Fearless The King Series Book One - By Tawdra Kandle Page 0,121
so that you don’t accidentally knock anything over.” From the folds of her robe, she pulled a length of rope that matched that at my feet.
“Give me your hands.” When I merely stared at her, she sighed in exasperation. “Tasmyn, there’s no way out now. Let me have your hands. It’s for your own good. Delaying this, fighting it, will only make things more painful for you.”
Tas, be still. Let her tie your hands. I’m right here, watching. I’m waiting for her to put down the knife. I can’t risk her going for you. But don’t worry, I won’t let her hurt you. Just play along a little while longer. Try to get her to put down the knife. I’m with you.
I swallowed convulsively. Michael was right. Charging at Nell while the athame was still in her hand would be far too dangerous. If she was tying my hands, she couldn’t be holding the knife, could she? Hesitantly, I held them out, shaking.
“That’s better.” Somehow still holding the athame, she threw the rope over my wrists and rapidly tightened it around my hands. Her strength and dexterity both astounded and frightened me. Would Michael be able to overpower her, even if she did put down the knife?
“Now, it’s time.” Nell’s eyes sparkled with excited anticipation. She sat back on her heels, the cloak spread around her, and flipped the hood over her head again. Closing her eyes, she began to speak the chant that I had been hearing in her mind all this time. It was nearly hypnotic, and I resisted the urge to give in to its rhythm.
I wondered if Michael could see Nell. Depending on his vantage point, he might not be able to tell that her eyes were closed. This one-way communication was so frustrating.
Abruptly Nell stopped chanting. She raised the athame above her head and said something else in the same language—Romanian, I guessed. I watched in a combination of fascination and horror as she slowly lowered the knife and brought it to my neck.
“Don’t be alarmed,” she whispered to me. “They will be only shallow cuts. We don’t want gushes of blood. It must flow slowly, into the vessels. Here—” I felt a sudden pain below my chin, “—and here—” another slice on the other side of my neck, “—and here.” She moved the knife to my arms.
“NO!!!” The bellow of rage rose from the trees directly across the clearing from where Nell crouched over me. “Get away from her!” Michael charged directly at Nell, as she spun around to face him, knife still in her hand.
“Michael!” I screamed. “She has the knife—stay away!”
Nell looked wildly from Michael to me, and I could hear her mentally vacillating between attacking Michael or coming back to complete what she’d begun with me. Still facing Michael, she backed up toward me, the athame, stained with my blood, raised in her hand.
Slowly she lowered the knife back to my neck. “Go ahead,” she hissed, her eyes on Michael’s face. “Try it. I know where to cut. She’ll bleed out in a matter of minutes. Even if you get to her, it’ll be too late.”
“Michael!” I kept my voice steady even in its intensity. “Go. Get help. Don’t let her hurt you, too—”
“I’m not leaving you!” His anguish was nearly palpable. “Nell, leave her alone. You stop now, we can get you help. You’re not thinking right. If you hurt her—more, there won’t be anything we can do—”
Her wild laughter cut through his words. “I don’t want your help, you weak, stupid man. My power is greater than you can imagine, and it’s about to be increased a hundred-fold. Why don’t you stay for the show?”
And before either of us could react, Nell had leaped across the clearing and tackled Michael. Caught off guard, he staggered under her weight and fell backward. She sat astride him and held the knife to his throat as she alternately cackled and crooned.
“Now who’s going to help you? If you so much as glance at her, I’m going to slice you right here, and she can watch you bleed away your worthless life. Of course, maybe it would be better for you to simply end it now. Obviously I can’t let you walk away either, but perhaps after the ritual is over you’d be more open to my suggestions.” She ran the flat side of the knife over Michael’s face.
Tas, I’m going to fight her off. You’ve got to try to get free…