Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,75
breaking. He pushed at Xavier’s shoulder with his newly freed hand. “Xavier, no. Please. Just give us…”
Xavier paused, a look of incredulity on his face.
“Okay, sure, this isn’t the time…” Leilius quickly let himself out of his bounds. “I’ll go. Just leave her alone.”
Xavier noticed the soldier at attention, the only thing in the room sticking up. “You took the serum?”
“What serum? Listen—” Leilius spread out his hands, trying to indicate everyone should just take it easy. “I’ll get dressed, and we’ll head out. No biggie. I would’ve liked to…but I understand the press for time. It’s okay.”
Xavier was looking at Leilius like he was a strange and new kind of bug. He blinked twice and glanced again at Leilius’ wood, which was a little embarrassing, before leaning right down into the woman’s face. He put the tip of the knife next to her eye. “If I ever hear of you doing something like this again, or any of your sisters, as you call them, I will cut out your eye before I stick this knife in your heart. You got me?”
The woman gave a soggy nod, those plump red lips trembling. Leilius’ heart squished from seeing her in pain. He wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure what. In the end he just opted for: “Sorry about him. He’s prone to violence.” It didn’t really seem like the right thing, but it was something. It was all he had, anyway. All his blood flow was still directed toward a very hard part of his body.
Leilius jogged out of the room behind Xavier, moving stiffly, the chain connecting the nipple clamps bumping against his chest.
He probably should’ve taken them off…
The room next to his had the door thrown wide with two dead women lying almost naked on the floor. The headboard of the bed was in tatters, with what looked like chain ripped through the wood. Rope lay at the base where it had been left, the other ends still wrapped around Xavier’s ankles.
“You got two?” Leilius asked in wonder. “And you wanted to get away?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Xavier demanded. He turned a corner and paused, waiting for an attack. The outer room was empty. “They probably went looking for more. Vile.” Xavier ran to a pile of garments in the corner. Theirs was on top. Xavier didn’t grab those. Instead, he sifted through and grabbed other items.
“What about our coin?” Leilius asked, hunched in the cold, wishing his body would calm down. Standing with another man while having a stiff member was embarrassing.
“Check over there.” Xavier pointed behind him to a long table. Strewn along the table were a few papers, a plate with crumbs, and a box. After investigating, Leilius found three of their pouches inside that box. The fourth, one that they’d brought in themselves instead of stealing, was missing.
“They didn’t go looking for more men—they went to spend our coin.” Leilius palmed the other pouches. “Good thing we robbed some, then.”
“Grab something to eat that we can take, and then we have to go. I hope we haven’t blown our duty.”
“Not like it was really our fault.” Leilius snagged some partially stale bread and a few pieces of jerky. That was all that was available.
“You could’ve fought a little harder,” Xavier said dryly. “And I get it, I was stunned a little too, but…” Leilius handed over a lump of bread as Xavier held out some clothes. “I’m taking the pants that fit. I’ll wear the threadbare shirt, and you can have this shirt and wear the patched-up pants. There aren’t any other clothes that will fit us.”
“I can wear the rags. I don’t care.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Xavier demanded again.
Leilius paused with a lump of bread in his cheek. “What?”
With an angry scowl, Xavier ripped the chain away from Leilius’ chest. The nipple clamps tore away, drawing a shock of pain, followed by a rush of agony. “Damn—oh, that hurts. That does not feel good when you do it. Holy—” Leilius cupped his throbbing chest.
Xavier gave him an odd look, but said nothing. They dressed in silence. Leilius got the distinct impression most people didn’t like a little pain with their pleasure. This was probably something he should keep quiet about.
He also wondered if Rohnan knew anything about it. That guy knew more about women and sex than anyone in the land. If he could talk to anyone, it would be him.