Have No Mercy (7 page)

Larrison strolled forward, and I
held my ground until I realized his intention of touching me. I backed up in
retreat until my legs bumped into a bench. He laughed.

“Don’t be afraid, rabbit.”

I shifted and continued my withdrawal
from wicked glint in his eye. “I’m not afraid. I just haven’t had my tetanus
shot.”

His brows knitted together.
Obviously, the joke was lost on him… or not. His eyes darkened, and the slight
curve to his mouth flattened.

"I suggest you get with the
program or..." His voice morphed into something sinister. "I could
leave you here. No one would ever find you."

I huffed. “I’ll just follow the
path I came in.”

His hand rose, palm up. Leaves
rattled, and I took a chance glancing over my shoulder. The hedges filled in
where I’d entered. Within a few seconds, all the exits were gone and new ones
popped up.

“Not every path leads to
freedom.”

My molars ground together as I
got with the program. I had a job to do and people to protect. Flynn might be a
total ass, but he wouldn't leave Fairy without me. Luke would be... I couldn't'
let that thought take root. I swallowed my pride.

“What is it you want from me?” I
asked while turning to face him head on.

Closer than I thought, I didn’t
have to look very far up to meet his eye.

“Give me a chance to get to know
you.” He shifted towards one of the statues with his hands behind his back as
if he were inspecting his work.

"I love it here," he
added, calm back in his voice as if our previous words hadn’t been uttered. He
focused on the sculpture in front of him. Finally, I followed suit. I sucked in
a lung full of air. It resembled a life like a person frozen with raw terror or
agony on its face. I glanced to the next one a few feet away. It held up
clenched fists as if it had been trying to fight from being encased in a block
of ice. Another, several more feet away, had its arms to either side of its
body as if they had been ice-covered so fast, it had been taken unawares.

“The sculptures aren’t chiseled
ice, are they?”

Larrison watched me with a sick
grin that took up far too much of his face. "Well, I have to give it to
you. You figured it out much faster than most."

His pale hand reached up to cup
my cheek, and I held myself steady, unsure how to respond.

I shifted and turned my head to
get a view of all the once living art. I had yet to determine the gender of all
the victims, when it became too late. Larrison’s icy thumb roved over my lips
with firm pressure as if he was trying to wipe something off of them.

“Mercy isn’t it?” His question
threw me off. I thought for sure I would be fighting off his advance.

When I only nodded, he added,
“That’s a far cry from Clemency.”

I almost choked even though my
mouth had already gone dry. So our Fey guides had worked for Winter. Or had our
presence been announced to both Madeline and Tatiana?

“Clemency means Mercy.” The truth
was easier than I lie, and I kept it simple. No point of explaining any more
than necessary.

“So which is it? Clemency or
Mercy?”

“Whichever you prefer.” There was
no flirtation in my tone. It was a flat statement. I wasn’t going to play into
his game.

“I prefer to call you mine.” He
moved like an icy breeze and shifted in front of me. His hand slid down my back
and pressed me close. “Nadir or Flynn, whatever you call him, he is just a boy.
With me, you could rule a kingdom.”

It felt like beetles were
crawling over my skin as he threaded his fingers in my hair. His hold was
tight, and I ran through all the scenarios of how to get me out of my
circumstance.

“What about Madeline?” Was he
even scared of her?

“What about mother?”

Eyes like onyx bore into mine.
Was he trying to read me or glamour me? I still didn’t know if they were
capable of that talent. However, I didn’t work, and I didn’t answer. I wouldn’t
have him use my words against me when I freed myself from his hold.

“She doesn’t matter anyway. If I
produce an heir first, Winter will bow to me.”

His thin lips came crashing down
towards mine like a wrecking ball. My hand shielded his unwanted advance like a
barrier. When he tried to remove it, I shoved my palm up with a resounding
crack at impact. Blue liquid poured through his fingers as he cupped his broken
nose.

If I had been smart, I would have
allowed him to kiss me. But instinct won over common sense, and I automatically
stepped back unable to wipe off the revulsion from my expression.

"Human. How dare you look
upon me like I'm vile."

Backtracking, I groped for words.
What would Madeline do when she found out what I’d done to her son? "I'm
sorry. I'm... I'm married. I can't do this to my husband."

It was a weak excuse, but I had
to try and fix things. Being beheaded or imprisoned wouldn’t help me get
Tristrom to Amavara or get me to the in between to find Luke. When had I become
such a hot head, striking without thinking?

