Chapter 48
Belle
The general loomed before me, brutal and cold, wearing the promise of violence like armor. He had the look of a practiced murderer whose only delight was taking what he wanted from those who refused to give it.
The general locked eyes with the captains. “Leave this one to me.”
They glared at me, then slunk off into the crowd like the scum they were.
“Your men need to learn some manners,” I said as sweetly as I could manage.
The general closed the distance between us in a breath, and his musky scent overpowered me. “We’re soldiers, not gentlemen, my lady. We’re not here for small talk and pleasantries.”
His voice was as smooth as sharpened steel, and without wasting time, he swept up my hand and lifted it to his lips. “Tell me your name, dove.”
I forced a pleasant smile. “Lady Bianca. And yours?”
“General Sarkis.” The corner of his lips curled, and he pressed a hot kiss against my knuckles. I pulled my hand back, but his grip tightened. “Say my name. I want to hear it on those beautiful lips.”
“Please release me, General Sarkis.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he leaned close, smelling a strand of my hair he’d pinched between his fingers. “That will sound better when you’re mounted on my cock tonight.”
I ground my teeth, not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing me unsettled.
Instead, I yanked my hand free from his grasp and met his affront with a blank expression.
“You like to get ahead of things, General, but I’m afraid I don’t know a thing about you.
The castle is awash with rumors, and we’re all dying to know—why are you and your soldiers here? ”
Something glinted in his narrowed eyes. Excitement? Pleasure at having ensnared me?
He extended his hand and waited for me to take it. “How about a dance, and we’ll go from there?”
When I didn’t move, his mouth morphed into a devil’s grin. “Come on, I won’t bite.”
“I’m afraid I don’t dance, General.”
“Then I’ll teach you.” He snatched my hand and jerked me toward him. The hard form of a small blade hidden beneath his jacket pressed against my side. He pulled me forward, and I was so distracted by the weapon that it was too late when I realized where he was taking me.
I dug my heels into the floor and hissed, “I said no!”
He chuckled and pulled me onto the dance floor, spinning me away before pulling me against his chest. “I’m afraid I don’t take no for an answer.”
The slow waltz ended as we reached the floor, shifting into a fast, rhythmic melody that matched the beating of my heart.
Dancing with him was nothing like the king.
I felt clumsy and uncertain and always on the verge of tripping over my own feet.
I tried to direct us toward the edge of the dance floor, but the general dragged me to the center, putting me on display for all to see.
Hell. It would be mere moments before I was recognized.
The ballroom spun around us, and I searched for the king, but everything was a blur. With no other option, I tried to settle into the movement. “Fine. A dance for answers then. Why are you here?”
He dipped his head, and his breath heated my ear. “What if I told you that I’m here for you, princess?”
The nickname landed like a stone. Only Valen called me princess. Did the general know who I was?
My skin itched, and it took everything inside to tamp down the urge to pluck his dagger from its sheath and plunge it into his heart.
The general was playing a game, just like the one his soldiers were playing earlier, and one I knew all too well from my time in the Bloodvale.
I just had to play along and bide my time until I could escape.
“Then you’d be lying, because I’m no one of interest,” I said. “I think you’re here because you’re planning to invade the Bloodvale.”
He laughed. “Afraid for your sister, the queen?”
The charade was over. The bastard knew exactly who I was, and he was threatening my sister.
A murderous grin spread across his face. “Did the king really think he could hide you away? That I wouldn’t learn the truth about his lavender-eyed hostage?”
My chest clenched as if someone had pulled the strings of my corset too tight. By now, everyone in the castle knew who I was and what I was. I shouldn’t have been surprised he already knew.
It didn’t matter. Nothing but answers did.
“Is the Bloodvale why you’re here, General Sarkis?” I pressed.
The tempo shifted, and the general dipped me low, his pupils dilating with heat. “Gods, I love it when you say my name, Lady Belle.”
He lifted me and pulled me close, his hand resting on my back. Firm. Domineering. Possessive. My insides twisted, but I licked my lips and forced myself to meet his gaze. “I’ll say it again if you tell me the tru—”
The pressure in the room shifted, like the air had suddenly been sucked out, and a shadow loomed.
The king seized the general’s shoulder and forced himself between us, a wall of heat and flame and fury that towered over the mercenary.
“Get away from her,” he growled in a voice more beast than man, the lines of his jaw taut beneath his mask.
Relief shuddered through me. I knew I’d have to face the king’s wrath soon enough, but in that moment, it didn’t matter. The general’s presence had been suffocating, like calloused hands crushing down around my throat.
The general rolled his shoulder and looked over at me. “Really, princess?”
“Look at her again, and you’ll be collecting your fangs with broken fingers.” Valen growled, his voice possessive and protective. It sent heat straight to my core, and I hated myself for it. They were both monsters.
Just get away.
I spun and pushed through the dancers who’d paused to watch the spectacle. Whispers and eyes followed as I searched hopelessly for an exit, lost in a sea of bodies. Two Crimsons stalked toward me, their looks menacing, as if they planned to haul me away themselves.
Loreli caught my attention from the edge of the crowd. Hitching up my skirts, I hurried to her. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the servants’ hall and through a door, then down the stairs.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked, glancing back.
“Not quite,” I said, swallowing the nausea in my throat. “But I learned enough.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure out the rest later.”
Clanging pots and the scent of food hit me with a rush of warmth as we stumbled into the kitchen. Relief washed over me. At least I knew exactly what to do if either of the males tried to follow.
Loreli pulled me forward. A large woman in an apron shouted at us as we slipped around the waitstaff who’d lined up to refill their crystal decanters with blood.
“Where are we going?” I asked, holding my skirt with one hand.
“You can circle back to your wing through the rose garden,” Loreli said as we reached the back door. She gave me a quick hug, then flung it open. “Now run!”