Forbidden Honor (Dragon Royals #1)(111)

“Honor. This doesn’t concern you,” Alis broke in firmly. “I understand you want to protect your little sister. But this time, you can’t.”

I stared between them, cognizant the guards were just on the other side of the door. Even if I went to Talisyn and Jaik now, and asked them to help, we wouldn’t get back before they’d hurt my sister. I couldn’t help my gaze from flickering to the enormous cross on the wall.

Henrick looked at it too. “It looks odd, but it’s nothing so terrible. It’s simply to make sure no one gets hurt.”

“To make sure no one gets hurt,” I echoed.

“A strap or a cane can break fingers if someone puts their hand in the way,” he said. “But properly applied, those instruments cause no lasting damage.”

Instruments. Gods, I wanted to turn into a dragon and rip his head from his body. Maybe I could get over my distaste for eating people.

Hanna blew out a long shaky breath.

“If Hanna is so much trouble, why don’t you just let her come with me?”

“You’re going to play mother as well as maid at the academy? You don’t even have a place for her to stay.” Alis’s tone was dismissive. “You seem to think you’re full grown and ready to take care of a child yourself, but I assure you that you are not.”

As I searched for what I could say to persuade them, she sniffed. “I wish your father had taken a firmer hand with you.”

The words lit a feral gleam in Henrick’s eyes. I had the feeling that the one they both really wanted to hurt was me. Henrick desired me for entirely creepy reasons, and Alis had hated me as long as we knew each other.

That hatred at least gave me an idea of how to protect my little sister, even if it was one that made something slick rise in the back of my throat.

“It’s my fault,” I said. “I asked her if she could get those earrings for me. They were my mother’s, and I hated to see you wearing them.”

Henrick and Alis glanced at each other. Some silent communication passed between them, and I begged them to take my bait.

Alis said, “I’m glad you told us that.”

“It’s my fault,” I repeated. “So you shouldn’t punish her. I’m the one that did something wrong. I shouldn’t have put my little sister up to it.”

“Be that as it may, she’s the one who made the poor choice.” Alis said loftily.

They knew what I was offering, and they wanted me to beg. My lips tightened in frustration, but I tried to force my shoulders to slope, to look shaky instead of strong.

Trying to sound weak and afraid, I whispered, “Please. I can’t stand the thought of her being punished for something that was my fault. If you have to punish anyone, punish me.”

I cast the bait, knowing Henrick would take it. The way he looked at me made me sick, but it was better than having him look that way at my little sister.

Alis narrowed her eyes as if she knew I was playing a part. “Ridiculous.”

Henrick turned toward the window, pretending to observe the garden, and I almost choked when I realized he was hiding his erection. “Well, Alis, she does have a point. It seems so much of Hanna’s bad behavior comes from the example set by the older sister she idolizes.”

Alis frowned. “Are you considering entertaining this idea?”

“I think it does have a certain justice,” Henrick said.

“No, no.” Hanna suddenly bolted from her chair, as if she’d leap in front of me. “Honor, this isn’t fair. I don’t want to see you hurt any more than you want to see me hurt.”

“How touching,” Henrick said, finally turning from the window. I forced my gaze to stay on his smirking face. “But this is hardly as serious as you girls make it out to be. It’s a sign of how lacking discipline your lives have been that you are so deeply horrified by such a simple matter.”

“I want Hanna to go,” I said quietly.

“No,” Hanna said, breaking for me. She threw her arms around my waist, clinging to me, and I hugged her back.

“It’s all right,” I whispered into her ear. “It really doesn’t matter. I take worse beatings all the time in the training yard. This isn’t going to be a big deal for me.”

There was no mistaking the wicked gleam in my stepfather’s eyes. He thought I was telling a lie. But no matter what he did to me, I could limp to the healer tomorrow. This was hardly worse than anything Branok and Lynx had done to me.

“I do admire your bravery,” Henrick said. “You might lack for discipline but certainly not for spirit.”

I could happily live the rest of my life without ever hearing a man commend my spirit again after knowing Henrick for a few months.

He seemed to consider for a moment. “Come, have a drink with me, Honor. Perhaps you’re right, perhaps it would be most fair to allow you privacy.”

Alis looked dissatisfied, and he added, “She is growing into a young woman.”

Gag me. I wanted to get it over with. I leaned toward Hanna. “Why don’t you go out to your tree in the garden?”

“It’s ruined now,” she whispered. “There’s always guards everywhere.”

“I just want you to get out of the house.” I gripped her shoulder, keenly aware that Alis and Henrick were listening to us both. “I’ll get through this for now, and I’ll come up with something for the future, I promise.”