Page 6 of This Vicious Dream (Kingdom of Death #1)

Madinia

Shaena’s eyes roll up, and she slumps in her chair. “You must go before the queen’s men find you in this city. I can see you refuse to go with them, can see you choose death instead. But your death would lead to destruction on an unimaginable scale.” Her voice is hoarse as she relays her vision. With a sharp breath, she falls from her chair to the ground, her body seizing.

I launch to my feet.

“Mama!”

A young girl leaps into the room, falling to her knees as she attempts to cradle the seer. But her mother is thrashing, and the girl is forced to watch, trembling almost as much herself.

Prisca told me about this once. Her mother was a seer, and after her worst visions, she would be bed-bound for days.

The orange-haired woman rushes in, gently pushing the young girl away. “Go on, Fliora.”

The girl looks like a miniature version of her mother, with the same large, blue eyes and wide mouth.

“The man who hunts you…”

I go still. The woman tuts, taking Fliora’s hand, but Fliora gives her a stubborn look and I step closer.

“Which man? There are a two of them.” No one should be able to free themselves from those chains, but something tells me Calysian will manage to do it.

“The Queen’s man.” Fliora shakes off the woman’s hold. “He has left a group of soldiers north of here, in the Aelstow Forest.”

I don’t doubt her. She was likely present during her mother’s visions. “How big is the group?”

“Fifty men or more.”

Kyldare. He figured I would go north—of course he may have ordered some of his men to wait for me at the southern border as well—keeping me trapped.

My pulse triples, suddenly pounding in my ears, and I fight to keep my expression neutral.

If I head west, I’ll come close to the Lacana Mountains. When we first docked on this continent, the pirates spoke of those mountains—and the creatures within them—with hushed voices.

I push the thought away. That decision can be made later, once I’ve made sure Calysian is no longer on my trail.

Shaena has stopped thrashing. Now she lies trembling on the ground, her face pale and drawn.

Pity churns in my stomach, mixing with guilt.

“Is there anything I can do for her?”

“No.” The orange-haired woman’s mouth is a thin line. “You’ve done quite enough.”

Shaena opens her mouth and lets out a low moan. But she’s reaching for something.

Fliora takes the coin purse her mother is pulling from her pocket and reaches for the gold coins I gave them.

“Go,” Shaena gasps as Fliora hands me the coins. “Now.”

Calysian

It’s not difficult to predict where Madinia will go next. She’ll need supplies, but she may even be hoping to temporarily hide herself amongst the seething mass of humanity within the city of Kolegrift.

When I stop to let Fox drink at a river, the scent of death caresses my senses, as enticing as a lover. Following my instincts, I find two bodies, burned until they’re unrecognizable.

Madinia Farrow is vicious when cornered, but she doesn’t kill without cause. If she killed these men, they likely attempted to take her.

They deserve every moment of pain they suffered.

You’re attempting to do the same to her.

No. These men would have returned her to Kyldare. I merely want what is mine.

And still, the knowledge that Madinia sees me as just another man attempting to steal her freedom…it eats at me.

Steeling myself against the guilt, I ride through the southern gates, keeping my eyes peeled for a flame-haired vixen.

It’s a huge city, but my instincts are never wrong. And the innkeeper clutching a wailing baby to her chest gives me a long look when I describe Madinia.

“No,” she says. “I’ve never seen her before.”

She’s lying, and if she was lying to anyone but me, I would appreciate her attempt to keep Madinia safe.

I’m not enough of a bastard to threaten a woman with a child in her arms. But I don’t need to. The stablehand doesn’t hesitate to tell me which way she went.

“She headed that way,” he points north. “She was moving quickly too. Seemed scared.”

“And yet you just told someone who is clearly hunting her which way she went.”

His mouth drops open and I lean close. “Spread the word. If anyone else comes looking for her, and any cowards such as yourself think to tell them which way she went, I will return. And I will kill you all.”

The stablehand nods, his eyes wide. Mounting Fox, I head in the direction he pointed, allowing my instincts to steer me.

It’s half an hour before I find her at the market, handing over a few scant coins for horse feed and a few apples.

She looks spooked, her eyes constantly darting. She knows she’s being hunted, and yet had to stop to refill her stores.

Dark circles linger beneath her eyes, and she looks like she needs a good meal. Guilt eats at me once more.

Our eyes lock.

Her mouth drops open, her face flushing with fury. Leaving the food behind, she sprints toward her horse, tied at the edge of the market.

Guilt turns to rage.

Fox attempts to break into a trot, but a crowd of women stroll between us, and Madinia makes it onto her horse, spinning her mare around and taking off.

I ride past the stall, holding out my hand. “Give me that.”

The man gives me the horse feed and apples, and I take a moment to secure them to Fox. He throws his head, clearly impatient. He feels the thrill of the hunt as much as I do.

“Relax,” I tell him. “I know exactly where she’s going.”

Madinia is clever, and she rides down alleys and hidden side streets. I catch sight of her occasionally as she moves toward the southern gate, breaking into a canter as soon as she makes it past the disinterested guards.

Good. The sooner she is away from anyone who might keep her from me, the better.

“Ready, Fox?”

I don’t need to nudge him. I simply lean forward slightly, and he breaks into a gallop.

Madinia casts a look over her shoulder, eyes wide. Her mare is plucky, but the horse doesn’t have a chance at outrunning my stallion.

I don’t say a word as I ride up beside her. Madinia frees her foot from the stirrup and kicks out at me. Her mare jolts, almost unseating her.

