“I— ”
“Stop,” Muriel growled, cutting me off. His grip on my throat tightened. Panic threatened to seize me. “Or I will snap her fucking neck.”
“That neck is a pretty one,” the Hyhborn lord responded. “But why, Muriel, would you think I’d care if you did snap it?”
“Bastard,” I hissed before I could stop myself, disbelief having loosened my tongue.
The Lord cocked his head. “That wasn’t very nice of you.”
I gaped at him. I’d helped him last night. Got him to safety. Risked my own life, and he didn’t care if my neck was snapped. “You just said— ”
Muriel dug his fingers into my throat, ending my words in a strangled gasp. “What did you do to Nathaniel?” he demanded.
“Put him in a time-out.” Another stream of blossoms fluttered out of his path. “Permanently.”
Muriel inched us back, forcing me onto the tips of my toes. “Why in the hell would you do that?”
“You know better than to ask that question, but since I’m feeling generous tonight, I’ll explain it to you. Besides the fact he was boring me,” the Lord answered, “he set me up. So did you.”
Muriel halted as I strained against his hold. “Yeah, I do know better.” He cursed again. “I should’ve known better than to trust lowborn to get the job done.”
“You should have.” The Lord paused. “And you should stop struggling while Muriel and I have our little chat. If not, you’re only going to harm yourself.”
Stop struggling? While Muriel crushed my windpipe?
“And you should be more worried about your own neck,” Muriel spat.
“Your concern for me warms my heart.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Muriel yanked me harshly to the side as I struggled to break free. Nothing worked. His hold remained firm. “You know, you brought this onto yourself.”
“And how did I do that?”
“Play coy all you want. It won’t work for much longer,” Muriel snarled. “There’s only one reason why you were willing to risk your ass to get that information from us.”
“Speaking of that information,” the Lord replied. “Was any of it true?”
“Fuck you,” spat Muriel.
The Lord sighed.
“How do you think the King’s going to respond when he learns of what you were looking for?” Muriel shot back. I truly had no idea what they were speaking of. “The King’s going to have your head.”
“Doubtful.” The Lord chuckled again, and the sound raised the hairs on the nape of my neck. “I’m one of the King’s favorites, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Not after tonight,” Muriel promised. “Not when he learns the truth.”
The truth of what?
The Lord had stopped coming closer. He now stood a few feet from us. “I’m curious, Muriel, as to why you actually believe the King would hear of anything that has occurred this night? Or even last night?”
Muriel stiffened behind me, seeming to sense the not-so-veiled threat in the Lord’s words. A stuttered heartbeat passed. “I’m leaving.”
“Okay?” The Lord cocked his head.
“I mean it,” Muriel said, and I thought I heard a tremor in his words. “You come after me, I’ll rip her heart out.”
“Does it look like I’m trying to stop you from leaving?” the Lord asked.
It didn’t.
It really didn’t.
I didn’t know why I expected anything different from the Lord. Even my Hyhborn lord. He’d needed my aid last night. He clearly didn’t need it tonight. I was a fool, because a feeling of . . . of betrayal settled in deep, which even I could admit made no sense. Just because I had helped him last night didn’t mean he was obligated to me.
Gods, I really wished I hadn’t thought of him when I touched myself.
My heart sank as Muriel moved us back through the wisteria vines. The fragrant limbs fell in place, forming a curtain that quickly obscured the Lord. Muriel was dragging me farther into the trees— away from the manor, and that was bad, because I seriously doubted this Hyhborn would let me go once he was clear of the Lord.
Panic exploded. I struggled wildly, kicking at Muriel’s legs as I beat on his arm. Each blow I landed sent a ripple of pain up my arm and leg. I gagged, eyes widening as he spun us around. I flailed against his hold, throwing my weight in every direction.
A guttural sound of warning echoed from Muriel as he lifted me off my feet. “Keep it up and I’ll— Fuck.”