The Raven Lord | Book I

XIV. The Forest

Lex

Bone crunched under my fist, spraying scarlet blood. His nose. I slammed the man down against the wooden table, his breathing ragged.

"I said, how did you get into my city?" My voice was steel, even to my own ears.

The man whimpered, struggling against his ties. Ciel stood in the shadows, respectfully giving me space. We had spent hours down here in this damp, moldy chamber deep below Aurus, the metallic reek of blood- new and old- encasing us. Ciel had caught one of Wren's men that night he had snuck into the silent city, somehow leaving me and my men unaware. And now, someone was paying for it. 

"I- I told you. I followed the general's orders. I know nothing!" Wrens' man winced at the pain that webbed through his body. 

"Wrong answer." I gave a half-smile and landed yet another blow, shattering his cheek bone. The man cried out as a crimson stream slid down his broken face.

"My Lord," Ciel warned, stepping from the shadows. 

I turned to him and snarled, "No one hurts her and lives to see dawn."

Ciel only nodded, returning to his place. He knew that I would be doing the same thing had it been himself, or Ash, or Saskia that Wrens had drawn blood from. My body trembled with white rage. But Kaira? It had taken every bit of self control to not kill Wrens myself, let alone go to Kaira's room every night to see if she was alright. But, I had. I had stood by her door each night since her injury, listening to her breathing until it fell into the steady beat of sleep, not daring to go any closer.

And he did this to her.

I landed another blow as I slipped into a rhythm: ask a question, land a blow. When I had gleaned all that I could from the man, I gave him the small mercy of swiftly snapping his neck. 

﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀

Kaira

The knives strapped to my thighs, hips, across my back, and in my boots grew leaden with each step that I took. I strode down the hall, out of the guest wing, and right for the grand staircase that swept into the foyer: my escape. I just had to get through the door and Silas would take it from there. 

When I descended the last stair, I felt him before I saw him. 

"Where are you off to," Lex said, coming around the corner. He looked exhausted: his amber eyes dull and weary, his raven hair messed. The blood covering his hands stopped me dead. He followed my gaze and gave me a smirk. "Nothing to worry about. It's not mine."

I snorted. "I wasn't worried." I made my way toward the towering oak door, each step offering relief that he hadn't said anything else. 

Lex appeared in front of me in a billow of smoke, his arms crossed over his broad chest. 

"Did you not hear me, little dove?" 

"I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back tomorrow," I said.

 I realized my mistake before the words fully left my mouth.

Lex's brow rose, "Meet someone special?"

"Something like that," I murmured, trying to push past him. 

"At least let me know where, so if you go missing I can get a general idea of where to retrieve your remains." 

"I thought you promised you wouldn't lock me up again." 

"I simply asked where you were going. I never said you couldn't go." 

I glared at him, but willed my features into icy indifference.