Аманда Хокинг - Torn

“And yet you come into my room, alone?” Loki asked. He leaned back, propping himself up with his arms and watched me.

“You know how powerful I am,” I countered.

“Touché.”

“The King put you to guard me because of how strong you are,” I said. “You let me go.”

“Is that a question?” Loki looked away and picked a piece of lint off his black shirt.

“No. I know that you did.” I kept looking at him, hoping that would make him give something away, but his expression only grew sullen and bored. “I want to know why you let me go.”

“Princess, when you came into my room, I thought you wanted to play, not talk politics.” He pouted and rolled onto his side, so he could stare up at me despondently.

“Loki, I’m being serious,” I scoffed.

“So am I.” Loki sat up straight, but since he’d rolled onto his side, he’d moved much closer to me. He put one hand on the bed, and it rested right behind me, so his arm brushed against my back.

“Why won’t you tell me why you let me go?” I asked, forcing my voice to stay even as I looked into his eyes.

“Why do you want to know so badly?” he asked, his voice deep and serious.

“Because.” I swallowed. “I need to know if you’re playing some kind of game.”

“And what if I am?” He kept his eyes locked on mine, but he raised his chin, defiant. “Will you have them kill me?”

“No, of course not,” I said. He tilted his head, examining me.

“You’re actually appalled by the idea,” Loki realized.

“Yes, I am. Now will you tell me why you let me go?”

“Probably for the same reason you don’t want to kill me.”

“I don’t understand.” I wanted to shake my head, but I was too afraid to break eye contact with him. I wasn’t using persuasion on him or anything, but I was keeping his attention, and if I lost that, he might stop talking.

“I think you do, Princess.” The corner of one side of his mouth curled a bit, and he leaned in closer to me. For a moment, I was afraid he might kiss me, but he stopped just short of it. “I wanted to know that when you stayed, you did it because you wanted to, not because you had to.” He paused. “And right now, you’re not moving.”

“I-I-” I tried to stutter out some kind of response, and I looked away and jumped up off the bed.

“Now who’s the one playing games?” Loki sighed. He leaned back on the bed and watched me.

“I needed to know why.” I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my chest. “That’s not the real reason, is it?”

“Wendy!” Duncan shouted from down the hall, and I turned to see Finn standing in the doorway, glowering at both Loki and me.

“Princess, you need to leave his room immediately,” Finn said. His voice sounded even, but I could hear the rage seething beneath.

“What is that about, by the way?” Loki asked, giving me a confused look. “Why are these trackers telling you what to do all the time? You’re almost Queen. You have dominion over everything.”

“I suggest you keep your mouth shut before I shut it for you, Vittra.” Finn glared at Loki, and his eyes burned. Loki, for his part, didn’t appear mildly threatened, and he yawned.

“Finn,” I sighed, but I left the room anyway. I couldn’t talk to Loki in front of Finn, and I didn’t want to fight with Finn in front of Loki.

“Not now, Princess,” Finn said through gritted teeth.

As soon as I came out of the room, Finn grabbed the door and slammed it shut. I faced Finn, preparing to yell at him for his overreaction, but he grabbed my arm and started yanking me down the hall.

“Knock it off, Finn!” I tried to pull my arm from him, but physically, he was still stronger than me. “Loki is right. You are my tracker. You need to stop dragging me around and telling me what to do.”

“Loki?” Finn stopped so he could glare suspiciously at me. “You’re on a first name basis with the Vittra prisoner that kidnapped you? And you’re lecturing me on propriety?

“I’m not lecturing you on anything!” I shouted, and I finally got my arm free from him. “But if I were to lecture you, it would be about how you’re being such a jerk!”

“Hey, maybe you should just calm-” Duncan tried to interject. He’d been standing a bit away from us, looking sheepish and worried.

“Duncan, don’t you dare tell me how to do my job!” Finn turned his anger towards him. “You are the most useless, incompetent tracker I have ever met, and first chance I get, I’m going to recommend that the Queen dismiss you. And trust me, I’m doing you a favor! She should have you banished!”

Duncan’s entire face crumbled, and for a horrible moment, I was certain he would cry. Instead, he just gaped at us, then lowered his eyes and nodded.

“Finn!” I yelled, and I wanted to slap him. “Duncan did nothing wrong!” Duncan turned to walk away, and I tried to stop him. “Duncan, no. You don’t need to go anywhere.” He kept walking, and I didn’t go after him. I maybe should have, but I wanted to yell at Finn.

“He repeatedly left you alone with the Vittra!” Finn shouted. “I know you have a death wish, but it’s Duncan’s job to prevent that!”

“I am finding out more about the Vittra so I can stop this ridiculous fighting!” I shot back. “So I’ve been interviewing a prisoner. That’s not that unusual, and I’ve been perfectly safe.”

“Oh, yeah, ‘interviewing,’” Finn scoffed. “You were flirting with him.”

“Flirting?” I repeated and rolled my eyes. “You’re being a dick because you think I was flirting? I wasn’t, by the way, but even if I was, that doesn’t give you the right to treat me or Duncan or anybody this way.”

“I’m not being a dick!” Finn insisted. “I am doing my job, and fraternizing with the enemy is looked down on, Princess. If he doesn’t hurt you, the Vittra or Trylle will.”

“We were only talking, Finn!” I snapped.

“I saw you, Wendy!” Finn snapped. “You were flirting! You even wore your hair down when you snuck off to see him!”

“My hair?” I touched at it. “I wore it down because I had a headache from training, and I wasn’t sneaking. I was… No, you know what? I don’t have to explain anything to you. I didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t have to answer to you.”

“Princess-”

“No, I don’t want to hear it!” I shook my head. “I really don’t want to do this right now. Just go away, Finn!”

I turned my back to him so I could catch my breath. I could feel him, standing behind me, but eventually, he walked away. I wrapped my arms around me to keep from shaking. I don’t remember the last time I’d been this angry, but I couldn’t believe the way that Finn had talked to Duncan and me.

Elora’s bedroom creaked opened at the end of the hall, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked up to see her opening the massive doors, but I didn’t even bother to hide.

The woman with the cloak stepped out, and she had her hood pushed down so I could see her face. She smiled at Elora, that same dazzling, saccharine smile she always had. When she saw me, the smile never changed.

It was Aurora, and I had no idea why she’d be sneaking around with my mother.

It took some convincing, but I finally managed to talk Duncan into staying. I’d found him working through his resignation speech. He was terrified of letting the Queen or me down, and once I got him to see that he wasn’t, he agreed not to leave.

I spent the rest of the day listening to every one of his suggestions, which meant I relaxed quietly. My mind raced a mile a minute, but I had to lay still in bed and watch a marathon of Who’s the Boss? on the Hallmark channel with Duncan.