Chapter 13 · The Man Behind Us

"Take your hand off me, Cedric, or I swear I'll break it."

His grip tightened around my wrist.

"You can try," he said.

Behind us, the black flags burned along the walls. Fire crawled over the cloth in bright orange lines, and the fortress bells hammered hard enough to shake dust from the beams. Outside, Lucian's army answered with a roar.

Cedric pulled me behind his body as another horn blasted.

"Stay here."

"I'm not furniture."

"Tonight, you're a protected witness. Act like one."

"You announced that in front of your entire army so you could chain me to your command. Don't pretend this is kindness."

His eyes cut down to my mouth. His fingers were still around my wrist. Warm. Firm. Too familiar for a man who claimed not to trust me.

"Kindness would be letting you walk into the courtyard and get shot," he said. "I'm offering orders instead."

"How generous."

A bolt slammed into the stone beside my head.

Cedric shoved me lower. His chest hit my shoulder, hard and hot through our clothes. His other hand went to the sword at his hip.

"You want to keep arguing?" he asked.

"You like it when I argue."