Deadly

Chapter 9

Felicity paced back and forth across my room. She'd been doing that for the last hour, trying to think of a way out of going to Benjamin's palace. Apparently the day got moved up, they'd be leaving tomorrow morning.

She raked her fingers through her hair anxiously. " I asked Percy to go with me, but he's going to be traveling with Joselynn to meet with other Royalty. Joselynn says he needs to start preparing, that he'll have his own throne soon that he'll have to look after."

" Did you ask Pamula to go?" I asked, subconsciously tugging at the collar of my dress. Bennett had helped clean and bandage the bite before bringing me back to the palace. I was afraid to be left alone, but he assured me that Benjamin would never lay a hand on me again. He'd left me in my room alone, soon after I changed my dress, Felicity came.

She waved her hand, disdain dripping from her lips when she said, " Since Joselynn and Percy will be leaving, my mother is going to look after things here while they're gone.

" What about Luca?" I asked reluctantly.

She chuckled, glaring at a spot on the wall. " I asked him, he laughed at me and said 'absolutely not.'"

" So what will you do then?" I asked.

She stared at the wall a moment longer, sighed, then faced me.
" I'm going to demand that you come with me. If they won't let you come, I just won't go."

I stared at her, shocked. Was she really going to " force " negotiation on them? " Who are you and what have you done with Felicity?" I asked in all seriousness.

With narrow eyes she sat at the end of my bed. " I can't go alone Katherine, they both terrify me. At least if you're there I know you'd be there for me."

She smiled softly as she took my hand in hers, " I wish I was more like you, you aren't afraid of anything."

My heart sank in my chest. She gave my hand a squeeze, then left to go find my mother and Pamula. She'd asked previously if I could go with her, as soon as she found out she'd be leaving with them, she wanted me there with her. Of course, they'd both denied her plea. According to them, I would cause too much trouble, be a hassle to Benjamin and I still had plenty of punishment to see through.

When she'd asked them then if I could go with her, I wanted to go. I'd wanted to be there for her and find some way to stop the arranged marriage. Even now, we could use the opportunity to find the contract. However, I'd wanted to do all that before Benjamin attacked me. Now, I was terrified to face him, I never wanted to be in the same room ever again. I could still see his cold stormy eyes, I could feel that pain all over again.

How was I suppose to be strong and fearless for Felicity if I was terrified of Benjamin?

The real question was, if I let Felicity go alone, would Benjamin do to her what he did to me?

As scared shitless as he made me feel, there was no way I'd ever let him hurt Felicity. He could bite me and throw me around like a rag doll all he wanted, but there was no way in hell I'd let him lay a finger on her.

* * *

It took some searching, but I finally found everyone in the Lounge. My mother, Pamula and Benjamin sat on the sofa across from the fire place. Felicity stood in front of them, her eyes narrowed on them in warning. Bennett and Luca sat in arm chairs on either side of the room, both wearing matching expressions of shock. Percy stood in front of the window seat, arms folded across his chest, smiling proudly at his sister.

" My answer is no Felicity." My mother said. " Katherine cannot, will not be going with you."

" She either comes, or I'm not leaving." Felicity said with so much venom Pamula flinched.