He roughly tilted my head back, pulling my hair tight with his fingers. I released a whimper and winced. He glared down at me with those cool, intense eyes and brushed his lips across my cheek and back, pausing just short of my lips again. I tensed, my back arched, held in an awkward position by my captor. “Solara,” he whispered, having moved his mouth to my ear, “Do not defy me, or my first order of business as your husband will be to punish you severely.”
“What makes you think you will be granted my hand out of all of the other gentlemen here tonight?” I said, clenching my teeth. I really wanted to spit in his face and run, but my knees were shaking so badly I knew they wouldn’t carry me away from him even if I was able break free.
He laughed deeply, pulled me back from the wall, and again started to sway our bodies to his imaginary sensual rhythm.
His body pressed harder against mine. He dominated our every movement. My hair literally hurt from his grasp. “My father is on the council. He has the power to grant me any woman I choose. I choose you, Solara.” I swallowed my heart as it attempted to fly out of my throat.
Suddenly, a strong hand appeared on the bicep of the arm that held my hair against its will and mine. “Let. Her. Go. Now,” spat a familiar voice. Finally. Finally someone decided to check on the one he’s supposed to be protecting. Slowly, Altair’s fingers loosened their grip from my hair and from around my back. He extended his hands in surrender and slowly backed away from me, having assessed his competition and been found wanting. His sharp gaze fixed itself on mine as he backed away and turned to flee. When he was far enough to regain his confidence, he yelled back to me, “Remember not to do anything you will regret on our wedding night, Solara. Punishment can be brutal.”
I started breathing rapidly as he stalked away from me and then exited the building via the door farthest from us. Most of the others had left. Rachel and Lil were at the bar, getting a drink of water, their guards drinking an amber libation next to them. They laughed and giggled, and their hand gestures indicated that they were completely unaware of the ordeal that I had just suffered through.
Faric watched the door, making sure Altair didn’t sneak back in. When he was certain that he wouldn’t return, he turned to me and grabbed my shoulders. “Are you okay? What were you doing with him? What did he say to you? He’s going to punish you when you are married? Why would you let him touch you like that?” he roared, jerking me forward toward him.
A tear fell down my cheek before I could even breathe as reality slapped me in the face. Its sting was hot on my cheek. He was angry with me for what had happened. What a jerk. I threw his arms off of my shoulders and walked away, pausing only to take off the ridiculous heels. He caught me by the arm and spun me around to face him, his anger dissipating when he saw the charcoal tears that had undoubtedly now streaked down my face.
The realization of what he’d just said to me and the fact that I hadn’t garnered such attention from Altair must have registered with him. His expression faded from anger and frustration aimed solely at me to concern for me and fury aimed solely at Altair.
“I’m going to kill him,” he said, gritting his teeth, jaw clenched, striding away from me. Pointing back at me, he yelled, “You stay right here. Better yet, come over to the bar, and I’ll have one of the others walk you back.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, walking toward the bar, expecting me to follow. When he realized I wasn’t going to cooperate, he stomped back toward me.
“Don’t touch me, Faric,” I said softly before he could grab my elbow or hand. “I didn’t want him to touch me. How dare you scream at me as if this were my fault! And I don’t want you to kill him. I just want to go back to my room please. I want you to take me back to my room now please.” I exhaled, finally calming myself down.
His eyes carefully appraised me, and he relaxed his shoulders and exhaled loudly, dragging his hand through his short hair. “I’m sorry, Solara. I wasn’t angry at you. I knew what was going on or I should have. It just looked like you and he...and I just reacted. I was angry with myself for not watching you close enough. How long did he have you back in this corner? Did he hurt you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows and squeezing them together, still maintaining the distance I created.
“I’m fine. Just walk me back, and you can come back and enjoy more of Aria’s company,” I said, both defeated and pissed.
