Scars of Alera

5.

"Ethii." My voice is a whine, the skin he punctures stinging. "You're hurting me."

He ignores me, fingers digging deeper. "What were you talking about?" he demands. "In the dining hall?"

"Nothing." My voice shakes as I try to push him off me, squirming against the wall.

"Don't you lie to me, Alera," he hisses, "or I will go back in there and throw you on the fire and then your face will be just as ruined as your horrid arm."

My stomach twists, eyes growing glassy. But the warning glint in his eyes is enough to stop my squirming and convince me to open my mouth. "I saw you last night. I saw you with Krysta."

He freezes, glaring at me with malicious, blue eyes.

"There, I said it! Let me go." I try to push him off me but instead, he wraps a hand around my other wrist and pins them both above my head, nails digging into my skin.

"You ever try anything like that again and I will make sure you never get a suitor," he snarls in my ear, his grip tightening. "You hear me, Alera? Nobody will ever want you. You will die alone. I'll take your sister from you, and you and your poor father will be left selling stones for the rest of eternity."

My breath catches in my throat. Ethii Toledano is standing here threatening me, and I believe every word that he says. I am just a girl and he is one of the guards - if he tarnished my name, my family would be ruined. "O-okay."

"Don't test me, Alera." He presses closer. "You keep your mouth shut, or else."

"Mr Toldedano," a voice calls from behind him – I know who it is almost immediately from the way my heart rate picks up. Ethii drops my wrists almost immediately, taking a step back. He stares at me as he composes himself, and then he turns around. I stay pressed against the wall, wishing I could somehow disappear.

Will Marule stands a few feet away, shadowed by the wall behind him. He's wearing his trademark dark clothing, and his hair is pushed back from his face – slightly wet. He looks as if he's been swimming. He looks as if he's walked out of a pool of youth.

But the look in his eyes is a look no youthful person should ever have, the look Ethii gives me – the look of death.

"I am new to the Adaymos way of living," he says, his eyes zeroed in on Ethii – it's like I don't even exist. I could slip away and neither of them would notice, but I can barely move. I am frozen to the spot in fear – my wrists stinging. "But where I come from, we do not threaten people – especially not innocent ones."

Ethii's mouth opens and closes, his feet stumbling backwards. William Marule is from the Palace – he is above us all both in status and power. If Ethii could ruin my life, Mr Marule could destroy it.

"I –" Ethii cuts of, his face reddening as he pauses to take a deep breath. "I wasn't threatening Alera, sir. We were having a conversation."

"That's interesting." He tilts his head to the side and raises an eyebrow. "When I have conversations with others I don't tend to restrain them against a wall and threaten to ruin their lives. In fact, where I come from, we have a different name for that – and Mr Toledano, the punishment for a thing like that..." he trails off, eyeing Ethii up. "I'm not so sure a man like you would withstand it."

Ethii doesn't say anything in response. I can't see his face, but I can imagine the look on it – pure terror. Mr Marule's words aren't even aimed towards me, but I'm almost shaking in my boots.

"Mr Marule..." he gulps. "Please, forgive me."

Mr Marule quirks an eyebrow. "It is not me you should be asking forgiveness from."