25. Bad Blood

Chapter 25

Bad Blood

Not surprisingly, I woke first.

I crawled out of bed, content to leave Nylian to catch up on some much-needed sleep, and dressed quickly. I eased out of our bedroom and went in search of a servant who could get me a broom I could use to clean up the glass on the floor, and maybe something to eat.

Sure, I could send the servant in with the broom, but Nylian was naked in bed, and I didn't want anyone else in the room with him while he slept. Yep, all that elf hotness was mine, and it was gonna stay that way. We'd pitched the idea of the harem out the window, and I was staking a claim on that sexy man.

We were definitely in screw-the-book territory now.

Unfortunately, I didn't find a servant because Captain Elion found me first.

"His Grace requests your attendance on a matter," the man said without an ounce of warmth.

An icy chill swept through me and I nodded, motioning for the captain to precede me. I didn't like this. A meeting alone with Nylian's uncle seemed like a terrible idea. With any luck, he was going to question my intentions toward his nephew, and I would have to reassure him I wasn't some evil, scheming douchebag who wanted to hurt Nylian.

But instead of going to the study or a library for a chat before a fire over some whiskey or tea, Captain Elion led me outside to the main courtyard in front of the castle, where the black sky was still turning gray with the rising sun. The area was silent, lit by a handful of flickering torches. A few servants hurried here and there, going about their early-morning chores with their heads down. There was a bite to the air as we left the last bits of summer behind. If we had been camping, I imagine I would have woken to see wispy white mist winding between the trees.

There was no mist. Just the duke standing alone in the middle of the courtyard with his sword clenched in his right fist.

My stomach dropped and my steps slowed as I approached the duke dressed all in black. His long white hair was pulled away from his face to reveal a cold hardness that rivaled the darkest winter night.

"You wanted to see me, Your Grace," I greeted as calmly as I could manage.

"I challenge you, Prince Victor Montcroix. Prove yourself and your honorable intentions toward Prince Xeran Elrich."

My mouth went dry, and I stumbled back a step. "What?" Movement to my left jerked my attention over to see Captain Elion bringing me a sword. He was fucking serious. He wanted to fight me.

"I don't understand. How is a duel going to prove that my intentions are honorable? It's a matter of who's the better swordsman. I could beat you and still be dishonorable."

"That true, but we both know that you won't beat me." A razor-sharp half smile lifted one corner of Thallan's mouth and, for a flash, I thought he bore a small resemblance to Nylian. Particularly that night I'd admitted I wasn't Victor Montcroix. But the similarity disappeared in a flash as the captain held the sword out to me. "Pick up the weapon. Prove you're worthy to stand next to my nephew."

A fine trembling ran through my right hand as I reached out and wrapped my fingers around the hilt. I hefted the sword, testing its weight. It was lighter than the sword I practiced with. It was closer to what Nylian used, which meant that I had more speed at my fingertips but less power.

Not that it was going to make much difference.

As soon as Captain Elion took two steps away from me, the duke charged. I barely had enough time to raise the sword to block his first few strikes. The ring of metal clashing with metal echoed through the early-morning silence, piercing my ears while my heart hammered wildly.

I kept up with him for a few blows, but the fourth slashed across my upper arm, slicing through cloth and flesh. A hiss of pain shot out between clenched teeth and I sidestepped, putting some much needed distance between us so I could regather my fragmented focus.

Thallan had me painfully outmatched. I'd been studying the art of swordplay for a couple of weeks while the man in front of me had been wielding a sword for a lifetime. There was no way I could survive this fight. I only hoped to buy time for Nylian to save me or to talk my way out of this mess.

While I was still attempting to figure out how I could convince him not to kill me, Thallan stepped up again and unleashed yet another attack. I parried five strikes this time before his blade slashed across my thigh. A cry of pain jumped from my throat as sharp, hot pain lanced through me. I tried to stumble away, but Thallan kicked out, catching me right behind the knee of my newly wounded leg. I crashed to the ground hard, nearly losing the sword. Bones jarred and complained as I hit the stones.

"Pathetic," Thallan spat. "I expected more from Prince Victor. The man who dreams of being the scourge of Wolfrest."

Yeah, I was giving Victor a bad name with my performance today. I was sure the real man had been studying swordplay since he could first walk. He would have been a fair match for Thallan, but I wasn't him. I was just a poor imitation.

But the one place I could improve on Victor was to move him away from his reputation of being a hate-filled warmonger.

"Wolfrest and Edros have fought countless wars. Both sides have lost people and land. I thought—" I stopped to catch my breath against the swell of pain in my arm and leg. "I thought to regain the honor of my kingdom I would need to conquer Wolfrest, but…I was wrong. That was a child's logic. The only way for a kingdom to gain honor is to care for her people and protect them. Not by seeking the pain of another who could one day be an ally." I gasped and pushed myself to my feet while favoring my injured left leg. "Thankfully, my older brother is smarter than me and learned that lesson much sooner. He's going to make a much wiser king than I ever could."