I walked around and past him with my heels in one hand, the other holding my beautiful dress up off the floor. I quickly wiped my cheeks, my fingers stained with the charcoal that had earlier rimmed my eyes so beautifully. As I exited the building via the nearest door, I glanced back at my friends, who were still busy having the best night of their lives. I was happy for them and jealous at the same time. My magical night had been stolen by Altair.
Faric followed me outside, staying a few careful paces behind. As we cleared the building and started down the cobblestone street, he matched his pace with mine and placed his hand on my lower back. “I’m really sorry, Solara. I don’t care about Aria. She just wouldn’t leave me alone, and I was trying to be nice because I knew she didn’t have anyone to dance with and was trying to save face. I should’ve been watching you. I just thought you were busy dancing. You had been all night, and I assumed you were fine. I was wrong. I am so sorry.” He stopped, and I followed his lead. The cobblestone was cool and grainy beneath my bare feet.
“It’s okay,” I said softly, looking up at his clenched jaw, a sincere apology visible in his eyes. I glanced away, trying to take in the village around us. I wanted to commit it to memory so that I would be able to recall every detail when I was placed back into my room in the tower tonight. Then a thought crossed my mind.
“Hey, wanna pay me back?” I grinned, lifting one eyebrow and pursing a tight-lipped smile.
He looked warily at me and grinned and said, “How can I earn your forgiveness?”
“Well, everyone is still out and about, so I don’t suppose I have a curfew tonight. Could you maybe show me around the village? I’ve never seen it.”
“I can show you a little, but if we’re discovered, you will likely be sent straight to the fortress. If you want, I can show you my favorite spot, and we can hang out for a bit. You’ll get to see some of the village on the way,” he offered, holding out his hand to me.
I clasped his hand and grinned, and he led me through the shadows dancing along the street until we came to a small iron gate along the roadside. He unlocked it and pulled me down a small stone path that wound through a beautiful garden that summer had begun to awaken. Small buds blinking snippets of color among vibrant green leaves peeked out from crawling vines.
I followed him until we ducked through some pines and entered a clearing on the other side. Two weeping willow twins guarded a small brook that sung as it glided effortlessly over and around smooth stones of varying sizes. “Wait here, okay,” he said, letting go of my hand. He ran back in the direction we’d just traveled, emerging ten minutes later with a few items in hand.
He threw a large blanket toward me and asked that I spread it under one of the willows. I obliged, and we plopped onto blanket.
Glad to finally rest my aching feet, I sunk into the warm fabric, careful of my dress. He knelt down with one knee on the blanket and opened a fabric bag, pulling out a bottle of wine and two plain glasses. “Care for one last glass, milady?” he asked, holding the bottle up for me to see.
“Sure!” I recalled how wonderful the crimson liquid felt on my tongue as it infiltrated my nostrils. I grabbed the half-full glass and stared down at the blood-colored liquid contained therein.
“It’s not the best bottle in the village, but it’s all I had in the house,” he shrugged.
“Wait, this is your house?” I asked, raising my eyebrows in amazement. The small stone house with the wooden roof encircled by the scrolled iron gate we’d passed through was beautiful. This was his yard. This was his favorite spot. How intimate.
He nodded, pouring
a glass for himself as well then sat next to me one knee bent with his arm propped on it, holding his glass out in front of him comfortably. A cool breeze blew through, and a cold chill crept up my spine as my hair was blown around to my left shoulder opposite him, revealing the bare skin of my right. I caught him looking at the same, and he quickly averted his gaze to the contents of his glass as he swirled it around and inhaled the scent and sipped the wine with his fuchsia lips.
He handed me his glass and shrugged off his jacket, sliding it around my shoulders. His warmth and spicy scent wrapped itself around me. “Thank you,” I said, softly, handing over his glass. He nodded, and we sat in comfortable silence, slowly sipping away the contents of the beautiful bottle, listening to the brook and watching the wind gently sway the willow’s draperies.
