Athenian Slave (Book 2)

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Eyes flying wide, a silent scream in her throat. She felt weightless. Her stomach flying as she did not know which direction was up, or where she was. The darkness surrounded her, and in the seconds that seemed a lifetime, she felt the terror take hold.

Her feet hit solid ground, a little unevenly, but she was pulled up against a body that was as hard as marble. But warm, with a familiar scent, and a chest that was expanding with the speed of his breaths. Looking up slowly, the panic disappearing as if it had never appeared. Alexios was not watching her, he had his eyes firmly fixed upon the other figure in the courtyard. Her gaze flickering between the two. Her mind finally catching up with the situation at hand.

Passing her hand over her face, trying to rid the sleep fog from her mind, as she felt the tension rise in the air between them all. She should have struggled to free herself from the iron grasp she was in, but could not bring her mind to fully command her body at that point, and her body felt completely safe in Alexios’ embrace. She could not remember falling asleep, though does anyone really? All she could truly recall was laughing with Cosmas as the sun had slowly lowered over the rooftop, visible in the courtyard, and her wondering what had happened that could have kept Alexios away for so long.

Now she was afraid something else was to come about. Though what she could not say. A wary expression settled over her, and her gaze skittered taking in all the elements visible in the meagre light of the torches. Whose flames were dancing in tiny pools of light, barely winning the battle it had against the darkness around it. Her gaze whipped back to the two males before her, as with the tiniest of movements, they both seemed to settle into a ready position, which had her stomach in knots.

Alexios could feel his breathing and heart rate slowly returning to a somewhat normal level. Under his control once more. Having Charmion in his arms once more was a rather large factor in that. He knew the time had come to stake his claim, he had not been ready for this, and neither had he wanted to do so like this. But the whelp before him was forcing his hand. He would not allow the male anywhere near Charmion again. Of that he was certain.

Pushing her behind his body, but keeping a grip on her arm with one of his hands. Needing to know where she was and that he was between her and the runt that wanted to take her from him. He took a menacing step forward, and almost smirked at the immediate reaction he received, when the male took a step backwards before finding his strength once more and straightening his shoulders. He was barely worth his time. Though the point needed to be made, and unless he did so know, the boy may have ideas that his station did not allow him. Or at least in Alexios’ eyes they did not.

Relying on his years of training. Knowing information was the key to finding the weak spot in an opponent’s armour, he quickly surveyed his adversary, noting how he should proceed, and calculating what needed to be said and how he needed to act to acquire the outcome he most desired.