Chapter 34 Tensions Rise #2
His head whipped to the side, a surprised gasp flying from his lips.
I wasted no time curling the same fingers that just slapped him as I tore them back across his face in a raking motion.
My sharp nails left bright red marks behind on his otherwise perfect complexion, and a pang of guilt stabbed through my gut.
Landon’s face was the one spot where those fuckers didn’t mar his skin with lash marks.
Now, I was the reason he had angry red lines rising on his light brown skin.
Focus, Seera. Be who you were always meant to be. Be the Serpent Queen.
My hand shot out, wrapping around Landon’s throat as I moved to his side and readied myself to do a side kick straight to the back of his knee. Executing the maneuver perfectly, I released his neck as his knees crashed into the mat and dug my stiletto into the soft flesh behind his knee.
My bodyguard’s anguished yelp fueled me as I planted my foot, spinning on the ball of it as I landed a sharp crescent kick straight across his face.
Time for the grand finale.
I landed behind Landon, who was still in shock as his head whipped to the side from the force of my kick.
I leaned down, wrapping my right arm around his neck, essentially putting him in a chokehold.
Bending him backward on my knee so I could see his eyes, I unsheathed the dagger strapped around my left thigh and pressed it against his throat.
“Do you concede?” I glanced down my nose at him.
My bodyguard’s gaze flicked to my weapon, then slowly rose to meet my eyes.
I bit back my surprise at the look he cast me, right as a waft of cinnamon tickled my nose.
Landon’s anger shone brightly in his eyes, but this was the first time he ever looked at me with such . . . disdain.
After what felt like an eternity, he spoke through gritted teeth. “I concede.”
I waited another second before releasing my dagger from his throat. I shoved him forward to collapse onto his hands and knees before sheathing it back into the holster around my thigh. A booming clap split through the stifling air, making me whip my head to find the source of such a jarring sound.
The Serpent King stood next to his mother near the edge of the training ring, still loudly bringing his hands together all the while tossing me a conspiring grin.
My attention split between the two of them, not missing how Adalina was watching me with an intensity that made the hairs on my neck rise.
She dipped her head in acknowledgment of my victory, but I didn’t miss the way her jaw ticked.
She was not happy I triumphed in the match.
So, I did what I naturally would do when anyone dared underestimate me. I gave her a grand smile and a petty little wave, my fingers gently fluttering in her direction.
The last thing I saw was her lips tightening so hard they turned white, before the king blocked my line of sight.
He gave me a smile so charming that I had to remind myself I was supposed to hate the man who broke my heart, not feel . . . whatever was stirring within my core at the way his elongated canines flashed a blinding white against the sun.
“I now see why your people view you as such a brutal queen.”
A few days ago, I’d marvel at such a glowing compliment; yet, today, the king’s words felt more like an insult—like something I should not be proud of.
How odd.
My brows pinched at the revolting thoughts penetrating my mind, but I couldn’t think deeper on it since Landon flanked my right side, bringing with him another waft of cinnamon.
He gained his composure enough to stand tall while glaring daggers at the Serpent King. The king cocked his head at Landon, looking at my bodyguard like was merely a small mouse he was about to enjoy devouring.
“Since you got your ass handed to you by your queen,” he said the last word tauntingly.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I stole her for the rest of the afternoon?
Should give you plenty of time to rest up and ice your ego.
” He slapped a hand against Landon’s shoulder, a gesture that friends would do to one another, but this was far too rough to be considered a friendly gesture.
My bodyguard’s jaw ticked, his knuckles turning bone white with how tightly he fisted them around the hilt of his sword, which was now sheathed at his hip as usual.
“She is all yours.” Landon cast me another look of contempt, but, this time, there was also something else shining in the depths of his blue eyes.
I quickly sniffed the air, and, sure enough, two scents danced around my bodyguard. I easily detected the smell of cinnamon, signifying his anger, but I was surprised to gather a strong whiff of jasmine permeating off him.
Landon’s hurt lingered in my lungs as he stormed away.
I’ve bested him in other matches, so why did this particular fight bother him so much?
I was still gazing after my bodyguard when the king spun to stand at my side. He followed my gaze, and I could tell he was grinning without even blinking in his direction.
“Trouble in paradise?” he lazily drawled, clearly enjoying annoying me as much as I enjoyed pestering him.
I didn’t take his bait, the only indication of my foul mood was my pinched brows and deep frown as I watched Adalina trail beside Landon back into the palace. Right before they passed through the archway, I watched her delicately brush her hand against his cheek—the cheek I cut during our fight.
She was doting on him like one of those desperate prostitutes in the Hook District of my Queendom. Actually, better yet, I bet the prostitutes there acted more discreet than this frivolous god.
