retain the hardened image that those around him knew and feared, instead of letting out the laughter he felt growing inside of him.

"It seems that I do." He stated blandly.

Nymiria giggled behind their target and while it matched the act, Aziel knew that that little laugh of hers was real.

Her form of revenge for what he'd said at the Twisted Willow.

Seamus looked to his guards, dismissing them with the simplest wave of his hand. "Let's have at it, then." He clapped Aziel on the shoulder, squeezing it harshly as he pulled Nymiria forward. "I haven't stuck a Mystic in ages and there is nothing quite like those magical little cunts."

Aziel watched as Nymiria's lip twitched at the corner, her eyes narrowing in on the back of Seamus's head.

When discussing his plans for the kill, Aziel did not fail to include some rather damning information about the Marquess.

He'd told it to her as a warning, but it seemed as if Nymiria took her knowledge and was using it as a motive to kill.

Which made this all the more satisfying for Aziel, considering he was the one to have witnessed Seamus's crimes.

At the time, he'd only been a young man of sixteen years, but the memory of what he'd done to the tree women in The South Mists still burned in his mind just as vividly, as if it'd only happened yesterday.

He glanced around the great hall and upon seeing that Dorid and Camalia were busy entertaining guests, they made their escape. Only Oran was privy to their elopement, even going so far as to ensure that the king and queen were busy when the time came to complete their mission.

Nymiria and Seamus walked ahead of him, both of them exchanging glances that had Nymiria releasing false chirps of laughter into the halls. Aziel kept his hand on his sword, using every bit of strength he had not to just end things right then and there.

The people in the great hall were not a worry to him—he'd hired a smart little witch to slip tonics into their drinks that would have them all forgetting that the Marquess had even stepped foot into the palace that evening.

Nymiria turned to look at him at that moment, the scent of his death surely reaching her by now.

Aziel gave a small, curt nod before she turned and started up the stairs to their tower.

He could see the determination in her eyes, the burning rage that had sparked to life in the depths of the blues and greens.

She may not have wanted to kill anyone, but she didn't mind knowing that the man on her arm was walking straight towards his death.

Once safely tucked away in the dim light of Aziel's room, Seamus turned.

Nymiria gasped as she was shoved onto the bed, knees knocking against the foot post so hard that it would surely bruise.

Aziel lurched forward just as Seamus began to raise Nymiria's skirts, the latter's hand fisting her hair as he reached for the hardened little dick in his trousers.

Aziel wasted no time at all in pulling his sword, driving it through the Marquess's back until it pierced through the other side.

The man fell away from her, eyes wide and staring down at the point protruding from his rib cage.

"What the fuck is this?" He sputtered, blood flying from his lips as he spoke.

There was venom in his stare when he looked up at Aziel, his face twisting up with hatred.

"Once a bastard, always a bastard." Seamus tried to laugh, but the pain was far too excruciating for it to make a sound.

The only thing that spilled from his mouth was more blood and a gurgled curse.

"You've had this coming for a long time.

" Aziel sighed and flicked his hair out of his face, watching as Nymiria slowly pulled her dagger from where it had been strapped to her thigh.

"People believe that there should be dignity in death, but I don't believe that to be true.

Not for people like you." He strode towards Nymiria, sparing her a single apologetic look before he took the weapon from her.

He turned back to the man who was now lowering himself onto the floor, gripping at his chest and trying to breathe.

"I'm going to make a fucking mess of your body, you pathetic piece of shit.

And then I am going to drag what's left of it to the underworld and let my friends have the rest of you. "

Nymiria drew in a deep breath when Aziel moved over top of Seamus. He fought as much as he could, his movements weak and his breaths coming out in wet pants. She gripped the post of Aziel's bed when the garbled screams began. While she usually would have looked away at such things, Nymiria watched.

She understood why Aziel was deemed to be such a cruel and relentless killer.

He made sure that the pain was felt—that the panic was present and that each of his victims had to feel their lives slowly slip away before he claimed the kill and took their soul.

He dragged her dagger across Seamus's skin, plunged it into various places until the floor and everything within distance was splattered or dripping with blood.

It was magnificent, really—how emotionless he was, how he looked down at Seamus's body without a single ounce of remorse or guilt for what he'd done or how far he'd taken things.

What was even more concerning was how hot her body felt when he finally turned to look at her, his face and hands dripping with crimson.

The black jewel in his ear gleamed in the low light, his face made of stone as he looked down at her.

The essence of his death spread through the room, mixing with the shadows that were spilling out from under her feet.

Nymiria turned her head towards the shadowy figure that was now stepping out of the darkness. His brown eyes flickered from Nymiria, to Aziel, and then to the body on the floor. Trio drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. "Seems as if I've picked the wrong time to stop in for a visit."

Aziel smirked, wiping the blood from Nymiria's dagger with the bottom of his suit jacket before extending it in her direction.

Nymiria took it, their eyes meeting just briefly before he turned away from her.

"Not at all, actually. I was wondering if you could steal us away for the night.

" He tilted his head to look at the mess on his floor and frowned.

"It might take a while for me to clean up. "