The Queen's Blade Prequel II - God Touched Read Free Page A

But I did, and I can't get my money back now.”
    His icy eyes
impaled her. “Then you're a fool.”
    “ I couldn't just leave you there to die.”
    “ Yes you could. I would have. I'd have spat on me too, for good
measure. Nothing quite so satisfying as a dead assassin.” He
smiled. “You do know I'm an assassin, don't you?”
    The singular
sweetness of his expression transfixed her, even though it did not
reach his eyes. “Yes, I know all about you.”
    His smile
vanished. “So, you've been prying. I'll wager you didn't know when
you brought me home, though, huh?”
    “ It wouldn't have made any difference.”
    He snorted.
“Yes it would. You thought I might be a wealthy merchant, I
suppose, worth money to his family if you saved him. Where's my
purse?”
    “ I spent the money in it, and I wasn't prying!” Lilu glared at
him, floundering to keep up with his accusations and
insults.
    “ Of course you did. I'll bet you bought some frocks and
baubles, didn’t you?”
    “ No! I used it to pay the doctor, and it still wasn't enough.
He wouldn't tend your injuries until I paid him seven
goldens.”
    “ So there should be three goldens left.”
    “ There would be,” she said, “except I had to pay him another
five when you had a fever two days ago.”
    “ And you expect me to believe that?”
    “ It's the truth, and I don't care whether you believe it or
not.”
    “ I'm not so easily duped by a...” His eyes raked her.
“Trollop.”
    “ Well this trollop saved your life.”
    He looked
away. “And what do you expect for that? A reward? You'll be sadly
disappointed if you think –”
    “ I thought you were worth saving, but I see that was a mistake
now.”
    “ Only an idiot saves an assassin.”
    Lilu jumped
up. “In that case, get out of my house!”
    “ It's not a house, it's a dirty room, and –”
    “ Get out! Go on!” Lilu grabbed the broom in the corner, raising
it.
    He eyed her.
“You won't use that.”
    “ Don't bet on it, buster!”
    “ Go on then.”
    Incensed, Lilu
brought the broom down on his legs with a thud. The assassin
stiffened, the blood draining from his already pale visage, which
twisted in a grimace. “You bitch!”
    Lilu
brandished the broom. “Go on, insult me some more and see what
happens! You want to be a bastard? I can give as good as you!”
    “ If I wasn't injured, you'd be sorry.”
    “ But you are! How long do you think you'll last if I throw you
out on the street? An injured assassin! The gutter-boys will stone
you to death and piss in your ear.”
    Blade raised
his eyes to meet hers, his frown easing. “Why would you care if
they do?”
    “ I don't!”
    “ Then why did you save me?”
    Lilu lowered
the broom and thrust her face closer. “Perhaps I wanted an injured
man to torture, to get my own back for all the times they've hurt
me. How would you like that?”
    “ It sounds more believable.”
    She whacked
his legs with the broom again. “Insult me again, go on!”
    He writhed,
biting his lip. “Throw me out then. Death will be better than
this.”
    “ You brought this on yourself! You...” She trailed off as his
eyes closed, and he slumped.
    Lilu dropped
the broom and perched on the edge of the bed, a hand clamped over
her mouth. She could not believe he had made her so angry, so
quickly. His ashen, battered face tore her heart, the left side of
it black with bruises, his nose swollen and one eye puffy and
bloodshot. How could a God Touched want to die? Plainly he did,
hence his attempt to goad her into throwing him out into the
street.
    Most would
have, but she could not. He was helpless and in pain, which was
probably why he was so angry. That, and being shackled to a bed by
his injuries. She regretted hitting him now, although at the time
he had deserved it. He was not what she had expected. She was not
sure what she had expected, but definitely not such rancour and
insults from a man she had nursed for five days. She pulled back
the sheets to