Beard spun on Lorian, his movements unsteady. I stepped back, but his elbow knocked the water out of my hand. I watched as my cup fell to the floor.
Perfect.
“Now, don’t you be causing a scene.” Beard swept his arm around him to the people watching in a way that made it evident he relished the thought of a scene. “I was just saying hello to your traveling companion.”
Lorian watched him silently. His expression was blank, but those green eyes were filled with an icy rage.
When he didn’t reply, Beard reached out both hands to push him.
Lorian was standing in front of him.
And then he wasn’t.
He moved so fast, my breath caught in my throat. Stepping to the side, he lashed out with methodical precision, avoiding the man’s punch and slapping him across the face.
The crack of the slap carried through the inn, and all I could hear was the sound of witnesses sucking in a breath.
I sighed. Slapping the bearded giant was a calculated move. Lorian wanted to humiliate him.
Beard bellowed a garbled threat, swinging again, but Lorian was no longer there, his expression bored. I blinked. I’d never seen anyone move like that. It was as if he had the power to stop time.
He slapped Beard again.
“Lorian,” I growled. This was just drawing more attention. If he didn’t stop, someone would call the authorities. Lorian glanced at me, and his green eyes flashed. But some of the languid fury drained from his expression.
Beard stumbled. Lorian took a step back and crossed his arms. Beard’s hand came up to his nose—now crooked and bleeding.
Lorian had broken his nose with that second slap.
“Leave,” he said. His voice was so quiet, I had to strain to hear it, and I was just a few feet away.
Beard spat on the floor. “Whore,” he hissed at me.
I curled my lip at him but managed to keep my mouth shut.
Lorian took a single step toward Beard, and he stumbled back, turned and fled. I slammed my hand into Lorian’s chest. “Enough.”
His gaze dropped to my hand, and when his eyes met mine, they were still feral. I glanced at the people watching us, and Lorian slowly turned, raking his gaze over the room. Everyone suddenly found other things to look at.
My eyes burned.
“You’re hurt?” Lorian’s voice was rough.
I shook my head, and to my intense embarrassment, a tear threatened to spill over. I sniffed.
“What is this?” His eyes narrowed. “Do you want me to hurt him some more?”
“No, I don’t want you to hurt him some more,” I hissed, my eyes drying. “I’m upset because the water spilled, and I wanted that water!”
He cast a disinterested look at the water on the floor. Then he glanced back at my face. “After everything you’ve been through since you left your village, this is what makes you teary?”
“I’m exhausted, you brute.”
With a sigh, he stalked over to one of the barmaids, who immediately handed him a fresh cup and an entire pitcher of water.
Typical.
I stalked back to my seat, digging into my lukewarm stew. The group was silent, and I raised my head. “What?”
Lorian placed the cup in front of me and filled it with water. I gulped at it. The water was cool, and it soothed my dry mouth and throat. Rythos glanced at him and quickly dropped his gaze back to his food.
“Nothing.”
“We haven’t seen you cry before, that’s all,” Marth said. “We wondered if maybe you were on your woman time.”
I snarled, but Lorian clamped his hand on to my arm, leveling a warning look at both of us. “Quiet.”
I spooned up more stew, taking the extra piece of bread Lorian slid me. It felt almost like a silent apology.
“We need to teach you to fight,” Galon said after a long silence.
“I know how to fight.”
The silence became thicker, and I glanced up from my bowl. “Just because I haven’t demonstrated the best of my abilities since I met you giant ruffians doesn’t mean I can’t protect myself. My brother and his friends taught me to fight.”
And I missed them with such a wild longing, it felt as if someone had carved a hole in my chest. My eyes stung once more.
Galon scratched at one eyebrow. “I’m sure they did a good job of it. But there’s a difference between fighting for fun in your village and fighting for your life. We’ll make sure you at least have a chance of survival when we leave you in the city.”
I lifted my gaze once more. Galon was talking as if he actually cared. I opened my mouth to snap at him, but a long sigh came out instead. If he was offering to help me stay alive, I’d take him up on that offer.