‘We’ll take him to the palace,’ theman he’d been kissingdeclared. He held Rory steady and looked into his unfocused eyes. ‘Do not fear. I shall take you to a healer.’
What? No you bloody won’t,Rory tried to reply. But his tongue was thick in his mouth and his limbs weren’t obeying him either. Inexplicably, his entire body began to itch.
‘Here, take his other arm.’ Together, theman he’d been kissingand his friend looped Rory’s arms round their shoulders and proceeded to half-carry, half-drag him out of the club.
I’m being kidnapped,Rory’s mind hazily registered.
His legs could only wobble forward, helpless to do anything other than follow their own momentum. For a split-second Rory’s muddled brain thought Simon might save him, butTheLoch-Up’sstalwart bouncer was busy with a cigarette and not particularly interested in any inebriated soul who wasleavingthe club.
Rory endeavoured to break free of his captors’ grip, but he only succeeded in careening into the shoulder of theman he’d been kissing.
‘This way, friend,’ theman he’d been kissingsaid gently, hoisting him upright again.
Rory blearily forced his mouth and tongue to work together. ‘Did yuh… spike muh drink?’
‘Did you catch that, Neacel?’
‘No, Your Highness. Something about a drink?’
Rory definitely felt like he’d been drugged. ‘Where’s yuh… takin’… me?’ he slurred pathetically. The thumping in his chest drowned out the sound of his own voice.
‘Home,’ theman he’d been kissingreplied firmly.
That sounds good,Rory’s dazed brain agreed.Except,he wanted to tell them,my home’s in the other direction.
They seemed to be steering him towards the harbour.
‘Are you sure, Your Highness? Someone might see us,’ said the shorter of the pair.
‘We should get him into the water as fast as possible. He’s clearly unwell and I can’t allow him to suffer a minute more.’
Rory’s feet lifted off the ground. Theman he’d been kissingpicked him up like a baby in order to navigate the steps down to the jetty. Rory’s body fizzed louder at the close contact; he worried he might even be vibrating in the man’s arms.
He was put down again, left to sit on the wooden boards while the two strangers removed their clothes.
Removed their clothes?
What thefuckwas happening?
Perhaps it was the effect of the cold air sobering him up, or a sudden awareness of the whole situation that allowed hard, logical panic to pierce through Rory’s haze. Just as theman he’d been kissingtugged off his kilt, Rory made a desperate scramble for the stairs.
His legs buckled immediately and he slipped on the wet boards. The dark shape of theman he’d been kissingloomed over him, blocking out the moonlight. Rory squawked a horrified yelp. He scrambled backwards on his arse and promptly fell off the side of the jetty.
If Rory had been sober, he’d have remembered to prepare for the way the freezing water would force the air from his lungs. He was used to swimming in the ocean. Was a strong swimmer, even—but not when all his neurons were still misfiring and his muscles weren’t answering their calls.
He sank like a damn stone, limbs locked by shock.
Now I’m going to drown,Rory thought dimly.I’ve done nothing with my life and now it’s going to end underwater withno one around to notice except two fucking weirdos who were probably going to kill me anyway.
The clarity of this thought pulled Rory back into a space of lucidity. He willed his legs to kick and his arms to thrash for the surface. He broke into air heaving deep lungfuls of precious oxygen, unable to hear anything over the drumming sound of his blood rushing in his ears.
Rory managed to find the edge of the jetty and clung onto it. He didn’t have the strength to lift himself out yet, but at least he was breathing.
A pair of hands gently grasped his shoulders from behind.
‘You are going the wrong way,’ said theman he’d been kissing. The silver-haired prick was submerged to his neck, effortlessly treading water like the bitter temperature was nothing. While naked. ‘We’ll carry you again if you are unable to swim.’
He then tried to tug Rory away from the jetty. Not daring to risk his grip, Rory lashed out with his legs instead, aiming to kick the guy in his nads. ‘You’re fuckin’ crazy,’ Rory gasped.