When I lifted my eyes to the duke, his brow was furrowed and some of the deep lines around his eyes had eased. That wasn't the response he'd been expecting from me.

After a couple of seconds, he shook his head as if he were dislodging some thoughts and marched toward me, sword raised. "I don't trust you."

"Of course not," I replied through clenched teeth as I blocked blows aimed at my chest. "Trust is won by actions, not words."

I did better this round, coming out with another minor cut on my other arm. It was harder to backpedal as the pain in my left leg made it nearly impossible for it to support my weight.

"As for what you said earlier, about being worthy of Prince Xeran," I continued, narrowing my gaze on the man who seemed to grow more conflicted the longer I ran my mouth. "There is no one worthy of Prince Xeran Elrich. He's too good, too kind, too honorable for anyone in this world. I know I don't deserve to stand next to him. No one does. The best I can do is stand in his shadow and be ready to support and protect him when he needs me."

That didn't work.

Duke Thallan snarled and charged, sword swinging too fast for me to block every strike. I stumbled, just trying to stay alive as the clang and scrape of our blades filled the air. Cold sweat trickled down the side of my face while blood soaked my shirt and pants. The heel of my boot caught on an uneven stone. As I tumbled, the point of the duke's sword slashed across my stomach. Pain exploded through the torn flesh, blotting out any pain I might have felt at hitting the cold, unyielding stones.

My sword clattered to the ground as it slipped from my fingertips and I pressed my left hand into my stomach to staunch the bleeding. When I looked up, I found the duke standing over me, his sword pointed at my face and his expression so very cold.

I was going to die.

There were no words to save me this time. No funny distractions.

The physical pain receded a little under the weight of the sadness that choked my heart. This was going to crush Nylian. He would never forgive his uncle for killing me, shattering their family even more. He didn't deserve this.

Duke Thallan turned his head and spat at my feet. "Pathetic. How can you hope to protect my nephew when you can't even protect yourself? I'll give you this one chance—leave now and never seek him out. If you stay, I will kill you."

It started as my shoulders shaking. I pressed my lips together and shook my head, but it was too late. High-pitched, and maybe even slightly crazed, laughter broke from my lips and hammered the duke. The laughter gripped my entire body, doubling the pain, but I couldn't stop.

"Then…then you're going to have to kill me," I panted as I tried to get the last of my giggles under control. "Because forcing me to walk away from Xeran is sentencing me to death. I'd rather be dead than live a life without him." I sucked in a ragged breath between clenched teeth and called on what strength I had left to shout, "Prince Xeran Elrich is mine , and I dare you to steal him from me!"

"So be it!"

The duke lifted his sword, preparing to swing it to remove my head from my neck, and I held his gaze, refusing to look away. But I didn't see him in those last heartbeats. I could only see Nylian's smiling face as I mentally repeated, over and over again, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry I wasn't smart enough. I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry I left you too soon.

The sword sliced downward but never touched me. Something flashed through the air and deflected it with a loud metal ting. The duke backpedaled, his head jerking up to stare past me with eyes wide. There were soft footsteps rushing toward us. I blinked as someone snatched up my sword with a loud scrape. In the next second, Nylian stood between me and the duke, his borrowed sword flashing through the air as he hammered at his stunned uncle. The duke was just barely managing to block each of Nylian's ruthless attacks.

"No! Stop!" I wheezed. I lunged forward, trying to grab for Nylian, but I missed and would have fallen over if not for the hands that caught me. I looked up to find Adeline and Jasper on either side of me.

"Are you okay?" Adeline demanded, appearing as if she were torn between helping me and taking out Thallan as well.

"I'll be fine. We need to stop this," I gritted out. With their help, I sat upright and shouted. "Nylian! Stop this! I'm okay. Don't kill him!"

Almost like I'd bellowed a magic spell, Nylian stopped attacking his uncle, who was breathing heavily and pale. The prince stared at the duke and then threw aside the sword as if the thing were tainted.

Without saying a word, Nylian marched over and kneeled beside me. His careful hands flitted over my body, checking each of the wounds, his expression growing grimmer. I was afraid he'd go after his uncle again, so I captured his hand and squeezed, forcing him to meet my eyes.

"What were you thinking?" Nylian snarled, but I didn't miss the tremor of fear in his words.

"He challenged me. What was I supposed to do?"

"You tell him to fuck off! You tell him to mind his own business," Nylian snapped. He looked like he wanted to shake some sense into me, but he made do with brushing some sweaty hair away from my forehead.

A smile twitched and formed before I could catch it. "Sorry. I didn't know that was an option."

"Nephew, get away from him!" The duke's order cut through our little moment. "He claims he wants to protect you, but the man can't even protect himself. He's beneath you. This man has said to all who would listen that he wishes to destroy our family and crush our people in war."

"Wow. This asshole has a serious death wish," Adeline muttered, and I couldn't agree more with her. "Nylian, if you don't kill this guy, I'm going to."

