14 Thats Not His Magic (2/2)
She bit her lip, heat rising to her cheeks. But he didn't read them! she reminded herself. Ilun growled, the sound vibrating against her side. Her touch kept Lehan form hearing it but she considered releasing him.
”It's just as well, I haven't any interests in reading what you have to say,” he said, ”My brother still hopes to bring peace between the two kingdoms. I say he's a fool. War is good, don't you think? Fear and pain are food for nightmares. You should know that now that you're part of the family.”
She forced air out of her mouth and one foot to move in front of the other. The jewel pulsed urging her forward.
”But enough of that,” he grabbed her and spun her in a mock dance, ”I wanted you to know how excited I was to hear that there would be a ball for your wedding.”
She looked up confused, her feet stumbling over themselves, his face a cruel smile above her. He's not as large as Arren, she thought as she tried to push away but he was still larger and stronger than her. She glanced panicked at Ilun as her hand fell from his fur.
Ilun lunged at the prince. No hesitation in his attack, his jaws wide, ready to strike. The blade, falling from the empty air pierced his skull, pinning him to the floor. She screamed silently, fighting against Lehan. He laughed.
He spun her around, pressing his arm over her chest, pinning her to him. ”Oh don't cry over a simple construct. I'm sure my brother will make you another, maybe one that knows its place a bit better. It's your wedding announcement, but it doesn't have to be you know,” his whispered into her ear, his hand traveling over her breasts and down to her stomach, the thick skirts stopping his advance.
”You can become mine. Not my wife, but maybe my mistress,” his fingers were traveled back to her neck, feeling for her quick heartbeat. ”Seeing you the other day, dressed as a princess, it cast new light over you. Maybe I've been a bit to hasty.”
Isilla, panicked, and tried to turn her face back to Ilun but Lehan's fingers were like iron against her neck and jaw, holding them in place. He lowered his head and she felt the hot, wet press of his tongue on her skin.
Movement pulled her eyes back to Ilun. The animal's paws twitched as it fought to lift itself. It pushed against the weapon until it became free of the floor. He stumbled, the blade still lodged in his head and he shook it, quickly, his head changing, splitting until the snout became a wide, gaping maw, all teeth and long, wet tongue.
The sword slid down his gullet, the magic of it engulfed in whatever darkness was the beast's innards.
Ilun roared and advanced. Lehan let go of her and stepped back. Running to the animal she buried her face in his shifting furs. ”You have to calm down,” she hissed at him. ”You can't do anything or he'll hurt you again!” The animal stilled and whined, sitting his body in front of her, to block Lehan from reaching her again.
”That is not my brother's magic,” he said slowly, inspecting Ilun as his brother had with thin tendrils of shadow. Isilla stood very still and watched them, still gripping Ilun's neck.
They're different,she thought as they brushed by her. She couldn't pinpoint how but there was something in the touch of them that differed from Arren's.
Without another word he pulled his own shadows back and bowed, ”Good day, Princess.”
He moved away from her down the hall in the opposite direction. Ilun's eyes tracked him and she could feel his muscles tensing to run, to strike but he stayed under her hand, stilled by her touch.
The necklace turned her away from the direction that Lehan had gone, the subtle directions of the necklace leading her away from him. She followed its pulsing through the halls until she reached a door and the necklace stopped.
She frowned at the closed door. She didn't want to just walk in but there was no way for her to knock. She looked over at Ilun but then decided against using him. His claws or hooves would ruin the wood.
I'm expected, she thought nervously. Frowning she turned the knob and pushed the door open.