“As much as I’d love to stay here, Solara, I need to get you back. The others are probably there by now, and I’d hate to have them send out a search party.” He smiled, helping me to my feet.
“Thank you for letting me stay out a bit longer. You’ll never know how much it meant to me.” I grabbed my shoes, and we took off toward the path, back toward the fortress, my room, and my containment—at least for the next few weeks.
Nearing the fortress wall, a familiar shape came bounding toward us, making my heart leap. Rachel. What was she still doing out here? Did she come home by herself? Did she know how dangerous that could have been? I should have asked her to leave with Faric and me but thought she was okay with Lil and Aria and their guards.
“Lara,” she heavily breathed, catching me by the shoulders, “you have to help me!”
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“It’s not me. I’m fine. I’ve been back in the room waiting for Wes to show up, but he never did. So I went looking for him. He’s...at the pub...with Aria. She’s draped herself around him, and he refused to leave with me. If he gets caught, you know, with his pupil, he’ll be fired and probably worse. You have to help me get him out of there. She’s got her claws buried deep. Stupid slut!” she exclaimed, still catching her breath.
“Let’s go,” I said, grabbing her hand. “Oh! Here, Faric.” I shrugged off his jacket and handed it back to him.
“Oh no, you don’t,” he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me back toward him. “I have to get you inside.”
“No. I’m going to get Wesley. He’s too good to have his entire life and career ruined by Aria.” I pulled away and Rachel started guiding me in the direction of the pub.
I ground to a halt when Faric challenged. “Maybe he enjoys her company. Most men do.”
I glared at him, remembering watching him with Aria earlier in the evening when Altair pinned me against the wall. “Perhaps he does. You certainly aren’t immune to her charms. But Rachel is my friend, and I respect Wes too much to let this happen.” I jerked Rachel forward and away from Faric.
Faric followed, grumbling the entire time about how we should get back, how much trouble I would be in, he would be in, Rachel would be in, and how dangerous the pub was at this hour with all of the drunks.
I ignored him and trudged on until the pub appeared in the distance, lit by glass lanterns encircled with loud music and yelling patrons from behind its thick wooden door. I paused outside, and the two halted beside me. “We need a plan to draw Aria’s attention away from Wes,” I said, wondering what could possibly retract her claws from his flesh. Rachel shrugged. She had no idea. Neither did I. “And once we get her away from him, we need to get him out of here and back home.”
Faric surprised me with his cunning as he offered, “I’ll distract Aria. Solara, you get Wesley to leave with you anyway you can, and Rachel, wait out here to the side of the pub out of sight until Solara gets Wes out of here so you can help her get him back to his room. She won’t be able to carry much of his weight by herself.”
“Wait, I get the part where Aria would be distracted by you. She’s obviously into you, but how can I get Wes to leave if he doesn’t want to? I think Rachel would have the best luck with that. She’s his sister,” I argued, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“No. He won’t leave with her. He already refused to leave with her earlier. He’s drunk. He’ll want to stay that way. He’s also aroused due to Aria’s attention. Better bring out the sultry side again, Solara. Work your magic, and he’ll be putty in your hands. If needs be, ask him to go to your room with you, if you know what I mean.” He winked and smirked. “He’ll definitely leave with you.”
Rachel nodded and said, “He’s right. This will work, Solara. I know it’s an act. So does Faric, and we don’t know anyone else in there, so who cares what they think. Just get my brother out of there before he does something with Aria that he’ll regret.”
I took in a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and clenched my fists. Rachel moved to the side of the building, cloaking herself with the shadows of a nearby oak. Faric opened the heavy wooden door, motioning for me to go in first. He grabbed my waist, whispering, “Stay back here and give me five minutes. I’ll get her away from him. Then do what you have to do. If you aren’t back in your room in twenty minutes, I will come back for you, regardless of his decision to stay or not. You will leave with me then. Understood?”
