Bastial Steel (14 page)

He didn’t know what to say either.

“What do you want with us?” Jessend finally muttered.

“I’m trying to figure that out, you bitch. Shut up and let me think.” His hands shook as he growled again. He grabbed the knife from his belt and waved it at Jessend. “Get over here.”

Cleve grabbed her arm. “She stays right here until you tell us what’s happening.”

Kasko shouted into his arm to muffle it. He raised the knife to his elbow and cut himself, a thin slit. Then he pointed the bloody knife at Cleve. “Take the potion now.”

Cleve noticed Jessend examining it.

She gasped. “Don’t drink that, Cleve.”

“What is it?”

“Mekio poison.”

Kasko whistled softly. “You’re smart, pretty girl. Too bad you’re such a whore, and your father’s on the wrong side of war.”

“This is illegal.” She pointed to it. “Very illegal. Where did you even get the mekio plants?”

He showed her a bored look, demonstrating he thought the question was even stupid to ask. “You’re going to drink some after Cleve, and you have no one to blame but your whore self for that.” He gritted his teeth and swung the knife in their direction. “Bastial hell, I can’t believe you would do this to me!”

Cleve figured he’d have no better time than then. He grabbed the small bed table and jumped in front of Jessend. “Stay behind me,” he told her.

Kasko shifted the crossbow into position to shoot, and Cleve moved the small table with it. Kasko raised his weapon, so Cleve did the same with the table.

“You really think you can move that in front of my arrow? Put down the table and take the potion, fool.” Kasko was moving to the side now, trying to get a better angle. Cleve crept toward him, using his other hand to make sure Jessend stayed behind him.

Kasko looked like he wanted to grin but couldn’t quite get his lips to twist right. His face showed nervousness, at least far more of it than Cleve felt, the table steady in his hands. He raised and lowered it with each shift of the crossbow.

“I’m going to give you until the count of three to let go of the table and take the potion,” Kasko muttered angrily.

Each man continued to slowly circle the room, Jessend staying close behind Cleve.

“One…” Kasko said.

“Guards!” Jessend shouted. “Guards! Guards! Guards!”

“Bitch!” Kasko shouted back. There was a
twang
and a loud
thrum
as the arrow was fired into Cleve’s table.

He rushed at Kasko, but the little man was quick, jumping to the side and slashing at Cleve with the knife. It nicked his arm, making him drop the table by accident.

Kasko dropped the crossbow and furiously rushed at him, clearly skilled with the knife as he swung it with careful but quick motions. Cleve found himself stumbling over tables, chairs—he couldn’t take his eyes off Kasko’s attempts to drive the blade into his body.

Jessend tried to smash a chair over Kasko’s head, only he saw it coming and jumped backward. The moment she saw she’d failed, she fled toward Cleve, positioning herself behind him again.

Guards started pounding on the door. Then Cleve heard the distinct sound of kicking at it. As quick as a rat running into a hole, Kasko scampered to the ground-floor window and dove out headfirst.

Cleve knew that just outside the window was a dirt walkway that was still within the palace walls, but there were dozens of escape routes Kasko could take.

Knowing he would be unable to fit in the tight opening that the small man had jumped through, Cleve furiously tried to open the window more. But it was stuck. Then he remembered Kasko had been doing something to it earlier.

“It’s glued shut!” Cleve shouted to the guards who’d now broken in.

“It was Kasko!” Jessend shouted to them. “He went out the window.”

“Kasko Lage?” They both stopped with a curious glance at the Princess, thinking she’d misspoken.

“Yes!” Jessend screamed in desperation.

“Are you sure it wasn’t someone who looked like him?” The guards waited, one of them still eyeing Cleve as if he could be their enemy.

“Yes, you idiots. Hurry!”

They ran to Cleve and pushed him aside, grunting as one tried to open the window. He gave up after a breath and started using his sword to strike the glass. There were explosions of noise as the steel began to crack through. Anyone nearby who’d been sleeping surely would be up soon, if they weren’t already.

When enough of the glass had shattered, the guard started to climb through, calling behind him, “Go the other way. Tell them not to let anyone through the exits!”

“Not to let
Kasko
through the exits!” Jessend shouted to correct them. But both guards already were gone by the time she’d finished.

Cleve was moving back toward the window in order to climb out when Jessend grabbed his arm, shouting, “What are you doing?”

“Going after him.”

“You don’t have any shoes. There’s broken glass everywhere. You might not even be able to fit through that window. And you’re not even wearing a shirt or pants!” She gestured at him, her face still fearful he might not be listening. “You’ll probably get lost looking for Kasko, with your half-naked body ending up in some poor woman’s room!” She pulled him away from the window.

Cleve sighed and began to feel his racing heart slowing back to normal. Jessend pushed herself against his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

She began to cry, so he held her tight.

“I won’t let him hurt you,” he told her. Cleve could feel her hot tears down his naked chest and stomach.

“I hate him so much.”

“Me, too. But there’s no more hiding for him. After this, everyone’s going to know the truth about him.”

Jessend let out a shaky breath and then a sniffle. “Will you walk me back to my room? I want to see Lisanda, make sure he didn’t go that way.”

“Of course. Just let me put some clothes on.”

Jessend shook her head with a sniffle, letting out half a weep and a laugh. “No, don’t.” She showed him a smile as she wiped her eyes. “I like you like this, and I want to see what the guards think when you walk down the halls wearing nothing but your underwear.” She laughed and then pressed up against him, kissing his chest.

Reflexively, he kissed the top of her head.

She looked up, putting her arms around his neck. Gazing into her dark brown eyes in the dim light did something to him. His body was still acting on its own, as if it still was ready for battle—perhaps even craving it.