A jolt of fear slices through the thrill. If the mare stumbles and throws her, she could die.

And then I’ll never get my grimoire.

That’s what I’m concerned about. Not the thought of her head cracking open, her face frozen in death.

Madinia kicks out again, her face tight.

Fresh rage floods my body. “Give up,” I yell. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She ignores me. Her mare is tiring, and the horse bucks as Fox gets too close. Madinia bounces in the saddle, fear flashing through her eyes.

After three years without riding, her body no longer has the muscle she needs to stay on the horse in these circumstances, and she knows it.

Enough of this.

“Now,” I tell Fox.

He lunges toward the mare, and the horse darts to the side. Madinia begins to fall.

I yank her into my arms, scooping her from the horse.

Fox slows, and I haul Madinia from him as her mare stops dead in the center of the road, chest heaving.

Annoyance burns through me as the hellion lashes out with feet and fists.

I grip her arms tightly, keeping her from reaching for the sword strapped to her back. She fights longer than I’d expected—and dirtier—lashing out with her flames. But I’m prepared. I raise a personal ward between us, shielding myself from her fire.

She’s powerful, I’ll give her that. The little minx’s flames eat at my ward, but I’m furious enough that I lean close, growling into her ear.

“You’re just tickling me, sweetheart.”

She stiffens and then fights with renewed rage.

I heave a sigh. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

Taking her to the ground, I place my knee on her lower back, holding her in place while I reach for the chains. The metal clinks together and she goes wild, bucking, slamming her head backward, and kicking out with her little foot. I grind my teeth, taking both her wrists in one of mine.

“No, don’t,” she says, still writhing in an attempt to slip from my grasp. “Please.” She twists, turning her head, and when her eyes meet mine, they’re wide, stark with fear.

A hint of remorse stabs into my gut. I stand by my first thought when I recognized Madinia Farrow. No one should steal her freedom.

And the only time she should beg is when she is lost in pleasure.

But I harden myself to her pleading eyes. This woman would have run to the edge of this continent before allowing me to find my grimoire. The time for reasoning with her is over.

I’m…tired. Tired of the blank space before my life began in that forest. Tired of searching for my vengeance.

“Just…cooperate,” I grit out. “I won’t mistreat you. You should know that, woman.”

We stare at each other for a long moment. I’m not sure what she’s thinking.

I squeeze my hand.

The click of the cuff around her first wrist seems to echo through the clearing. Madinia bucks, but I have all the leverage here. The next cuff goes on, and the blood drains from her face in a rush.

When I roll her onto her back, she winces as her weight falls onto her arms, and I instantly pull her into a seated position. A lock of her thick hair falls in front of her eyes, and she tosses her head, since she can’t even lift her hands to brush it away. I should have cuffed her hands in front of her.

When I tuck the lock of hair behind her ear, she flinches .

Something twists in my chest.

Madinia seems to gather herself, rolling her shoulders and lifting her chin. Her eyes meet mine, and they’re no longer filled with fear and despair. No, they’re filled with a fury so dark and deep, I know better than to attempt to unchain her hands and rechain them in front of her.

This woman would slit my throat if she could. And then she would gleefully burn my body to ash. There must be something wrong with me, because that look in her eye makes me want to crush my mouth to hers.

Instead, I pull her to her feet. “You may not believe me, but I didn’t want it to be this way.”

“You’re not the first man to chain me,” she says, and the disdain in her voice carves into me. “At least Kyldare didn’t pretend to be decent.”

Frustration slices through my self-control. She’s deliberately provoking me. And yet I can’t help but respond. “You compare me to him?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Both of you have chained me so you can find a book ,” she says. “The only difference is you don’t seem to have a tower to lock me in.”

“Because I don’t need one,” I grind out. “You’re going to take me to the grimoire.”

“Or?” She asks her tone bored.

I lean close, ignoring the urge to sink my teeth into her throat and prove which of us is in charge here. Even chained, she’s still getting under my skin.

“I don’t need an or . You will do this, because I will make you.”

She snorts, her eyes firing with grim amusement.

And I can’t blame her. The queen’s right hand attempted to make her locate the grimoire for three years, going as far as to keep her entombed in her own body within that tower. And still, Kyldare couldn’t make her cooperate.

But this is different. That grimoire is mine . I’m only trying to take what belongs to me. And this woman is actively attempting to keep it from me.

She is the one in the wrong here. She is the villain in this situation. She needs to stop looking at me with hurt and rage and betrayal in her eyes before I do something criminally stupid like unchain her.

“Let’s go.”

Madinia gives me a you must be stupid look. I haul her over my shoulder, ignoring her struggles. When I lift her onto my horse, Fox’s lips lift back from his teeth.

“I know,” I mutter to him. “But the vixen can’t be trusted.”

I lean over to grab the reins, and Madinia slams her head back into my nose. I curse, my hand flying up, and she attempts to wiggle off Fox’s back. He chooses that moment to rear, and she slides back toward me.

“I should have let him dump you on the ground,” I mutter, pulling her close. “Keep trying your tricks, witch, and you’ll see what happens to those who defy me.”

She turns quiet. Some part of me misses the sound of her voice. But only because it might give me a hint as to what she’s planning.

My nose aches, and I turn Fox toward Madinia’s horse. A sense of disquiet fills me as I catch a glimpse of Madinia’s cold expression.

Even now, she is plotting against me.