Captive's Return by Deborah Grace White

Author:Deborah Grace White [White, Deborah Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781925898248
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Published: 2020-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Without giving him a chance to reply, she turned and began walking toward the dungeon. She paused for a moment as she saw her aunt hovering nearby, evidently having heard the last of Scarlett and Giles’s conversation. Scarlett had forgotten that Aunt Mariska was present. She couldn’t blame the older woman for failing to intervene in the recent crisis—not all Balenan noblewomen had taken it upon themselves to train in knife fighting after all—but she was glad her aunt had witnessed the confrontation, because Scarlett was done hiding.

The two women locked eyes briefly, but Scarlett didn’t wait to see what her aunt thought about what she had done or said. She wanted to see Jonan, and she wasn’t delaying any longer.

She swept into the castle, through the entryway, and down toward the dungeons without breaking stride. She pushed past a confused and nervous-looking royal guard in order to enter, and was unsurprised to discover a couple of soldiers still lingering in front of Jonan’s cell, trying with their words to inflict the injury Giles had forbidden them from inflicting physically.

“What are you doing here?” one of them demanded rudely, stepping forward to intercept her. “You’re not supposed to be down here.”

“I’m here to speak to my husband,” said Scarlett with icy calm, fingering the hilt of the dagger that she still clutched in one hand. “So get out of my way, or I will force you to choose between being knifed by me, or killing me right now and facing the consequences.”

The soldiers exchanged a glance, then, with one last appraising look at her face, retreated from the dungeon in disorder. Scarlett watched them go with narrowed eyes, turning back toward Jonan when she was satisfied that they had left.

He had been slouched against the wall in apparent nonchalance when she had entered, but had jumped up at sight of her and approached the bars, which he now gripped with both hands. Their eyes met, her face still hard from her showdown with the soldiers. For a moment Jonan was silent, then he broke into a grin.

“You’re never more attractive than when you do that, in case you weren’t aware.”

She held his gaze for a moment longer then, without another word, strode purposefully forward, dropping the dagger to the stone floor with a clatter. She reached through the bars and grabbed the back of his head with one of her hands, winding her fingers through his hair as she pulled him toward her and pressed her lips against his. The cold metal of the bars seemed to sting her temples, but the fire that raced through her from Jonan’s lips was more than worth it.

He reached for her, eagerly, his arms managing to twine around her waist despite their shortened reach. She kissed him fiercely, ferociously, pressing herself against the bars in silent defiance of the barrier that had so unjustly been placed between them.

Her heart was still pounding from the crisis in the courtyard, and the gesture was full of determination, with nothing of goodbye in it.

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