Chapter 57 Antony #2
He and I stand at the same height and build, and, not for the first time, I curse fate that I didn’t see Galla’s betrayal of Cassia in time.
Rohan should have stood at my left hand. For that matter, Victor should have stood on my right. Two formidable warriors I lost because of the schemes of others.
Still, Rohan’s presence doesn’t surprise me, and I’m returning my attention to Thyra when, a moment later, seven of Mother’s lords file into the room, including her golden-haired favorite, Quintus.
Well, fuck.
Thyra hasn’t missed them, but Cassia’s back was turned, and now she glances over her shoulder.
The instantly hard glint in her eyes vanishes when her focus lands on Rohan. It’s painful to see how quickly my sister’s expression wipes clean.
Across the way, Rohan’s expression is also completely blank.
“What do you want to do, brother?” Cassia asks. “Should we abandon the room? Go to my quarters instead? It will be cramped but safe from unwanted observers.”
I haven’t yet released Thyra from the ruby circlet, and I’m glad for that now. Mother doesn’t know the extent of Thyra’s combat skills, and Thyra can’t appear to have any weakness.
I should have anticipated this scenario.
The challenge now will be leaving without any bloodshed.
Reaching back for my axe while keeping the men in my sights, I say, “That depends on—”
“Me,” Thyra says.
She steps into my line of sight so I can see both her and the lords and gives me a smile. Not the smile that slays my heart. This one would shatter ice.
Planting her hands on her hips, she calls, “Hello, boys, have you come to play?”
She crooks her finger at Quintus. “Come on, then, pretty fae. Let’s see if you love the taste of an iron axe cutting across your face.”
Quintus glowers, his high cheekbones appearing sharper as his cheeks flush, but none of them makes a move, not even him.
I relax a little now that Thyra has made it clear they’ll face me if they want a fight, and not her. She can keep her abilities a mystery this way.
Thyra’s eyebrows arch as she seems prepared to dismiss them. “Well then, why don’t you all leave with your limbs attached?”
The moment she speaks, Rohan wrenches away from the wall.
It’s clear he’s supposed to keep his distance when Quintus’s hand snaps out to restrain him.
Rohan rounds on Quintus so fast I barely follow his fist before it smashes across Quintus’s face.
Crack!
Quintus drops to the ground, the other lords rush to him, and Rohan storms toward us, heading directly for Thyra.
At the speed he’s moving, he’ll reach her in seconds.
Thyra barely flinches, but I don’t have time to assess her reaction. My reflexes firing, I step in front of her, drawing my axe and roaring at Rohan, “Don’t come near her, Rohan! Or I fucking swear to the Goddess—”
“No!” Cassia darts past me in a flash, her face pale, fear burning in her eyes.
She knows I’ll kill Rohan if he threatens Thyra.
Cassia launches herself at Rohan, using her smaller size to her full advantage, evading his quick reaction, his evasive action, and using his body as a platform to swing herself up and around his shoulders and neck, knocking him to the ground.
But he’s damn familiar with her moves, because they used to spar together.
Maybe that’s her intention.
He tumbles forward, taking her with him, his arms wrapped around her, near throwing himself to the side so he takes the brunt of the fall.
She’s on top of him for a mere heartbeat before he reverses their position, pinning her down. It looks like he’s got the better of her, but she’s got him in a near deadlock, her arms and legs hooked around all the right limbs to immobilize him, his face above hers, only inches apart.
She’s visibly trembling, the desperation in her eyes tearing at my soul. A raw soul that Thyra has wrenched up from an abyss.
“Rohan.” Cassia’s voice chokes. “Come back to me.”
He’s far too quiet. Too fucking blank.
Then, with a flicker in his eyes—pain or anger, I can’t fucking tell—he leans closer to her, his mouth lowering to her ear.
I can’t hear what he says.
Her eyes widen. Then fill with tears. “No.”
She tightens her hold around him, but he wrenches himself from her grasp like he used to when they’d spar, deftly launching himself to his feet.
Her scream echoes around the room as she lurches up after him. “Rohan!”
My arm is around her in a second, restraining her while Rohan plows toward the lords, all of whom are casting each other glances.
Three of them reach for their swords, although it’s unclear if they intend to attack us or Rohan. Quintus is only beginning to stir, or I imagine he’d be among those spoiling for a fight.
The other four edge toward the door, so I guess Galla’s instructions didn’t cover a situation where Rohan went completely off script.
“We’re leaving,” Rohan snarls at them, focusing on the three who look like they want to fight and, when they hesitate, raising his voice to a roar. “Unless you want your heads caved in, you will leave! Right fucking now.”
That’s all it seems to take. One of the lords who was reaching for his sword abandons his weapon and scoops up Quintus, dragging him out of the room.
Within seconds, they’re all gone.
Thyra rushes to Cassia’s side, wrapping her arms around her.
Cassia’s shoulders are hunched low, her lips trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks.
I’m stunned at how much emotion my sister’s showing.
Dangerous to show it when the Constellation guards who were ‘training’ nearby are now watching us closely. More spies.
I add my arms to Thyra’s, intended to be a consoling gesture until I realize that between us, we’re holding Cassia upright.
The buckling of Cassia’s legs is even more alarming to me than her openly shed tears. “Cassia, what the fuck did Rohan say to you?”
“Mother’s celebration tonight.” Cassia’s eyes are hollow as she turns them up to me, her breathing shallow, rapid, and near-panicked. “Rohan will be her entertainment.”
My jaw clenches so hard my teeth clack. “Fuck.”
The last time Galla made someone her entertainment, she forced more blood onto my hands.
This is what I feared, and it can only be the first of Galla’s many planned strikes tonight.
“She’ll make you do it,” Cassia says. “You won’t have a choice, brother. She’ll withhold her starlight. She’ll let the darkness come. Just like she did last time.”
Thyra takes urgent glances between us, her question hushed. “What’s going on?”
My response is as hollow as Cassia’s eyes. “Galla will make me fight Rohan,” I say. “She’ll make me kill him.”