Cornelius nodded and left the room. Within minutes, six of the guard barreled into the room, each of them taking a stance around her as they had been taught to do. Six lives were worth her one.
It didn’t seem fair.
A person’s life should not be defined by bloodlines, money, or beauty. Yet, her entire life was based off just those things. Sad. For the very thing that defined her ended up being the very thing that had put her life in jeopardy.
For she had committed the ultimate sin.
She had been born.
Footsteps echoed in the distance. Closer they came. She shut her eyes and remembered her father’s face as tears had run down his weathered cheeks. “You must go,” he whispered into her ear as he took his last breath. “You must flee. I lo—”
But he’d never finished saying the words she had longed to hear her entire life. He’d never spoken them aloud, and in his final moments, when she’d needed them the most, God had stolen his very life before he was able to utter them.
The footsteps became louder and louder. The guard tensed around her, forming a tight circle, until finally two very large men entered the room.
Her heart nearly slammed out of her chest for neither of the men were her cousin, which meant one thing and one thing only.
She had been discovered.
And she was going to die.
CHAPTER THREE
I find myself getting more and more irritated with death. It promises to be swift, yet here I stand. It promises silence, yet all I hear is noise. And in the end, it promised me peace, yet all I feel is war. —The Grimm Reaper
MISFITS. EVERY LAST ONE of them. Ash narrowed his eyes at the men forming a circle around who he hoped was said damsel.
These were her royal protectors? Two minutes. He timed it in his head as he glanced at each one of the men. That was how long it would most likely take to render every last one of them unconscious. What the devil had this girl’s parents been thinking? Her fate was practically in the hands of children! Not counting the elderly man who stood directly in front of Ash, the rest of the men couldn’t be over the age of one and twenty!
He cleared his throat.
Seven pairs of eyes shifted to him uncomfortably, but nobody moved a muscle. At least they had that correct. Protect the woman at all costs.
“Who did you say you were?” the elderly man asked.
“I didn’t,” Ash said curtly. “And you need not know. I’m here for a Miss Sofia Snow. Kindly step away before I remove each and every one of you personally.”
“I think he’s serious,” said the young guard standing closest to the elderly man, his eyes widening as if trying to take in Ash’s form.
“He’s always serious,” Pierce said behind him.
Ash rolled his eyes.
Still nobody moved.
“Ridiculous. It is as if you haven’t spoken at all,” Pierce commented with a chuckle. “Losing your touch, Ash? You know what that means.”
“Pierce, I—”
“Retirement. Find a willing woman, impregnate her as soon as possible, and flee to the country. You have officially been neutered.”
“Don’t you mean neutralized?” one of the seven guards piped up.
“Idiot, he means neutered, as in, he’s no longer a man,” a second guard scoffed, shaking his head.
“Will all of you please be quiet? I’m trying to kill him.” A squat guard who rather resembled a troll with an unfortunate tick in his eye crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes toward Ash.
“With what?” The elderly man sneezed and wiped his face.
“His mind,” another voice piped up. “He thinks he can kill people with his mind.”
Well. That did it. Ash gritted his teeth. Hunter, the Duke of Wolverstone had clearly sent him here in order to finally drive him mad.
The elderly man sneezed again, this time nearly toppling over in the process. His pistol slipped from his hands. He bent over to pick it up, giving Ash full view of what the men were so keen on protecting.
Large, almost-purple eyes blinked at him… once, twice. He swallowed and took a cautious step forward, aware that the guards were whispering amongst themselves regarding what they should do. Allow him to see the girl or kill him where he stood?
He didn’t even have the good sense to laugh. Not while his eyes were locked on hers.
Huge. Her eyes were huge. He scanned her full bee-stung lips. Pieces of dark shiny hair hung across perfectly carved high cheekbones. The girl’s dark eyebrows arched as she continued to watch him. He pushed the men aside until he stood just in front of her.
Odd. Every part of her face seemed too large, from her eyes to her lips. Even her nose seemed more pronounced than would be found on such a petite girl. The catch? If one looked at each individual characteristic, one could almost devise that she was flawed in every way. Eyes too big and searching, lips too plump, eyebrows too dark. Truly, she was almost… odd looking.
But when he added all those unique flaws together, and then looked at the girl, really looked at her, he was almost brought to his knees.
For she was absolutely beautiful.
And then she opened her mouth.
“I do not know who you think you are, nor your reasons for being here, but my men will kill you where you stand if you take one more step!”
Her color was high as she thrust her chin into the air.
“Is she serious?” Ash asked aloud, meaning to be thinking it rather than speaking it.
“Yes, she is.” The girl glared.
Ash pressed his lips together and looked down at the ground, fighting off laughter. She truly thought that the seven idiots standing around her could protect her? He lifted an eyebrow and held out his hand. “I won’t ask twice.”
“Good.” She smiled brightly; he exhaled in shock. Two dimples framed her wide mouth. Perfect white teeth blinded him as she gave a brief curtsy. “I did not even want you to ask once.”
Ash looked behind him to see Pierce leaning against the wall examining his glove as if it had sprouted a face. “Are you not going to give me aid?”
“No,” he said simply. “I am quite enjoying myself. Do continue.”
Ash growled and turned back to the woman.
Finally, he spoke first. “I’m here to—”
Her hand went sailing across his face without warning. The slap was loud enough to send a crack through the air.
Ash stood there, stunned, while the sting radiated outward toward his jaw. And then with a war cry straight out of some terrible play, he lunged for the girl and lifted her into his arms, holding the pistol against her head.