vicious [d.m]

thirteen: secrets & weapons

All Khione can see is Malfoy.

Standing there, framed by the sun behind him, a smirk playing at his lips. The scars on the left side of his face gleam silver in the sunlight as he looks down at her, arms crossed over his chest.

She blinks blood out of her eyes, a curse building on her tongue — but she doesn't let it slip, doesn't let them see how disturbed she actually is.

"Let her go, Radna," Malfoy says, his voice dry — like she's dirt beneath his shoe. She can't read the expression on his face.

"Why?" Radna sneers, pushing more of his weight on her right hand, snapping bones underneath the force. Khione can't hold back the cry that escapes her as pain laces up to her wrist, searing hot. "She's hardly a threat. Let's just kill her now."

She can't raise her head, trying to block out the pain of her shattered bones beneath Radna's boot — but she hears fire burning in the undertones of Malfoy's voice, sending shudders down her spine.

"I like to play with my food," he says, deathly blank. "Let her go."

It's a command if she's ever heard one — and the pressure releases off her broken hand, forcing a whimper out of her. She feels a stab of annoyance deep in her stomach, a red-hot fiery burn of anger that almost makes her nauseous.

She's free now — but she does not scramble backwards, does not run for shelter. Instead, she rises onto her hands, flicking her eyes up through the blood-caked strands of her hair to look at Malfoy.

His lips twitch in amusement. "You're prettier like this, you know."

In response, she spits at his feet.

His grin widens. "Definitely prettier."

"This is low, even for you, Malfoy," she hisses in response, struggling to her feet.

His eyes flash. "Nothing is too low for me."

"Radna?" Khione laughs, wiping the back of her hand along her mouth, smearing blood. "You could do better."

Radna makes a threatening sound deep in his throat. "Careful, little girl. It's two versus one."

She doesn't take her eyes off Malfoy. He raises an eyebrow at her in response, eyes flicking briefly to the gaping duct behind her.

"I thought we had an agreement," she says, her voice low.

"Doesn't take much to sway me, darling." He angles his head towards Radna beside him — who looks like he's positively foaming at the mouth at the chance of getting his hands on her. "You should've known better than to trust me."

Her right hand is rendered useless by her side, aching and throbbing — and her skin still burns. She won't stand a chance against them both — no wonder Radna looks so smug.

Radna steps forward again, eyes glinting. "Did you really think he was your ally?"

A low hiss begins to erupt from the plant behind her. Khione tilts her head at him, lips curving.

"Did you really think he was yours?"

Everything happens at lightning speed after that. Malfoy grips the back of Radna's neck and shoves him forward. Khione sidesteps and whirls, bringing her leg up to plant a kick right in the center of Radna's back, sending him careening forward — right through the gaping hole she'd torn into the side of the plant wall.

Radna has quick reflexes — and his hands come up on either side of him, pressing flat against either side of him to prevent himself from diving head-first through the hole and into the belly of it. But Khione is faster — and all it takes is her hands on the back of his head, fisting his hair and holding his head down.