The Eden Series: The Complete Collection (81 page)

“I’m not a whore,” she said calmly, feeling the usual rush of anger that accompanied being insulted.

“Sure ye are,” said the vendor.

She looked over at him evenly, taking her time to observe him from top to bottom. “No, if I were a whore I’d sleep with any of you, since whores don’t discriminate against flea ridden, town drunks. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t touch you if my life depended on it.”

The vendor smiled, showing his stained teeth. “Ye might be regrettin’ ye said that, pigeon, when we’re done with ye.”

Suddenly a knife was pressed to her neck, the man behind her pinning her arms to her side. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. “Oh yes, you will definitely do as we say if your life depends on it, which,
pigeon
, it most certainly does,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Did you think he could just take our men and women and we wouldn’t retaliate? Did he think we wouldn’t know where they went?” The knife pressed closer, and she felt warm liquid trickle down her throat. “Christian’s son just disappeared today, shortly after
you
arrived. Did he send you as a distraction?” He pushed her away suddenly, spinning her around to face him, the tip of the knife now pressed against her breast bone. “A mighty fine distraction you are, ain’t she boys?”

“Oh pigeon here is t’finest, I’d say,” the vendor said happily.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I suggest you let me go,” Rain said through clenched teeth. On the contrary, she could guess exactly what they were talking about. She had seen Aziz’s hands this morning, and already concluded he’d have to regain some strength soon. Elex’s mission in town this morning was suddenly
very
clear to her. There was a sick feeling in her stomach, but this was not the time for her to lose composure. Four men were looking at her like she was fresh meat, and she needed to find a way out. Quickly.
Elex
, she tried again, waiting to hear anything back. Her voice pleaded inside her head, but she still heard nothing in reply, nor saw any sign of his white and blue wings.

“I think you know exactly what we’re talking about,” the one in front of her said.

“Ain’t no wee dagger gonna save ye now, pigeon,” the vendor said, his eyes fixed on the weapon still clenched in her hand. They all laughed, fuelling the already burning fire inside her.

“It might not save me,” she replied, with a cold smile. “But it can certainly even out the odds a bit.” Without hesitation, she whipped the dagger through the air, landing blade first in one of the men’s chests, the blade embedded up to the hilt. None of the others had expected this, and she used that to her advantage. Spinning quickly on her feet, as their shocked faces looked at their now injured friend, Rain began running full tilt up the hill. She didn’t get far before someone grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall face first onto the dirt. Spitting out a mouthful of earth and grass, she struggled to get free, but her assailant covered her body with his, effectively crushing her into the ground. He turned her around, pinning her arms above her head, and placing his legs on top of hers.

“If my friend dies, whore,” he sneered, anger rolling off of him. “I will make sure your death is as painful and long as possible.” Without thinking, Rain looked at him and spat, hitting him right in the eye.

“I hope he dies,” she said back. He wiped at his face, looking at her with disgust and hate. Then, with that same hand, he brought it down hard across her face. Her head whipped to the side, her ear ringing from the impact. Stars danced before her eyes and she could taste blood in her mouth. Blinking twice, she moved her head back to look at him. He stared at her smugly.

“Anything else you’d like to say,
whore
?”

“Yeah,” she said, swallowing a mouthful of blood. “I hope you rot alongside him.” Then she spat at him again, her saliva now coloured red. Another hard blow connected with her face. More stars, with a darkness hovering at the edges. Rain guessed that if he were to hit once more with that amount of strength, she’d fall unconscious.

“Anything
else
?” Just as she was about to reply with some other smart comment, which would have surely gotten her in even more trouble, the weight of his body on hers was lifted, and she saw him fly backwards through the air. She breathed deeply now that she was able to. The whole left side of her face ached, and she was pretty sure her lip was bleeding as well as the inside of her mouth. She blinked back the stars as best she could and gingerly sat up. Elex stood a few feet in front of her, like a solid wall separating her from the men. The man who hit her lay motionless on the ground, too far for her to tell if he was still breathing. The one with her dagger in his chest sat on the ground as well, his face pale and sweaty. The vendor and the last man stood in fear, their mouths hanging open as they looked at the large, winged man.

