Footsteps. Multiple of whatever was approaching.
I held my breath as he shifted his body in the direction of the sounds, and three males appeared just beyond some trees. Males we knew.
Those bastards from Serpent’s Cove.
Damnit! This is why you don’t fuck with them!
“Oh, please don’t stop on our account,” the male whom Quill had stared down chimed, his oily, dark hair rustling in the wind. “It seemed like you two were rather enjoying yourselves.”
I felt sick.
How long were they watching us?
“We don’t want any trouble.” Quill gritted, clenching the handle of his sword.
“Really?” The man looked to both of his comrades. “Cause when you stared us down earlier, it sure seemed like you wanted trouble.” They inched in closer to Quill, and I made to move out of the pond to stand by him.
“Stay, Lena,” Quill barked.
I froze, and the men laughed. “You know,” the dark-haired one continued, “you pompous asses from the Inner Ring think you’re so much better than us.” He chuckled. “Well, not above fucking one of us.” His eyes gleamed with desire as he shifted his gaze toward me. “She is rather fuckable, isn’t she?” He grinned, exposing yellow, crooked teeth.
I tensed. These men were pigs.
“If you know what’s best for you, you will leave here immediately.” Quill’s tone was nothing but calm fury.
“Ooh, that sounds like a threat, doesn’t it, boys?”
The men smirked and drew their weapons. The dark-haired one and the one with a long beard drew swords, and the more petite man wielded a dagger.
“You know what we should do? Drag that bitch from the pond, plow her, and force him to watch.”
Quill’s face paled, his eyes glowing with intense rage. He bared his teeth, and he swung at their leader.
The man fumbled back, angling his sword to a fighting position. “You’ve made a big mistake.”
Quill gave a sinister grin. “We'll see about that.”
Quill attacked in the blink of an eye, his movements smooth and precise, like a true warrior. All three men dived for him at once, Quill dodging their movements until the one with the dagger dragged it across Quill’s chest. I gasped as blood began to flow from the wound.
“Quill!” I cried and went to exit the pond to help.
“Stay put!” he snarled. It took everything in me not to jump out. How could he expect me to sit back and do nothing?
He performed a series of movements, sword clashing against sword until Quill found an opening and impaled the one with a beard in his chest. Blood spurted out of his mouth.
Holy shit.
My breathing staggered, watching Quill withdraw his sword from the man’s chest. The man slumped to the ground, a pool of blood forming underneath him.
“You bastard!” The one with the dagger bellowed and charged once again at Quill, simultaneously as their leader. Quill held up his sword and blocked both of their blows at once, then kicked the legs of the man with the sword out from underneath him. He then twirled his own sword and stabbed the man with the dagger right in his neck, a sickening amount of blood spilling out.
The leader glanced at Quill in fear, which quickly turned to anguish as he raised his sword again.
“When I’m through with you, I’ll make sure she suffers,” he spat, ticking his head towards me.
Quill growled as their swords clashed once more. His chest was still bleeding, but he fought as if nothing were hurt. It was clear just how much Otacian soldier training he had. He moved gracefully, like someone who would quickly ascend the ranks.
The man knocked into Quill, causing him to fumble back, leaving a perfect opening for the man to strike him.
