LIRO || completed

• 16.2 •

Liro and Kier took turns driving, and by the time they reached the edge of the kingdom, their eyelids were heavy and their bones weary. Their captives were hidden in the back of the transport with a heavy blanket covering their bodies.

Liro hadn't had to be too persuasive to convince them that she would hold up on her end of the threats if they so much as considered screaming out. Lady Fir had winced and nudged her ribcage, a reminder that Liro was dangerous.

Kier navigated them down a narrower street, before pulling to a complete stop and disembarking. Liro's eyes narrowed, and she gripped the hilt of her dagger before she spoke.

"What are you doing?" she said, her eyes flicking up and down the street.

Kier didn't look at her as she spoke, instead pointing with his index finger towards the nearest doorway. "Delivering goods."

Liro jumped down next to him, the movement jolting her knees. She was so weary she found it difficult to keep herself upright. If Kier felt the same, he didn't show it. Liro was determined not to let it show, either. She pushed her shoulders back and curved her lips into a wicked grin.

"This isn't part of the plan," Liro deadpanned. Idly, she twirled her dagger into her palm, light refracting as the suns rays touched it.

Kier's eyes never left her face.

"You don't know the whole plan," was all he gave her.

Liro grabbed his wrist, her face turning to that of stone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She had thought they had passed that part of their relationship. Liro had, after all this time, thought that she no longer needed to be so concerned about him pushing a knife into her back. Apparently, she could not have been more wrong.

Kier glared at her. "You need to trust me."

"You're making that difficult," she hissed, low enough that their captives couldn't hear. "I am not bringing them inside anywhere until I know exactly what you and the Queen have planned."

Kier clenched his jaw so tightly Liro thought it might fracture. He had kept secrets from her, and she was ready to run him through with a dagger.

She shuddered to think about what he would do to her if he ever found out about all that she was keeping from him. Liro's run in with the prince, her sisters, and most importantly, her exile.

Kier's voice was low and lethal as he spoke. "I do not need permission from you to perform a duty that has come from the Queen. And if you attempt to interfere again, things will not end well for you."

Liro had thought that Kier would kill her because of an order passed down from the Queen. Earlier in their relationship, she had thought he might kill her just for his own pleasure, but she had foolishly thought they were past that part.

He looked like he wanted to kill her for pleasure right now.

She knew he was being nothing but a thorn in his side. He had trusted her, back at the palace, to bring back Lady Fir. And she had. Liro wasn't feeling like he deserved much of her trust in return. Maybe it was her years of sleeping peacefully while surrounded by lions, but Liro knew that if he tried to get in her way again, there would most certainly be an altercation.

Kier walked around to the back and wrapped a blanket over one of their victims, careful to hide their hands, feet and hair inside the fabric. Then he hoisted them into his arms and carried them inside the nearest doorway.

In a few moments, he returned for the other. For a moment, he glanced at Liro. What she saw in his eyes was confusion. She had been so complicit with the rest of the plan; why was she being so difficult now?