No thoughts crossed his mind. So when he bent down and pressed his lips against hers, the first thing he felt was shock. They each pulled away, a loud smack of their lips parting. She looked to be just as surprised as he was.

Unsure why, his hands reached behind her thighs to hoist her up. She jumped with him, wrapping her legs around his waist. They kissed again, this time their lips moving frantically.

Cleve carried her toward the bed as their lips pressed and squeezed. There were still no thoughts, only pleasure. It felt like a cold drink of water after a long, dry day. The gulps would happen on their own without choice, just like how Cleve’s mouth was moving then.

Cleve found the bed with his knees, moving himself and Jessend to its head where he slowly let her down and him with her.

She grabbed his hair, letting out a windy exhale when his hand found her breast. With her legs still around him, she pulled him lower, and soon he was pressing himself against her.

A girl cleared her throat from the doorway, and Cleve felt his body rip apart from Jessend’s.

Bastial hell, what just happened?

“I heard there was an intruder in Cleve’s room.” Lisanda had her eyes on the window, purposefully avoiding Cleve and Jessend on the bed. “I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. Do you want me to shut the door?”

Jessend rolled off the bed and jumped to her sister. “No, silly.” She whispered something and then dragged Lisanda out of the room.

Cleve waited, unsure what to think or do, even unsure if she would come back. He wanted to get up and put some clothes on, but he had to wait. Jessend had left the door open and there was nothing he could do to hide what was bulging in his underwear.

Jessend returned as he was throwing his shirt over his head. She shut the door behind her. “I don’t know what happened there. Do you?”

Cleve shook his head, putting his pants on next.

“Maybe I was just so relieved by the truth of Kasko coming out.” It was rare to see Jessend shy or embarrassed, but she seemed to be both at that moment as she looked at the rug between them. She kept her eyes low, her voice near a whisper. “Does this mean you like me?” She paused for a breath. “You know…I could feel you pushing against me.”

“I don’t know what it means, but Reela—” Cleve stopped himself, realizing he didn’t know what he was even going to say. Her name had come out on its own.

“Reela?” Jessend tilted her head.

“I think I need time to think about this more.” No thoughts were coming then. There was just emotion, and so much of it Cleve couldn’t figure out which feeling was the strongest. He had shame for his lust, yet continued attraction toward Jessend. He felt honor for stopping Kasko, but disgust for losing control of himself with Jessend after.

Then there was a torrent of other feelings gusting around his heart that he had no hope of stopping long enough to distinguish the difference between them.

“What about you? Did this change anything for you?” Cleve asked, dearly hoping it hadn’t.

Jessend pursed her lips, studying Cleve’s face with a slight squint. “I’m not sure.” She approached slowly. “But I think we should find out right now, right here.” She stopped just before him, putting a hand on his shoulder and then sliding it up. He felt the chill when her small hands found the same position they had before—meeting at the back of his neck.

A fear passed through his skin, rattling his heart. It reminded him of Reela, when they’d first met and he was still scared of what she did to him. Jessend moved her hand to his cheek, clearly wanting a kiss, but he wouldn’t lean down. Luckily, she was too short to reach him without his cooperation.

“Don’t you think it’s worth it to see if things have changed between us?” Jessend asked.

Cleve didn’t, yet he couldn’t pull away. The thought of hurting Jessend was painful, especially when he wanted the same thing as she did. But the fear that came with losing control of himself was even worse.

He felt his heart continuing to speed up. Dizziness came next.
She’s making me weak, just like Reela.

Jessend put a hand over his heart, showing a face of shock. “It’s beating so hard.” She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s just a kiss, Cleve. How can you be fearless when a madman aims a crossbow at you, yet you quiver in terror at my approaching lips?”

He felt himself calming. It could’ve been her touch, maybe her mocking look, or perhaps her words alone had done it. Whatever it was, all the fear had been drained.
It’s just a kiss, stupid.
Cleve could almost hear her voice in his head.

He let out a relieved smile, moved his hand behind her small head to grasp it firmly, and leaned down. She went to her toes to reach him, but she turned away and fell back to her heels with a laugh before their lips touched. He started laughing as well, unsure why.

She shook her head and tried moving her hands to a different position on his chest. She gazed into his eyes and smiled. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so amused.” He leaned down again, and they kissed just for a blink before she erupted in laughter again and stepped away. Cleve couldn’t stop himself from laughing with her.

“It feels like I’m kissing my brother again!” Jessend was doubled over in hilarity, shaking her head.

Cleve suddenly felt like himself again, strong and in control. There was no yearning to lock lips with Jessend. All of the hot desire had cooled.

“Does it feel that way for you?” she asked.

“It does.”

“Well, at least we know now. Come on.” She started toward the door. “Let’s find out what happened with Kasko.”

Chapter 12

A summons from the King brought Cleve, Jessend, and Lisanda to one of the many grand dining rooms. Although it was the middle of the night, Danvell still wore his crown over a white and gold gown. Servers brought in crackers, apples, cheese, and wine.

“Kasko still hasn’t been found,” the King said in a solemn tone. “He’s either hiding somewhere in the palace or he escaped before the exits were sealed.” He turned to Cleve. “Can you describe what happened?”

Jessend folded her arms. “I already told you what happened, Father.”

“I’d like to hear it from Cleve.”

Jessend leaned toward Cleve and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, “My own father doesn’t believe me.”

“I do,” Danvell explained. “I would just
also
like to hear it from Cleve.

“I don’t make up stories anymore. I would never lie about something like this. I haven’t ever lied about Kasko!”