I nodded and watched as he sneaked a path through the chairs and bodies of the rowdy crowd. Drinks freely flowed into glasses from the bar. Wes was perched on a barstool with the slut beside him. Aria’s knees were positioned between his legs, his hand was on her waist, her arms on his shoulders. She tossed her hair back and laughed at whatever he’d said. Heat spread through my body. I envisioned marching over, knocking her off the barstool, throwing Wes over my shoulder and stomping out the door with him while she tended her bloody nose. That could be my backup plan.
Faric approached and put his hand on Aria’s back and leaned in and whispered something undoubtedly naughty as Aria’s surprised sexy look crept onto her curled pouty red lips. She said something to Wes and took Faric’s hand, leaving Wes alone at the bar. Faric ushered Aria to a back room of sorts out of sight from where Wes remained. I went in. Wes had turned back to the barkeep, waiting patiently for a refill of whatever libation he’d been downing. His stern gaze focused on his glass. His knuckles turned white as they squeezed the crystal.
I moved through the crowd, gaining glances, probably at the strange dress I was in. Everyone here wore simple cotton garments of varying colors and some wet with drinks that fell past their mouths onto chests and round bellies. Several of the men’s gazes lingered on me as I squeezed through. Some of them made brave enough by their drinks to even paw at my hips, one grabbing the cheek of my butt as I tried to claw a trail through the partiers. I finally broke free and sat down on the stool next to Wes—the one that Aria had vacated only moments ago. He continued to focus on his glass until I nudged him, and he looked over.
Anger faded from his face, and his lips curled in a beautiful smile. His slightly curled hair grazed his dark eyelashes, revealing glassy green emeralds that stared back at me. “Solara,” he said, straightening up. “What are you doing here? You should be back in your room.”
The bartender finally noticed him and filled his glass with an amber liquid, then he leaned over on elbows to speak to me. His greasy black hair and dark-chocolate eyes squinted as he smiled at me. “Haven’t seen you in here before, love. What can I get ya? On the house.” He winked. I smiled back and asked what he recommended. He quickly poured some sort of honey-colored beverage into a beautiful glass and placed it in my hand, rubbing my fingers purposely as his met mine. Wes noticed and slammed back his drink, demanding another. The barkeep obliged and shot Wes an evil look before stalking down toward the other end of the bar. “It’s not safe here for you, Solara, you need to go.”
“If it isn’t safe here, it’s not safe outside either. Will you walk me home, Wes?” I pleaded, trying to give him a pretty smile. I prayed that our plan remain clouded by his drunkenness.
“No,” he said sternly.
“Now leave.”
“Wes, what’s wrong? Why are you here? I didn’t know you drank.” I asked, leaning into him a bit, placing my hand on his.
“Well”—he shrugged off my hand—“Solara, there’s a lot that you don’t know about me,” he slurred.
“Like...” I tried to lead, hoping that this conversation wouldn’t take too long because I was on Faric’s clock.
“You lied to me,” he blurted, glancing at me with his brows knitted together. He was really drunk. I hadn’t lied to him. What was he talking about?
“Wes, I didn’t—”
“You did. You promised to save me a dance. I waited until the last guy left, and you were just gone,” he said, staring down as he swirled the contents of his glass.
I took a sip of mine. It was strong, whatever it was but then left a sweet coconut flavor in my mouth that lingered long after I drank it. Yum. First wine then coconut liqueur. I licked my lips to extract more of the sweet drink that lingered then caught Wesley staring at the motion, longingly.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “There was an incident with the last gentleman I danced with, and Faric thought it best that I leave to avoid any further problems.”
He grabbed my hand and raised one brow, clenching is teeth.
“What happened? I’ll kill him if he hurt you.”
“It’s okay. It was just better if I left. He was last in line so...” I explained, hoping to push the conversation along. “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to lie to you. Can you please walk me back now?”
Pariah (The New Covenant Series) Page 4