He curled fingers around my upper
arm and the other hand in my hair. He shoved me back, and I stumbled to gather
myself. I decided I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I lifted my fist when his
hand landed hard on my sternum. I staggered back and ended up on a short marble
square. His hand waved at my fist. Instantly, they felt like lead with gravity
becoming another enemy. I glanced down to see them weighted down in ice. His
hand then aimed at my feet. Before I could make a move to run, ice held me in
place.

"You don't understand,"
I cried out, knowing my fate as the evidence of his fury, which lined either
side of the path.

A dark chuckled punctuated his
words. "You had a chance." His voice was laced with bitter sarcasm.
"I even gave you a second chance unlike the rest here."

I thought about how he'd adjusted
the hedges with a wave of his hand. My best shot was to be left there. Someone
might find me. Before that thought filled my mind, the ice had reached my
knees. My teeth chattered, but I kept my lips closed. Would my death feel like
drowning? Would the ice fill my lungs or would my heart just burst from lack of
oxygen?

Larrison clasped his hands behind
his back and gave me one last perusal of my body before he shook his head.

“You were different, your body a
work of art. A shame, but at least some will be able to view you like I did.”

I said nothing only watched him
straighten his navy jacket. Blue spots stained his white pants making him look
like a general back from battle. Did he know how much he resembled Napoleon? He
certainly acted like someone who thought he ruled the world, not to mention his
words.

As he walked away, I didn't cry
out. There was no use. He would likely freeze my mouth shut. And there might
still be a chance if after he left, I could call for help. I didn't even bother
struggling anymore. The hold the ice had on me was absolute. I needed to
conserve energy or give into my continued failures.

Flash frozen up to my midsection;
I began taking shallow breaths. My strategy was to keep my chest expanded
enough to have room to still breathe once the ice reached my neck. As it crept
higher, I knew it didn't matter. This ice wasn't going to slow. And it would be
moments not minutes before I lost my life. Could it be that easy to die?

It was a dumb question. It had
only taken a second for a sword entered the chest of Luke from behind. He had
been unable to speak, and I had been too stunned to tell him how much I loved
him before he was gone.

Stupid fat tears fell down my
cheeks. Oddly, as they dropped onto the magical ice, it receded as if it feared
the salty concoction. Confused, the steady rain from my eyes turned into a
drizzle, which was a mistake. Somehow I needed to cry to give myself a fighting
chance.

Cackling laughter broke into my
thoughts. I wanted to shout, but I feared the ice would take hold and squeeze
my lungs until I could no longer breathe. As if scripted, my knight and shiny
charmer came around the corner, and his blue eyes immediately found me.

He stopped, but the giggles
behind him continued to grow closer. Without a word or anything to acknowledge
my circumstance, he turned and stepped back into the shadows. That helped the
tears rage forward and kept the ice at bay. Was he really that mad at me, he'd
let me die? The laughter began to recede and all hopes of being rescued died
with their retreat.

I closed my eyes and tried to
fight my solid prison. However, the more I moved, the more the ice took hold.

"How the hell did this happen?"

The world came into focus as my
eyes popped open. Flynn stood in front of me with a fist prepared to strike. I
didn’t have time to brace for the blow, but it didn’t matter. He shook his
hand, and I noticed his split knuckles as blood rushed forth.

"Does it matter?" I
whispered feeling the ice grip at my chest. I couldn't afford to speak again. I
shook my head in frustration.

Not one to give up, he stepped
back. Concentration filled his face as his hand reared back. He let fly a solid
punch that rattled my frozen prison, but did nothing but split his knuckles
further. My head jolted back, and the ice swiftly moved up covering my neck and
up into my hair. At that point, my tears were the only thing keeping my face
ice free.

There was nothing he could do,
and I didn't want him to be here and see me die. None of it was his fault.
Again the blame rested solely on me. I didn't want him to harbor any guilt.

“Stop,” I whispered as he
prepared for another strike. "I'm sorry."

My watery guilt continued to combat
the ice. But I couldn't cry forever.

Flynn stepped closer. "What
did you say?"

The anguish on his face wrenched
more liquid from my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I repeated

He stepped up on the marble
platform and got in my face. "I won't let you go." His warm hands
cupped my cheeks before he boldly moved in and kissed me.

By god this time I kissed him
back. Damn everything else, if I were going to die, I would stop denying my
feelings for him. They didn't at all diminish what I felt for Luke. That had to
be the silver lining in all of this. Would I get to see Luke on the other side?

Suddenly, Flynn's hands cupped my
neck before gliding down my arms as we moved back together. Pressed against a
hedge, branches dug into my skin, and nothing mattered. I wanted his warmth
around me to thaw my feeling of being a human Popsicle. My hands went to his
hair where it had grown out some more. He still hadn't had it shaved despite
how cleaned up he appeared. From what I’d glanced, his duds mirrored Larrison’s
except his were ivory and gold. When his deft hands started to tug at the
fastenings at the back of my bodice, I finally got it.

