The Beast of the Barrens: a villain romance drawn from Beauty and the Beast by Val Saintcrowe

Author:Val Saintcrowe [Saintcrowe, Val]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Punk Rawk Books
Published: 2021-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ziafiata’s heart was beating so fast that she was sure the man could hear it, but she forced herself to appear outwardly calm. “I’ve never seen you before in my life, sir. Now, there is very little time.” She reached for the boy. “If I do not deliver the child, the consequences I face are severe. Give him to me.”

The man furrowed his brow. “You look like Federo’s daughter herself—Ziafiata Abrusse.”

“Oh!” said Ziafiata, forcing herself to laugh easily. “People say that to me all the time. I’ve never seen her up close. Are we really alike?” She preened, lifting her chin and turning her face this way and that.

The man scrutinized her. “Well… there is a resemblance, yes, but your chin is not quite like hers, I don’t think.”

Ziafiata touched her chin, laughing again. “I think it is a compliment, just the same?”

“Yes, certainly,” said the man gruffly. “You are both quite pretty.” He pushed the boy through the doorway. “I guess you’d best be off, then?”

“I must indeed.” Ziafiata took the boy’s hand, but he wrenched it away from her, looking up at her with a defiant look in his eye. She tried to give him a look with her eyes that communicated all was well, but the boy was having none of it.

“Boy,” said Chevolere in a gruff voice, hand on his pistol. “Take her hand.”

The boy looked up at Chevolere. “I don’t have to do anything you—”

Chevolere suddenly swept the boy up off his feet and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. “Let’s go,” he said.

“Of course.” Ziafiata started after him, casting one glance over her shoulder at the tower and then quickly turning back to Chevolere.

They walked to the end of the block and turned a corner.

“Put him down,” she said to Chevolere.

Chevolere did, and the boy shrank from them.

“It’s all right,” said Ziafiata. “We’re taking you someplace safe.”

* * *

It was nearly dawn by the time it was all settled.

Ziafiata and Chevolere watched the sun rise over the water as they stood on the docks. A boat containing Geolli, his son, and the boy’s mother had just sailed off into the horizon. Chevolere hadn’t been pleased about arranging for the boat or about giving Geolli money to help him get away, but he’d done it when she pressed.

She was less surprised about this than she should have been, she supposed, but somehow, she’d known that she had an influence on Chevolere, that she’d tamed her beast, and that he would do her bidding. She found it gratifying, and she could see that Chevolere found it alarming.

This early the docks were mostly empty. There were a few fisherman setting off in the early morning light, but Rzymn was not a city that thrived on a wholesome commerce such as fishing. There were two types of people in Rzymn—those connected to the Order of the Flamme and those who were connected to Rzymn’s criminal enterprises. Very little existed otherwise.

So, there was no

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.