Page 145 of Death of a Mortal

Game on.

They’d awoken the beast, so I guessed itwasfair now, I thought with a smile. Their shouts of fear were deeply satisfying. I didn’t want to kill them—not yet—I wanted to toy with them first, to give them a taste of their own medicine.

I freed my hands from the rope easily and reached up to pull the sack off my head, and what I saw sent a pang through my raging heart. I didn’t know two of the males suspended before me, but the third was the young one from the blacksmith’s. His face was full of so much hatred.

I didn’t want to hurt him. He was just scared. I’d seen it in his face at the blacksmith’s too.

But fifteen was close enough to be a man—a male, in his case—and he came here tonight. He probably delivered a few kicks that now had aches blooming across my body. He deserved the same as the other two.

Gods, the warring thoughts were making my head spin.

Before I could do or think anything else, another voice joined the mix from behind me.

“Naci! Put them down!”

Drayce.

“They blinded me, bound me, beat me! They deserve this!” My voice was hysterical and terrifying. I barely recognized it as mine.

Drayce stepped in front of me, inches from my face, and took up my entire plane of sight. “And I will make them pay for what they’ve done. But let me do that. Don’t become what they fear you are. You are not a monster. You are in control.” His eyes softened, searching my face. “Come back to me, Naci.”

His words gave both the beast and me pause.

Come back to me, Naci, he’d said.

I lowered my eyes to find his golden glow was pulsing frantically,red and black swirling at the edges. I couldn’t tell what magic he used, or what I was seeing.

“Eyes on mine, Naci. Listen to my voice. These assholes deserve punishment, but you don’t deserve to bear the burden of giving it.”

I heard more boot steps approaching behind me, but Drayce just looked over my shoulder and held up a hand, telling them to stop.

“But I want to give it!” Black tinted my vision.

“No, you don’t. I know you don’t.”

The incessant pulse behind my anger slowed.

I shook my head, trying to decouple my honest thoughts from those influenced by the beast’s rage. I swore I heard the thing laugh in the recesses of my mind.

My face hurt so badly, hot blood still dripping down my cheek and nose. Drayce’s jaw was clenched, and I swore his honey eyes were turning black.

He was angry. So very angry. Gods, I didn’t want him to be angry at me.

With a deep breath, I pulled the shadows back into my heart. I didn’t know how. There was no conscious thought behind it, it just…happened. I heard the three attackers fall to the ground behind Drayce, but his eyes never left mine.

“Leave.”

They didn’t hesitate. They scattered.

“I’ll deal with them later, I promise. But right now, I need you to focus on me.”

His hand came up to cup my nonbroken cheek, shocking me with the intimacy and gentleness. I closed my eyes to his touch and felt the final clutches of shadow recede from my veins, leaving me to collapse in pain and exhaustion, feeling every kick that had been bestowed on my bruised body.

Drayce caught me before I hit the ground and lifted me into his arms. Clutched to his chest, I could feel him shaking, but his steps were steady.

I wasn’t sure where he was taking me, but prickling tears pouredfrom my eyes. There was no fight left in me, not even to protest the closeness.

“They all hate me here,” I said.