HEIR | The Cursed Monarchy | Book 1

Mercy: Part IV - Chapter 21

Uncontrollable rage caused Cecily to stumble over her feet, wrestling with each step she took as she returned to camp, and towards the place where Aedan slept. If he awakened before she wanted him to, there was a chance that matters could turn for the worse much sooner than she expected.

Carefully, she crept toward him at a slow and meticulous pace, reaching for the dagger that she had tied to her belt. The anticipation caused her to tremble, but she paid little attention to it. As she neared him, she clutched her dagger tighter; her eyes focusing on his exposed neck as he slept soundly, leaning back against a tree, hands on his lap. Her breath came in warm and short gasps, imagining how it singed his skin when she leaned closer, placing a hand on the grass beside his body.

"Open your eyes, liar!" she hissed, holding her blade to his throat.

Without shifting position, Aedan's eyes opened in narrow slits. His face remained impassive until he glanced down at the blade, then he raised one eyebrow. He clenched his jaw as she pulled him away from the tree and pushed him to the ground, swinging one leg across his belly, straddling him.

Cecily traced the curve of his neck with the tip of the blade, breathing hoarsely.

"What are you doing, Cecily?" he asked softly, his hazel eyes wide, staring at her with more curiosity than fear. There was an intensity in them that reminded her of a hidden memory, masked by the tendrils of the past.

"Why did you do this to me?" she asked, resting the tip of her dagger under his chin. "Tell me."

Aedan simply stared; his gaze dipped to her breasts which, plump and daring, were nearly tumbling over the gap in her wet tunic, and then back to her face, studying her features.

Cecily held up her forearm, the runes glowing a bright red. "If you claim to not be my enemy, then why did you do this to me?" she demanded. "Answer me!"

Aedan didn't answer, but instead shifted so as to get more comfortable under her weight. "You like being on top, don't you?" he asked boldly.

She hesitated, her hand unsteady and trembling, but fury twisted her features and her eyes firmly latched on his. "If you're trying to bait me, it won't work."

The elf seemed to consider this silently. The silence grew and stretched before them, lingering thickly in the air as she searched his eyes for any emotion she could use.

"You're willful, I'll give you that. But mark my words, I will kill you." She dug the blade in.

Aedan flinched, then his faint smirk disappeared and was replaced by an empty stare. The cobweb of scars on his face began to glow a dull blue. "Do as you must."

Too distracted by this scars, Cecily didn't respond. Her thoughts, usually precise and organized, were jumbled and hazy. But her emotions were powerfully clear – rage boiled inside her. There were few things that irked her more than being denied an answer. She held the dagger at his throat a moment longer; her mind tasting the possibilities.

She wasn't going to be able to kill him. She knew that, but he didn't.

He raised his brows and ran his tongue across his lips, then slowly placed his hands on her knees, tracing them lightly with his palms, and finally coming to rest on her hips.

"I will kill you, Aedan!" she said, desperation lining her voice. "What have you done to me? What advantage do you gain from controlling my mind?"

"You're ill-informed. What would I have to gain from controlling your mind?" Aedan replied hotly.

She laughed – a dry laugh. "No more riddles! I was warned not to trust your kind."