Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)(69)

And then he slammed his fist into Nic’s face, dropping the boy to the ground. Nic scrambled back up to his feet immediately, his nose gushing blood.

Cleo screamed. “What are you doing?”

“Relieving you of your protection.” Jonas swung Nic around until he faced Cleo and pressed a dagger—the very same jeweled dagger that Aron had used to kill Tomas!—to Nic’s throat.

“Don’t!” she shrieked. “Please, no! Don’t hurt him!”

This was all happening too fast. How did he even know she was here?

“Don’t hurt him?” Jonas eyed her. Nic fought against him, but Jonas was much taller and more muscular. He was able to keep the skinny boy easily under control. “Are you saying that you care for him? That his death might cause you pain?”

“Let him go right now!”

“Why should I?” His dark-eyed gaze swept over her. She shivered under the coldness of his glare.

“Run, Cleo!” Nic shouted.

But she didn’t run. She would never abandon him like this.

“What do you want from me?” she demanded.

“That’s a dangerous question. I want lots of things, none of which would probably set your pretty mind at ease. For now, I want to kill your friend and watch you grieve his loss.”

“No, please!” She staggered forward with an immediate urge to grab his arm and wrench the knife away from Nic’s throat. But she knew she wasn’t nearly powerful enough to do that. This was a very strong boy, one who hated her for what happened to his brother. One who had threatened in public to kill her. She had to think. She had to remain calm so she could negotiate with this heathen.

“I can give you plenty of money if you spare his life.”

His expression turned to ice. “Money? How about fourteen Auranian centimos for each case of wine? Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

Cleo swallowed and tried not to sound as if she was begging. “Don’t kill him. I know you hate me for what Aron did—”

His eyes flashed with anger. “Hate is such a small word for what I feel for you.”

“Your gripe is with me, then. Not with Nic. Let him go!”

“Sorry. I don’t follow orders very well.”

“You mean to kill me to avenge your brother’s death.” Her throat thickened with fear.

His expression tightened. “No. My goal today doesn’t include such a pleasure as that. Your friend here, on the other hand, might find that today is his last.”

“Cleo, are you deaf?” Nic snarled. “I told you to run!”

“I’m not leaving you!” Her voice broke and tears burned in her eyes.

Jonas frowned at her. “Isn’t that sweet? You should do as your friend suggests and try to run. You won’t get far, but you can try. It would be a moment of bravery for such a cowardly girl.”

She glared at him. “If you think I’m cowardly, you know nothing about me.”

“I know enough.”

“No, you don’t. What happened to your brother was a tragedy. I don’t defend what Aron did because he was wrong. And I was wrong not to stop it when I had the chance. I was horrified about what happened that day. So you can hate me all you want, but I swear to the goddess that if you harm Nic, I will kill you myself.”

In that moment, she meant every word. Every weak, meaningless, and laughable word. Still, Jonas stared at her as if he’d never expected her to say such a thing.

“Shocking,” he said. “Maybe there’s more to you than beauty and a shallow personality.”

“Don’t you dare insult her,” Nic snapped.

Jonas rolled his eyes. “Looks like you have at least one admirer among us. This one would give his life for you, wouldn’t he? Wouldn’t you, Nic? Would you die for the princess?”

Nic swallowed hard, but his eyes held steadily onto Cleo’s face. “I would.”

Oh, goddess, this was all too much. She couldn’t stand by and watch Nic die at the hands of this disgusting boy. “And I’d die for him too,” she said firmly. “So take that ridiculous dagger and point it in my direction instead.”

Jonas turned his narrowed gaze fully on her. “I can make you a deal to spare your dearly devoted friend’s life. Are you willing to bargain with me?”

She glared at this boy, one she both feared and loathed. There was only one answer that could give Nic the chance to get away. “Yes.”

“The deal is this: you will come with me of your own free will. You won’t try to escape. You won’t give me any problems.” He cocked his head. “And I let your boyfriend here run away with his head still attached to his skinny body.”

“No, Cleo,” Nic snarled. “Don’t do this.”

She kept her chin raised and didn’t look away from Jonas’s searing glare. “You want me to trust that you won’t kill me? To agree to go with you even though I don’t know where you’ll take me? I’ve heard what happens to girls who are kidnapped by savages.”

He laughed. “Is that really what you think of me? A savage? How Auranian of you. I could just kill him, you know. I’m bargaining with you because I’m no savage. Unlike you and your friend who killed my brother.”

If she went with Jonas, she was putting her fate in the hands of a boy who hated her and blamed her for his brother’s death. But if she said no or tried to run away, she had no doubt this heathen would kill Nic. She couldn’t live with herself if she let that happen.