in her nose that was like a bull’s ring passing through the nasal septum, and a chain attached to either side that was joined to the piercings on her double row of eyebrows.
She winked back at the ‘creature from the blue lagoon guy’, a person who I had gathered was the portal keeper we had been waiting for. Her eyes flashed, glowing in excitement, and this wasn't all she flashed as she also yanked aside her low-cut top giving him what I assumed was a memory for the road in that of a bare breast. The demon smirked and purposely licked his lips, paying attention to the tip of the largest fang as if reminding her where it had recently been.
“Come oan, lass, let’s go git yer package,” Trice said standing and wrapping his thick long fingers around the top of my arm, and doing a little more than just encouraging me to stand. He then looked to his brothers as he pretty much lifted me from my seat and nodded a little towards the bar, delivering a silent message for them to do something.
“We wull catch up wi` ye outside,” he stated firmly, before walking me across the room and to the staircase at the back that I knew would lead to the room we had been staying in.
“You know I'm perfectly capable of walking unaided,” I grumbled, making him scoff,
“Aye, that may be true, bit a'm still playing th' part o' th' hunter 'n' yer still mah bounty.”
“And now?” I asked, referring to the empty landing we were stood on after I had been practically dragged up the stairs. Hell, but at this rate I was surprised that he hadn’t just thrown me over his shoulder like last time and carried me up there, caveman style.
“As fur now…” he responded, letting his answer linger at the same time backing me up towards the door. The same one I now felt come into contact with my back as I was pressed firmly against it… no, not pressed, but more like caged.
After that he said three whispered words that soon filled me with dread…
“Alone at last.”
2
Unlucky Strikes Again
Okay, so being backed into a doorway by Trice’s big muscular body was so not what I wanted to happen right now!
“Err, Trice?” I questioned, now not sounding as cocky as I had done only moments ago. He let go of the top of my arm and instead placed it above me with his palm flat against the wooden frame. He took the last step needed to eliminate the space between us and I had nowhere to go but to hold my breath, creating not even a centimetre of extra space between us by doing so. He was so tall that I had to arch my neck all the way back just to keep sight of him. But then the second I did, I instantly regretted it. this was because of the intense look he was now giving me, with his eyes turning glacier as honestly… it was like looking directly into ice.
“Trice,” I whispered, this time doing so on a breath that nearly caught in my throat and became captured there just like I was.
“I wull nae git another chance tae tell ye this, bit I need ye tae know…”
“Trice, please don't.” He ignored this plea and instead grinned through it, doing so in a cocky, self-assured way, before he then told me,
“I dinnae care if ye'r with th' King, fur I wid fight them all, every last one under his rule 'n' above fur if ye only asked it o' me…”
“Trice, please…” I begged again, but he only got closer and continued as if my words had meant nothing but a desire for him to continue,
“…For if ye only spoke o' a word o' chance or hope that ye may one day be mine, I wull forever fight for ye 'n' if ye speak it noo, then I wull send my brothers thro' th' portal tae save th' King’s brother, fur no man deserves an unjust death.” I swallowed down the hard lump his words of devotion had stirred up, forcing me to speak again,
“And me… what would you do with me?” I asked in a shaky voice, making him duck his head low enough so that he could whisper the words directly in my ear.
“I wid tak' ye tae my own Kingdom 'n' fight fur th' right tae claim my throne, just so I had th' power tae keep ye