CHAPTER XV #10
Tadeo doesn’t take a step, doesn’t make any indication that he plans to follow Barnett.
And just as the second soldier goes to round his back, the sound of heavy footsteps start bounding down the hall from behind the double doors.
Tadeo’s eyes widen in fear when the earth below our feet starts to rumble, a full look of dread taking over his features as he hastily takes a step away from me.
This can’t be happening.
The Prince walks onto the steps of the castle with commanding lethality, the look on his face something I never wish to see again.
He’s cold and calculated, the angles of his Discerni features sharp and calm as his brown eyes instantly find mine.
His gaze quickly dips down to my skirt that is misplaced against my legs, almost as if knowing exactly what has taken place.
He then looks back up to my disheveled hair and my heavy breathing, his face giving nothing away as he takes in the dagger in my hand that is now starting to tremble.
Keane takes a silent step forward and moves his cold gaze to Tadeo, eyes darting to the blood running down his nose and the small slash I made against his neck. He quietly walks over to stand next to Barnett, ignoring the Lord’s fearful glare on him.
“What happened?” he asks without emotion.
More sets of feet bound out of the hall as I turn to look past the Prince and Barnett.
Cal and Desmond run through the double doors, both of them stopping at the steps to look around at the situation.
Desmond frowns at the sight and immediately walks over to stand next to Keane, while Cal turns his head to the side, grimacing as Holis, Mana and Alanna run through the doors as well.
“Barnett,” the Prince asks again, eyes never leaving Tadeo’s.
Barnett narrows his eyes on the Lord in answer, “Lord Tadeo made unwanted advances towards Lady Alexis, Your Highness.”
My heart stills in my chest.
This can’t be happening.
Prince Keane remains cool and collected, his voice hard, “do you deny this, Lord Tadeo?”
“I do,” Tadeo responds, wiping his nose of blood, “nothing was unwanted, Your Highness. Just a misunderstanding.”
My hand grips the dagger in my hand tighter. “Liar.”
Tadeo looks back at me and smirks. Smirks. He drops his gaze to the blade in my hand, continuing in challenge, “she threatened the use of green agate against me. A human girl with her easy temper should not be allowed to wield such a weapon.”
A few of the Discerni in the crowd shift on their feet as Tadeo gives another wicked smile.
“A human threatened me with a life-ending weapon,” he tells the crowd directly, “this goes against the Old World rule!”
Keane’s eyes are still hard and fastened on Tadeo, his gaze staring at the curved smile on the Lord’s lips.
“Barnett?” the Prince asks coolly.
Barnett’s gorgeous hazel eyes turn to me with sadness before he nods. “It’s true.”
The small crowd gathered around us quiets in an instant.
I look again towards Cal, meeting my friend’s gaze as he shakes his head.
He’s silently telling me not to do anything rash, though the look on Alanna’s cool grey eyes standing next to him is telling me that she meets my animosity towards the Lord.
A loud caw pierces the sky from the small woods beyond the stables, drawing the crowd’s attention as Stormfall glides over with his yellow eyes glowing in the night.
I exhale a breath of relief and watch as the edge of Storm’s wing brushes aggressively against the Lord’s cheek before he lands proudly on my shoulder.
“Lady Alexis,” the Prince says my name in demand.
I give Tadeo another glare before turning to Keane, my dagger still in hand.
“Do you deny threatening the life of Lord Tadeo?” he asks coolly, brown eyes holding mine with his Discerni indifference.
“I do not,” I reply straight, speaking both to him and the crowd. Stormfall stretches his wings behind my back as I continue.
“And I will continue to do so without hesitation if he ever lays his hand on me again.”
Keane’s eyes burn in approval as the crowd behind him shifts again, considering my words.
“Her use of force is justified,” Desmond tells his brother quietly.
Barnett nods his head in silent agreement.
“I demand she be stripped of all green agate!” Lord Tadeo looks directly at the Prince, “her actions violate the Old World rule.”
“And your actions violate the common decency shared between those people who walk the same World,” I turn to glare at him.
A few Discerni in the crowd murmur as I hold back a scoff.
The Old World rule he speaks of is archaic, born from Aireal and the aftermath of stripping the Kingdom of magic.
It demands that no human be allowed to retaliate against a magical being in a life-threatening way.
Hence, why Cal and I kept our trainings secret.
