202 Angry King

RETH

When Lucine came at him this time, Reth used a lightning-fast knife hand to take her at the throat. She dropped coughing and choking as he whirled to meet the snarling attack from Lerrin coming in behind.

But Lerrin had stopped, his eyes open in shock, watching his sister struggle to breathe. Then his eyes snapped to Reth's and his lip curled up in a disgusted sneer.

"She will live," Reth panted, his hands up, ready to block whatever attack Lerrin was preparing to throw.

"Life under your rule is no life at all!" Lerrin screamed. "You would use her, shame her, then break her body?"

Howls rose from the crowd, snarls, barks, and hisses. Reth's heart went cold. He wiped the blood from his brow and snorted the scent of it from his nose.