Manon's Child

Part 18

Manon's POV

I stare at Dorian. I didn't think I was going to get mad, but after he had the audacity to blame me for this —

"First of all, Princeling," I growl, stalking up to him, getting right into his face. "How dare you blame me for this! Your guards -"

"My guards are perfectly well trained, and have done nothing wrong," Dorian interrupts smoothly.

I fume up. "Oh really? Your guards started attacking me from the moment I landed. I came in peace. I thought I was welcome here. Obviously not."

"You are welcome, Manon," Dorian says, guilt creeping into his voice. "But not if you make my guards bleed."

"If your guards weren't so lousy they wouldn't get hurt," I say harshly. "They call themselves a guard and yet they can't even defend their precious King from one Ironteeth witch."

"Manon, I - I'm sorry," Dorian deflates a little. It fills me with irrational anger that he so easily relents.

"You should be," I yell, jabbing my iron claws into his chest. Some of the blood wipes of not his white shirt, stark against the plain colour. He takes a step back. "You should be begging for my forgiveness."

"Manon, just tell me what I've done, and I can fix it. I -"

"FIX IT!!!" I shriek. Dorian winces. "You, Princeling, can't fix it. No one can fix it. Because you, Princeling, cannot go back in time and change the past. You cannot rescind now what you put in my a month ago, and most of all you caNNOT KILL MY WITCHLING!!"

I scream the last words in his face, tears staring to amass in my eyes, for some reason. On56e slips free, but I flick from my face. I glare at him, my iron teeth bared in a feral growl. "No matter how much magic you possess, Dorian Havilliard," I whisper fiercely, "You cannot take the child from my body that you put there."

"Manon, you're pregnant?" Dorian says, shock written across his face.

"Yes, thanks to you," I say. Another wave of anger hits me. "I hATE you. How dare you do this to me!"

With that, I turn away from him, suddenly crying, and jump onto Abraxos' back.

"Manon, wait!" Dorian calls, chasing after me as Abraxos takes off. "It's my child too!"

I don't reply, pretending I can't hear him as we swiftly fly away.