Because green agate is the only stone known throughout the Four Kingdoms that can end magical life…
pierce a Discerni with metal or wood and they’ll heal within a day, but pierce them with green agate and the healing properties that run in their blood won’t do a single thing to help.
They’re as wounded as any other human might be.
Keane takes a strong step forward and speaks for everyone to hear.
“While I do not agree with the Ancient Rule and think it is has extended far past its time, it is still the law of the Old World. Lady Alexis will forfeit all green agate weapons when present in Gaumond, beginning tonight.”
Tadeo smiles next to me as I take a step towards the Prince in anger.
“You will leave me defenseless should this happen again?”
Keane turns to me with the coldest eyes I’ve ever seen.
“It will never happen again, Lady Alexis.”
“I will not-”
“-Alex,” Cal calls my name quietly, shaking his head once again. I look back at him in genuine astonishment, not understanding why he’s okay with me being defenseless.
“Which hand,” Keane asks coolly.
“What?” I look back in confusion.
“Which hand, Lady Alexis…”
I blanche in embarrassment, closing my mouth in defiance as realization dawns on me what he’s asking. Tadeo shifts uncomfortably at our side as everything and everyone becomes tense and quiet.
“Lady Alexis,” Desmond looks at me directly, “the Prince asked you a question.”
No.
Don’t make me say it.
I had this handled. I had Tadeo cornered with my blade.
The brothers watch me silently, expecting, and I know that this night will go nowhere until I tell Keane what he wants to hear. The whisper barely escapes my lips as I glance away from Keane in shame.
“Right.”
“Prince Desmond,” Keane replies with an edge in his voice, “escort Lady Alexis to my quarters and strip her of all green agate.”
Desmond takes a hard step in my direction, his gaze warning me not to challenge him. He reaches for my arm but I pull away from his grip, stalking straight past him and leaving Lord Tadeo and Keane behind.
“You will be stripped of your title in Backer, Tadeo,” I hear Keane state as the ground below us begins to rumble again, “you are no longer welcomed in the Court of Warriors. We tolerate no unwanted advances on any being here. Human, magical, male or female…”
The ground starts to shake violently as Desmond pushes us through the crowd and away from the two Discerni. He reaches for my arm again and walks us past my regular traveling crew, all of their eyes narrowed on the Prince over my shoulder and whatever is happening behind us.
I stop in my tracks at the double doors and see Desmond scowl in annoyance. His grip on my arm tightens but he lets me turn around, both of our glances falling on Keane as he stands tall and commanding before his Lord with his palms pointed down to the black granite below him.
Lord Tadeo trembles before Keane with an intense look of hatred and takes an involuntary step back.
The ground around the castle starts to move, and I watch as, with a flick of his hand, the Prince summons the dark stone below him.
The ground reaches out sharp and fast in the shape of a broadsword as Keane catches it with ease.
He slices down on Lord Tadeo’s right hand without any hesitation, his wrist cleanly falling off within a blink.
My heart stops in my chest at the sight.
My feet stutter below me. Desmond catches me at the waist before I can fall to the ground, his muscular arms helping me up just as Keane turns around with a dark look on his face.
Lord Tadeo falls to his knees behind him and screams in agony, his left hand gripping his right arm where now only a stump remains.
I feel Desmond start to push me forward again, his steady hold leading me through the double doors as Keane meets my gaze with an absolute coldness that rattles my bones.
It’s the last thing I see before I’m ushered away from the crowd and into the castle.
It’s him.
Fucking Ancients.
It’s him.
My body starts to tremble as I’m pulled through various halls, my mind racing in a single direction.
“The Shadow Oak,” I whisper violently as Desmond leads us up a twisting set of stairs, “it’s him.”
“Yes,” the Master Informer replies quietly.
I stumble on a step as my eyes go wide in realization…
Keane doesn’t have any weapons on him because the whole damn earth is his weapon.
My legs give way at the thought. I start to tumble again but a new pair of hands, strong hands, his hands, catch me in my fall. Keane lifts me up from behind and twists me in his arms, his steady hands guiding my legs around his hips as I bury myself deep into his neck.
“Have the men escort Tadeo to the gate with his belongings,” Keane says to Desmond as he walks us up the stairs, “and send Golem up. Nothing changes, brother. We leave tomorrow morning.”
The Prince grips me tight and moves us into a dimly lit hall. I feel his hand flick to something behind my back and a moment later we’re entering a cool room, Stormfall quickly pushing off my shoulder to fly away.