"I'm free," I muttered
against his urgent mouth.

A clap came from behind us. Flynn
was slow to pull away like it hurt him to do so. There was pain in his eyes
before he turned to face whoever was behind us.

"I must say, I didn't
believe it."

"Believe what?" Flynn
asked and his voice matched the frosty tone of Larrison, who stood with genuine
glee curled around his eyes.

"Mother thought you were lying."

"Lying about what."
Flynn hadn't moved from his protective position in front of me. His hand held
mine fiercely as if he wouldn't ever let go.

"Well, that you two were
really together, of course."

Flynn snarled, and I moved from
behind him. "And how does this prove anything." My mind wasn't
working. When Flynn kissed me, my brain had short-circuited.

"The ice was enchanted. Much
like your human fairytale of sleeping beauty, only the kiss of one's true love
would break it. And you two did it fantastically. I gather, had I not shown up;
you would have her the ride of her life."

I ignored Larrison’s rude
statements. I was more concerned about the others. Had what he said meant that
those in the ice were still alive? I wasn't sure if I'd wish that fate on
anyone. I think I'd rather had been dead.

"This isn't some
fairytale," Flynn spit out.

"Oh, but that's where you
are wrong. Where do you think fairytales come from?" Larrison’s sneer was
at odds with the gleam of something in his eyes.

"This was a test?" I
asked indignantly.

"Not so much for you. If you
would have accepted my offer, I would have gladly not put you through
that." He waved his hand at the ice that lay in shards were I'd stood not
moments before.

"Offer?" Flynn asked
glancing between us.

Larrison's mouth curled smugly.
"You know, much like Mother's offer to you."

My mouth opened, and I turned
sharply to wait for Flynn to deny it. "What offer?" I asked as pain
filled my chest.

"What difference does it
make? It was take her offer or your death."

Larrison laughed, and I hated him
more for it.

Flynn’s hands flexed as he
stepped closer. “You keep your hands off her.”

Larrison's mirth actually made
him look more approachable. Too bad I knew better. “I’ve already had my hands
on her and I plan to do it again.”

Flynn’s arm jacked back, and I
moved to grip his bulging bicep to stop him from doing something stupid.
“Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

The Fey Prince stood waiting for
Flynn to strike. Flynn was a beast in a fight, but the Fey had easily immobilized
me with less than a thought. The array of statues lined either side of the path
was a testament to his power. Since Larrison had yet to act, I had to assume he
was under orders not to harm us. Provoking him would only give him a reason to
harm us.

Flynn’s anger simmered just at
the surface. He wanted a fight but saw reason without me explaining it.

"Ladies," Larrison
crooned, breaking the stareoff first. That's when I noticed our audience. I
couldn't be sure that the pack of Fey girls were the ones with Flynn earlier.
But they didn't look at all happy. Larrison rounded them up and without further
comment led them through an exit leaving Flynn and I alone.

I moved in front of him gaining
his attention. “What was the offer?”

"I already told you; it doesn’t
matter."

I wasn't able to answer because
he wasn't done.

"What does is that I'm here,
aren't I. I'm helping you on your quest to find your boyfriend." There was
ugliness in the way he said boyfriend. "If I weren't here, you'd be dead
already and I would have lost you both." He threw his hands up. "What
do you want from me?"

There was so much frustration and
anguish in his last question. It made me wonder even more what he’d agreed to
in exchange for my life. And oh yeah, there was that little bit about him and I
and true love. I hadn’t missed that. Had he? I moved towards him and reached
out.

"Don't." Everything
about his stance, from his half turn away from me to his fisted hands, screamed
that his word was final.

“What? Why do we keep fighting?”

He just shook his head.

“I want you,” I blurted.

That got his attention. His eye
only narrowed, and his expression went from flat to downright grim. I begged
him with my eyes as I bit down on my words. There was too much between us, and
I was hurting him no matter what I did.

He licked his lips and god if I
couldn’t get that kiss out of my head. “For how long? Until you get Luke back
and then what?”

“That’s not fair,” I protested.

“None of this has been fair to me
since the day you walked into my life.”

He didn’t wait for a response. He
pivoted and walked away from me, again.

"Flynn," I cried out,
but he didn't turn back.

 I fell to my knees not caring if
I destroyed the perfect dress. I pulled at tufts of my hair and let out a
scream, releasing all the pressure from the emotions I'd bottled up for days. I
had no tears. Those were all dried up.