“You touch her,” Elex said in his cold voice. She watched the men shiver when they heard it. Fortunately she was used to his emotionless tone. “You die,” he finished.

“W-we d-didn’t t-touch her,” one of them said. Elex cocked his head to the side like Rain had seen him do before, in a very inhuman way.

“He did,” Elex replied, pointing to the main attacker. “If you are here with him, then that makes you just as guilty.” Without hesitation, he moved forward, his wings lifting him slightly off the ground, making it seem as if he floated over to them. Taking their throats in each of his hands, he lifted them effortlessly off the ground, and bashed their heads together. Rain could have sworn she heard a crack, even from where she sat. Then he flung them, just like he had the first, as if they were nothing but trash. Turning to the already injured man, he cocked his head again. “You will be dead in a few hours, I will leave you.” Clearly dismissing him, he turned and walked back up to where Rain sat.

There was a murderous look in his eyes, his anger almost palpable. He looked at her just as coldly as he had the men. “You purposely provoked him,” he stated.

Rain met his eyes defiantly. “So?” she shot back, reaching up to touch her tender cheek. He gave her a strange look, before walking past her.

“Come on,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll take you back now.” He didn’t even help her up. Brushing the grass off her skirts, Rain stood and began to follow him up the hill towards the forest. When they reached the same spot as before, Elex turned and pulled her into his arms. Knowing better this time, Rain instantly closed her eyes and held on tightly. He stiffened as she pressed against him. “Your lip is still bleeding,” he needlessly pointed out.

“Thanks,” she replied dryly. “I’m well aware of that.” She could still taste the metallic tinge in her mouth. It wasn’t until it dawned on her why he would have said that, that she became nervous. “C-can you smell it?”

“Yes.” His voice was rough, and barely controlled.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. His eyes were fixed on her mouth, and she knew it was not in a romantic way. “Can you handle it?” she asked, praying he wasn’t going to bite her again. She felt him take a deep breath, then saw him nodded his head slightly. He didn’t say anything else, just pushed off and they were suddenly rising into the air. She turned her face into him again, and simply waited for it to be over.

“What happened?” Aziz asked, the moment they landed.

“She was attacked,” Elex answered matter-of-factly.

Aziz shot him an irritated look. He was holding her face in his hands, moving it slightly from left to right so he could see the damage better. She hadn’t looked at it herself, but guessed bruises were already forming on her pale skin. “Where were you when this was happening?” he asked. Rain wanted to know the same thing. She had called him numerous times, and yet he hadn’t appeared until well after.

Elex seemed to consider his answer carefully before replying. “Busy,” he stated. Aziz gave him another look, and then the two were suspiciously quiet. She assumed they were speaking mentally to each other, and decided she’d find out from Elex later.

No you won’t,
his voice spoke to her.
It is none of your concern.

She tried not to glare at him, instead focusing on Aziz standing in front of her.
Well you said you’d be watching over me,
she replied, her voice infused with anger.
I guess this is just one more reason for me to feel like I can’t trust you.

That’s not fair, I came when you really needed me, and I disposed of those men for you.

She did a mental shrug.
If you had come sooner I wouldn’t have been injured.

His growl filled her head.
He has suffered worse for that offence. I would have been there sooner if I could. I will not let you get hurt again.

I don’t need you to protect me, Elex. I can handle myself.
She closed off her mind then, keeping any further thoughts to herself. It was disconcerting to her how much she had relied on him to show up. She had even called for him – twice! Feeling weak was not something she was used to, and she certainly did not enjoy it. Yes, her pride was something that often got in her way, but that was just who she was. She couldn’t help it. Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed her attacker the way she did, or refused Elex’s help in the future, but what else was she supposed to do? Just sit back and let people walk all over her?

Aziz was speaking with one of his soldiers the whole time she was lost in her thoughts, but now he refocused on her. She didn’t hear what he said to the man she hadn’t noticed until then. From the way he left, his manner purposeful, she guessed that the villagers were going to get a lesson in not crossing Aziz again.