"Yeah," Jasper chimed in. "I think I remember that spell that turned those men in Riverhold into ducks."

Okay, while it was touching, they were not helping.

The softness that had wormed its way into Nylian's eyes disappeared as his gaze hardened and his expression turned cold. He rose and turned toward his uncle, but I caught his ankle this time, keeping him from attacking the duke. Yes, Thallan was taking the express straight to pain town, but I couldn't let Nylian kill his uncle. He'd regret it eventually, and he was dealing with enough family problems already.

"This is not the man you've heard about. He has changed, grown in our time together. He's become even greater than that old shadow people cling to. And while Adam might not be skilled at using a sword, he has other abilities. I don't keep him at my side because I need his protection," Nylian bit out, which only earned him a confused look on the duke's face.

I gave an overly loud fake cough and said, "Victor," then followed it up with another cough.

Nylian groaned. "Whatever. This man is worth more to me than all of Wolfrest's soldiers. In the weeks we've known each other, he has cared for me, respected me, and supported me more than a lifetime of servants, so-called friends, and even my family. Doubt him and his integrity all you want, but doing so means you also doubt me. And if you want to harm a single hair on his head, you're going to have to kill me first."

"Xeran—"

The duke started to argue, but Nylian cut him off with a sharp slice of his hand through the air as if he were holding a sword.

"I love him, and nothing you ever do or say will change that," Nylian declared in a loud, ringing voice.

A gasp jumped from my parted lips. It was like the duke's sword had pierced me yet again, but this time through the heart. I couldn't breathe, couldn't even think.

He loved me.

Nylian actually loved me.

Was he serious?

My brain was still trying to turn on when Nylian kneeled in front of me, his warm hand cupping my cheek. "Let's get you inside. We'll summon the healers to get you fixed up, and then we're leaving."

I didn't have time to reply. The chipmunk hiding in Jasper's hair jumped down and scampered over to stand between us and the duke, who was still standing several feet away, not saying a word. A litany of angry chirps and squeaks erupted from the chipmunk in what I could only guess was a diatribe in my defense. At least, I hoped it was. His tiny body trembled in his rage, and it was amusing until tiny sparks appeared in the air around the chipmunk.

Holy shit, the wizard trapped in a chipmunk's body could still use magic! This was bad.

"Master Binx, it's okay! Let's go back to the castle," I called out. My head whipped toward Jasper, who was staring openmouthed at his would-be mentor, and I whispered, "Go pick him up. This world can't handle a spell-casting chipmunk."

Jasper hurried over and scooped up the chipmunk, murmuring reassurances to him the entire time, while Adeline and Nylian helped me to my feet. I slung an arm across Nylian's shoulders and leaned on him while we made the long trek to the room.

"Are you sure I can't kick his ass?" Adeline asked.

"No, let it go. I appreciate you coming to my defense, but I think it's best if we forget about this and move on," I said.

"Fine, but you're not off the hook with me, buster," she threatened, sticking one finger in my face. "You've still got to answer for this stupidity." She dropped her hand and sniffed. "But I don't pick on the wounded."

"Thanks for the warning," I muttered.

We were silent the rest of the way to the room. By the time Nylian had me stretched out on our bed, there were three healers anxiously hovering nearby, ready to descend on me. With minimal fuss, they closed up wounds—of which only two needed stitches—applied that magical goo that was good for more than just lube, and applied bandages. The entire time, Nylian stood next to the bed, his arms folded over his chest, glaring at the healers as if daring them to cause me a single moment of pain as they worked.

When the door closed and we were alone at last, I held out my hand to him. "Stop scowling. Your face is going to get stuck like that."

He took my hand in both of his and pressed his lips to my knuckles as he sat on the edge of the bed. For a long time, he simply held my hand with his eyes closed. My heart broke for him. I'd never wanted to scare him like that or have him suffer such pain at the hands of his own family. Coming to Blackscar had dealt him too much pain for a tiny glimmer of hope.

But I didn't want him dwelling on what could have happened or the betrayal he was likely feeling thanks to Thallan. I was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Were you able to avoid the glass when you got dressed?" I inquired.

Nylian's eyes flicked open, and I thought he was going to strangle me. "That's all you have to say to me? You're worried about the glass on the floor?"

I licked my lips and swallowed against the growing tightness in my throat. "Did you mean what you said to your uncle?"

Nylian's fingers tightened around mine, and his voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "I meant every word."

"Do you really love me?" I choked out, blinking away stupid tears that were blurring my view of his perfect face.

Finally, he smiled. "I love you with everything that I am."

"I love you too. So much," I sobbed. With the smallest pull, Nylian crashed into me, the all-consuming kiss wiping all the pains in my body so that there was only this man who'd claimed my heart. He lifted his lips from mine to kiss away the tears that escaped and along my jaw.

"Don't worry, precious one. No one is going to steal me away from you."

And I believed him.