The Inception (Book #1 of The Inception Trilogy)

chapter eighteen

(some of you have been asking, so just a note, I dedicate chapters to active commenters. thank you for reading xx)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"DON'T TOUCH HER."

Evelyn snaps her head in Harry's direction so fast she pops her neck. He's still looking at the ground, facing them so that the top of his head is all she sees. She doubts she even heard the words at all, or maybe it had been someone else. The only other people around are the beasts and Quincy, but he's being pinned down and he most certainly wouldn't stick up for her.

Micah smacks his lips, placing a finger behind his ear as he continues to stand far too close to her. "I'm sorry, did the little mouse squeak? What did you say?"

The arrogance!

She's surprised he hasn't drowned in his ego yet.

Harry repeats himself, his voice hoarse yet still manages to sound threatening. In fact, he surprised everyone so much with his words that the tone of his voice startles the two experiments keeping him on his knees. They both have taken an unintentional step back, blinking at their boss in hopes of being told what to do.

"Ah, so I heard correctly." Micah takes a step towards Harry, and Evelyn considers the distance safe and reaches for her dagger. "It's no fair that you get to have her, you know. I've got a wonderful set up where she could be the lady she truly is. Fighting is no sport for a woman. Too easy for them to hurt themselves."

"Then it's a good thing I know what I'm doing," Evelyn grumbles, throwing the dagger just as the words leave her lips. Micah spins around, but the gap between them is too small for him to have time to stop the dagger from burrowing into his shoulder. She had aimed for his neck, and she would've hit dead on the mark had he not turned around.

The same time Micah yells out, Harry takes a deep breath and yanks his hands in either direction, snapping the wire. He'll have to pick out some spikes later, and he'll have nasty bruises, but he doesn't seem to care about the aftermath. He grips the ends of one half of the wire, looping it around Micah's throat. Micah staggers back, his good arm reaching back to hit Harry, but Harry easily deflects the blows.

He looks at Evelyn, and Evelyn wonders if he considers them a great duo like she's beginning to.

She shakes the thought away as quickly as it surfaces.

"Well played," Micah says a bit breathlessly, blood dripping down his neck and seeping through his shoulder. "I'll admit I hadn't expected a decent fight."

Micah's beasts stand around with their shoulders hunched, but they don't dare make a move. Harry catches one inching forward and pulls tighter on the wire around Micah's neck, making Micah gasp and curse under his breath.

"Stay back!" he yells at his little army, his red eyes an impossible dark shade. If the sun hadn't been directly on them, Evelyn might've said they were black.

"You're going to leave," Harry tells him. "You're going to leave me alone or I swear I'll take this opportunity to slice your head clean off."

Micah, still the ever so pompous one, quirks a brow. "And if I call your bluff?"

Harry pulls on the wire.

"Okay, okay!" Micah growls, and Evelyn can only compare it to the sound a hungry lion makes. "I'll go on my way."

"Call your men off," Harry demands, not yet releasing Micah.

Micah growls again, but waves his men away. They hesitate before stalking back the way they came, the two holding Quincy reluctantly letting him go. Quincy scrambles backwards, probably wishing he still had a weapon.