“You look like you’re in shock, my dear,” he
tisk
ed, placing his hand on her face again. “Why don’t you go back to your room and rest for a little?”

“I’m fine,” she replied instantly. He smiled knowingly, and shook his head.

“I know you’re fine,” he said. “I think some rest might still be good for you.” The way he said it made Rain believe she was being dismissed. Her eyes went to Elex, and back to Aziz. Then she remembered that one of the men had said something about another person going missing. It made sense now why he’d want her out of the way. He probably thought she wasn’t clever enough to know what it was that he did. Accepting, she told him that she did actually feel a bit tired, and that she’d see him at dinner. The air around them stirred, and she turned to see Elex disappear up through the ceiling. She watched until he disappeared. When she turned back to Aziz, he was looking at her thoughtfully.

“I know Elex is nice to look at, but do not be fooled by his appearances,” he said seriously. “He is a warrior, Rain, that is all. You will be smart to remember that. Those markings on his skin bind him to me, and make it so that he does not feel human emotions like we do. I don’t make the same mistakes twice.” He stepped closer, pushing his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head. “He will never, and could never, care about you the way I do.”

She could feel heat drain from her face. “He is the only person I’ve ever seen with wings,” she answered cautiously, choosing her words carefully. “That is the only reason I watch him fly. I know exactly what he is, I assure you. I do not feel any warmth toward him.”

He looked at her with a mixture of anger and pleasure. Jealousy lay very near to the surface. She realized how dangerous this man was, and how easily she could get herself killed. “Good,” he said, tightening his fist in her hair. She tried her best not to flinch as it pinched her scalp. “Make sure you keep it that way. You are to be
my
Queen.” Then his mouth was on hers, branding her
his
. His lips were firm at first, but softened as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her lips open until he could move his tongue against her own. One of his hands stayed fisted in her hair, while the other now held her waist in a tight grip. There would be no questioning who she belonged to. He was making her his, and Rain knew she’d have no say in the matter. Finally he broke free, his breathing coming faster now. His face looked pleased as his eyes roamed her face.

“I have wanted to kiss you since the moment you arrived,” he said, tracing her lips with one of his fingers. She smiled weakly in reply to him, not trusting her voice. To make sure he didn’t mistake her silence as her not reciprocating his feelings, she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. When she pulled back she smiled again, and told him she’d see him at dinner. Thankfully he let her leave.

As she walked down the hall, she could feel her knees begin to shake worse the further she walked. She had never been kissed before that, and wasn’t sure how she felt about it. When she was younger, she always imagined what her first kiss would be like, and that was not it. Her stomach rolled. She felt ill. Her mother had said when she found the one she loved, and they kissed for the first time, it would feel like everything else around them had vanished; like they were the only two people in the world, and nothing else mattered. She felt none of those things with Aziz. In fact, she had almost wanted to cringe away from him, and had to force herself not to.
What have I gotten myself into?
She wondered. She’d have a bath and rest, she decided, and try not to dwell on the things that had happened. It was at this thought that it occurred to her she had left her smelling salts back on the hill. She sighed miserably, dragging her feet down the hall.

It was interesting to her how jealous Aziz got of Elex, as if he thought they had some connection Rain didn’t see. She
did not
like Elex. On the contrary, she could barely stand him, and didn’t trust him a bit. Was it the way she looked at him?
Did
she look at him in some admiring way? No, she thought, there was no way. She knew for a fact she didn’t feel like that for him. Aziz had even said he couldn’t feel human emotions. How could she fall for a man that could never love her back? She did wonder though, how it was possible he didn’t feel emotions when she saw clear emotional expressions on his face a certain times. Hadn’t he been angry? Hadn’t she seen him annoyed and frustrated with her? Yes, she was almost positive she read those emotions on his face, but perhaps she was wrong. He was certainly cold and detached the rest of the time. Her head hurt from all the thoughts running through it. When her bedroom door came into view she let out a sigh of relief. Salts or no salts, a bath was still something she desperately needed.