Page 29 of Knight’s Retribution

Her jaw felt weird, wrong. She was pretty sure it was broken.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” he all but screamed. “The knight? You still love that piece of fucking shit, don’t you?”

Kyler didn’t move, didn’t respond.

He leaned back in, and she flinched when he gently touched her face, his mood dramatically shifting again. “It’s not your fault, my precious one. It’s not. I need to remember that, don’t I?” He wiped away the blood when more dripped down her chin. “Fate fucked with you. They made you believe he was the one you were destined for, but they were wrong. You are here with me, where he can never reach you again.” His yellow eyes flashed. “I’m right, my darling, you just need to believe me. You need to let the knight go. You know he’s never coming for you, don’t you?” He brushed his knuckles down her swollen face. “Once you gain your powers, everything will be different. You’ll see. Time moves slower down here, and that would have delayed your transition, but it will happen. Things will be different then; you’ll be more, so much more. I can feel it. You’re so strong, the perfect queen to stand behind me.”

He’d been talking about her “powers” since they brought her here. She hadn’t seen or felt any sign of them.

He gazed down at her for several long minutes. “I don’t like looking at you like this. I want you back the way you were.” His hand came up and rubbed at the center of his chest. “I don’t understand it, but I can’t…I can’t look at you like this.”

He was unhinged, unpredictable, but worse, delusional. He believed what he wanted to believe and acted accordingly.

“I could heal you myself right now, but then you might try to run from me again, so instead I’ll send for the healer. You’ll be restored in a couple of days. I’m going to give you that time to think about what you did and how you will do things differently when I return.” His hand brushed over her hair again. “Just a couple of days, some time apart, then we can start again, can’t we?” His gaze moved over her. “You’ve bewitched me, Kyler. You…confuse me, you frustrate me. I want to hurt you for making me feel this way, but seeing you like this it…distresses me. You mustn’t defy me anymore, you can’t do that.”

Was he actually feeling guilty for all the times he’d been the one to hurt her? Was it possible? It was almost like he was running from her, and from the feelings he was struggling to understand.

“When I return, you’ll show me how much you missed me, how much you love me, and all will be well.”

When she didn’t respond, his icy hand moved to her bruised throat. For once he didn’t squeeze but instead brushed it gently with his thumb.

“Do you understand?”

There was no way he could think she would miss him. God, he wanted her to lie to him again, didn’t he? To go back to the way it was while she pretended to have feelings for him?

“Y-yes,” she choked out, attempting to make an actual word and failing miserably.

“Good.” Diemos walked to the door. “Heal, my darling, and I’ll see you in two days.”

The door closed quietly behind him.

Kyler didn’t know how long she lay there before the knock finally came. She was pretty sure she’d been slipping in and out of consciousness since Diemos left.

The soft snick of the door closing came next, followed by a low cry. “Kyler?” Gentle hands brushed her hair back from her face. “Oh god,” Scarlet said as she crouched by the bed.

Kyler couldn’t move, only managing to blink at her friend.

“I’ll be right back.” Scarlet rushed to the bathroom and returned with several towels, laying them around her, pressing them carefully under her so the liquid in her healing bowl wouldn’t soak the sheets.

Kyler knew the drill, they’d done this many times before.

“I’m so sorry. Diemos doubled your guard and there was no way we could get to you.” She started pouring the healing liquid over Kyler, emptying the bowl, then righting it so it could refill all on its own like magic. The relief was instant. Scarlet grabbed the glass by the bed and poured a little inside. “Drink this. It seems to heal broken bones and internal injuries far quicker if you drink it.”

But Kyler couldn’t drink, not with her jaw all messed up. Scarlet quickly worked this out and gently poured some directly into her mouth, while Kyler did her best to get some down, swallowing convulsively.

“When is he due back, Ky?”

Kyler curled back her fingers, the only part of her that wasn’t battered and bruised, showing Scarlet two.

“Hours?”

She did it again.

“Days?”

“Mmm.”

Scarlet’s eyes grew sharp. “It’s only a small window, but it’s enough. We’re going to get you out of here tomorrow. You’re too injured to move right now, and we need time to plan…”