“You really need to learn how to manage that temper of yours.” The king’s deep voice made me flinch, as I nearly forgot he was lingering nearby.
“What?” I turned my attention toward him.
His eyebrows rose as he nodded to my side, and my gaze trailed down to see what he was referring to.
My hand was trembling against my side, slapping against my thigh with how furiously it shook.
I balled it into a fist, willing the anger storming within me to dissipate with the soft wind that was whipping loose strands of hair around my face.
“Are you going to continue to stand here and give me unsolicited life advice, or are you going to finally train me like you said?” I crossed my arms over my chest, in an attempt to hide my trembling hands from the pest.
“This is actually a great segue into today’s lesson.
The first step to tapping into your full magical abilities is facing your emotions head on.
” The king crossed his arms, causing his black short sleeve button-up to tighten around his chest and biceps.
I quickly forced my gaze away from his defined muscles, from the way they made me think of earlier when I had my fingers between my thighs.
“Wait, what did you just say?” I glared at him as his words finally sunk in.
Doubt flickered in his eyes, but it quickly shifted back into a wicked glint. “Your emotions control your powers.”
I took a menacing step toward him. “Then why the fuck did you take away my emotions during our bargain?”
The king’s lips parted, his confident facade slipping once more. “Seera, I can explain.”
“I suggest you do so quickly, before I break your nose for a third time.” My fist trembled with a flurry of anger as I raised it in front of me.
His eyes shot down to my tightly curled fingers, then rose to meet my eyes. Smoke rolled off the king in such intense waves I nearly fell into another coughing fit, but I swallowed his regret.
He would not fool me with false emotions. He would not weaken me again.
“Seera, I wanted to spare you from certain feelings, from the ones you begged me to rid you of. I had to take them away. You wanted me to do so in exchange for my power, remember?” His eyes were silently pleading for me to understand.
“I remember, yet what I don’t recall is you telling me I’d not be able to access the well of power inside me after rendering my emotions to you.”
The king winced. “It’s complicated. You—you felt so much. I thought I was doing you a favor by taking those emotions away, but I did leave you with some feelings so you could access your power.”
I was so furious at the Serpent King for keeping this from me, but I had one burning question I constantly wondered about for decades . . .
“Why—” I cleared my throat and the emotions that perpetually loved to knot at the back of my throat. “Why did you leave me with one emotion? Why not take it all away? Why did you leave me so fucking angry, all the damn time?” I hated how my voice shook on my last words.
His eyes dipped to my balled fists, to the way they quaked with fury, and he looked utterly devastated when he glanced back at me.
“Isn’t it better to feel anger, than nothing at all?” he whispered, the wind stirring around us swiftly swallowing his words.
I wished it swallowed them before I could hear them, for I didn’t like the fact he thought he was doing me a favor by letting me retain the emotion of anger.
“You had no right to make that decision for me. You tricked me!”
My words hit their intended mark as I watched the fight flee from the king’s once bright eyes.
“Seera . . .” He said my name like he had a dagger buried in his chest, like it was his last dying plea. “I was trying to save you. You were drowning in your feelings. Please, you have to understand that I only wanted to ease your pain.”
I held my hand up, stopping his pitiful advance toward me.
I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at me.
I swore to never allow him back in, yet here he was confessing his sins to me. He was begging for forgiveness in his own indirect, fucked up way.
I had to rebuild the wall between us, the one we so carefully crafted over the years, before it completely crumbled.
“That’s enough. Are you going to hold true to your word of training me, or are all your promises shallow, petty lies?”
He stepped back, his chest rising with each hateful word I shot at him. Slowly, he closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath.
“You aren’t going to like this.” His eyes opened, immediately locking onto mine.
“Try me.” I closed the remaining sliver of space separating us with one stride, making my breasts slightly graze against his chest.
This was familiar, this tension between us safe. As long as we didn’t step into uncharted territory of sharing secret truths, we might make it out of this mission unscathed.
Perhaps, I’d survive the Serpent King’s charm this go around.
He bit his bottom lip when my body grazed against his, his eyes devouring the sight of my body pressed against his. When he looked at me through heavy lashes, I noticed how dark his eyes were, and they were not darkened by desire.
No, this was a darkness unlike anything I’d encountered before.
The king’s eyes faded into a shade as dark as the stone mountain he resided in. His pupils flashed from black to gold, stretching from a round shape to thin vertical slits.
“I suggest you start running.”
Those were his last words before the ground beneath me quaked and a burst of golden light flashed, temporarily blinding me.
A deep hiss split through the air, giving me all the fuel I needed to spin on my heel and run.