A Beast's Tale

Chapter 22

It was a tossup who would knock on the door first, Clavis or Yves. Jin and Leon were possibilities as well, although I deemed the likelihood of their arrival much lower than the other two. Clavis would come as soon as he had secured the vermin in the dungeons and provided them with enough medical attention to ensure they survived for questioning, and Yves would come as soon as he found out about that unpleasant incident. He would bring word of the entire rat's nest, too. If Clavis had found one, he and Jin had found them all. And Leon should be returning any time with LeBeau as his prisoner.

Given the options, I preferred Clavis knocking first.

She hadn't moved from my lap. It had been some time since either of us had spoken, and she lay against me, eyes closed, soft and warm and relaxed. I had undone her hair ribbon while stroking her hair, and the now untangled strands flowed like black silk between my fingers. Her tears had dried. She would leave my arms when she felt ready, but for the moment, she was allowing herself to be weak, trusting me to keep her safe. And I didn't want Yves' furious knocking disturbing her.

I was under no illusions. She and I had developed a rapport, but if Clavis had found her first, she would be with him right now, allowing him to be the one person she trusted to comfort her. The combined stress and physical exhaustion from fighting off LeBeau the previous night and her two attackers today had caught up with her, but even now, she refused to fall asleep. She couldn't drop her guard that much. Soon, her stubborn, self-sufficient streak would return, and she would pull away from me, determined to paint a smile over it all and pretend it never happened.

I brushed my thumb across the bruise on her cheek and wondered how she intended to hide that from her mother.

Then came a soft knock at the door. She tensed. Her tired green eyes opened and looked up at me, but I didn't see worry there. She was searching. Unafraid of danger, placing complete reliance on me keeping her safe and telling her what she needed to know.

I tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's only Clavis, little dove."

She sighed and sat upright, wiping her face on her apron for the third time. I still had my left arm around her back and my left hand on her waist, and she made no complaint when I settled my right hand on the outside of her thigh above her knee to hold her steady. Her apron and her hands dropped into her lap. I studied her red, puffy face, her green eyes hooded by long black eyelashes. She looked drained.

"Do you want to see him?"

She bit her lip, thinking, and then gave me a tiny nod. "But you don't have to stay here with me, Prince Chevalier. I won't go anywhere, and I'm sure you have..."

She tried to stand as she spoke, but she swayed on her feet, and I had to catch her. I scooped her up again and deposited her on the sofa. Her eyes met mine, and despite her words, everything in her expression begged me to stay.

"I'll be right outside the door."

She gave me another nod. I left the peace and quiet of the room for the hallway, where my anger made a resurgence. That was not Ivetta. She should not be in that dependent, fragile state, and I wanted retribution.

So did Clavis. The smile he wore was not a friendly smile, but more akin to a beast baring its teeth. "They're all patched up and ready for a beating. The one with the stomach wound won't last long, but I'll be happy to stay here with your little dove while you make his final moments as miserable as possible."

I unfastened my bloody cloak and jacket as he spoke, tossing both on the floor. "You handle it. Dispose of those."

His golden eyes widened, and his smile faltered. "What?"