he snapped. “You lied to him, thinking he would come to you in his grief, did you not?” The flickering of Sakoptari’s eyes told him he was right. “You lied to him about your own brother!”
“Kamoor is mine!” Sakoptari yelled. “That little good-for-nothing is not worth the attention of Kamoor!”
“So you made sure he would never get it again,” Brand commented, feeling his disgust with Sakoptari rise. Brand might’ve caused Garrick pain with his behaviour in the past, but he had never gone that far: he had never tried to take another chance at love away from him. He would never do such a thing. Garrick was happy with his witch, and Brand had had to move on. He would never sink so deep. “But Kamoor never came to you, did he?” He couldn’t help but mock, because if Kamoor had ever gone to Sakoptari’s bed, then Sakoptari would not react so violently.
Sakoptari pursed his lips angrily. “You came here a prisoner. I beat you up so badly that my weak brother took pity on you. You are nothing here. Nothing! So do not come here and ruin everything I am working on. Because I will kill you.”
“If Kamoor hasn’t come to your bed before, he will not now!” Brand told him angrily. “You cannot force someone to feel that way with lies and deceit. It does not work that way!”
“And how would you know?” Sakoptari stepped closer. “It got them apart and it has kept them apart for so long. Until you arrived. You have been a thorn in my side since we captured you. I should’ve just lodged my arrow in your chest from the beginning and I would not have to deal with this.” He lunged, and Brand barely managed to roll over in time to avoid the sharp dagger.
He pushed to his feet and backed away, not knowing what to do. Should he just run? No, he could not do that, because then Sakoptari would go back to camp saying he had never been on their side after all, that when he had had the chance he had turned tail and run, and no one would know what Sakoptari had done. So Brand couldn’t. He had to stay and try to keep himself alive.
“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Sakoptari snarled.
“Because I cannot kill you,” Brand replied, dodging another lash out. “You are the crown prince and no one will believe it was in self-defence if I were to kill you.”
“Like you could kill me,” Sakoptari yelled. “I am a warrior and you’re just a lowly prisoner I beat up for the fun of it!”
Sakoptari was not sane, Brand realized. Not sane and certainly not fit to sit on any throne. Twisting away from another lash-out, Brand let his eyes roam the forest, looking for something to gain an advantage without having to kill Sakoptari. But in that moment Sakoptari saw his chance, and he was on Brand immediately, and they both fell to the ground in a flurry of arms and legs.
Brand called out in pain as the knife cut into his side, and when Sakoptari sat up he instantly moved his hands to try to stop the bleeding. Looking up at Sakoptari, who was straddling his waist, he saw that mad gleam in his eyes again as he held the dagger high above his head. Brand realized with horror that that dagger was going to be lodged right into his heart.
Sakoptari started to lower his hands and Brand saw it as if it happened much slower than it really did. He wanted to shift, but he would still be stuck. He wanted to use his powers but that would kill Sakoptari... and so he was destined to die by the hand of a madman.
Sakoptari jerked to a stop, the knife hovering inches above Brand’s heart. He jerked again, and his eyes widened, then a sword was thrust through his abdomen, blood gushing out over Brand to mix with his own. Sakoptari was pushed off of him, and then Brand saw what had made him jerk—two arrows lodged in his back.
“Brand!”
Brand looked up at Kamoor, dazed by his own pain and the fact that his attacker had just been killed. Kamoor stood above him, frowning down
“Kamoor is mine!” Sakoptari yelled. “That little good-for-nothing is not worth the attention of Kamoor!”
“So you made sure he would never get it again,” Brand commented, feeling his disgust with Sakoptari rise. Brand might’ve caused Garrick pain with his behaviour in the past, but he had never gone that far: he had never tried to take another chance at love away from him. He would never do such a thing. Garrick was happy with his witch, and Brand had had to move on. He would never sink so deep. “But Kamoor never came to you, did he?” He couldn’t help but mock, because if Kamoor had ever gone to Sakoptari’s bed, then Sakoptari would not react so violently.
Sakoptari pursed his lips angrily. “You came here a prisoner. I beat you up so badly that my weak brother took pity on you. You are nothing here. Nothing! So do not come here and ruin everything I am working on. Because I will kill you.”
“If Kamoor hasn’t come to your bed before, he will not now!” Brand told him angrily. “You cannot force someone to feel that way with lies and deceit. It does not work that way!”
“And how would you know?” Sakoptari stepped closer. “It got them apart and it has kept them apart for so long. Until you arrived. You have been a thorn in my side since we captured you. I should’ve just lodged my arrow in your chest from the beginning and I would not have to deal with this.” He lunged, and Brand barely managed to roll over in time to avoid the sharp dagger.
He pushed to his feet and backed away, not knowing what to do. Should he just run? No, he could not do that, because then Sakoptari would go back to camp saying he had never been on their side after all, that when he had had the chance he had turned tail and run, and no one would know what Sakoptari had done. So Brand couldn’t. He had to stay and try to keep himself alive.
“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Sakoptari snarled.
“Because I cannot kill you,” Brand replied, dodging another lash out. “You are the crown prince and no one will believe it was in self-defence if I were to kill you.”
“Like you could kill me,” Sakoptari yelled. “I am a warrior and you’re just a lowly prisoner I beat up for the fun of it!”
Sakoptari was not sane, Brand realized. Not sane and certainly not fit to sit on any throne. Twisting away from another lash-out, Brand let his eyes roam the forest, looking for something to gain an advantage without having to kill Sakoptari. But in that moment Sakoptari saw his chance, and he was on Brand immediately, and they both fell to the ground in a flurry of arms and legs.
Brand called out in pain as the knife cut into his side, and when Sakoptari sat up he instantly moved his hands to try to stop the bleeding. Looking up at Sakoptari, who was straddling his waist, he saw that mad gleam in his eyes again as he held the dagger high above his head. Brand realized with horror that that dagger was going to be lodged right into his heart.
Sakoptari started to lower his hands and Brand saw it as if it happened much slower than it really did. He wanted to shift, but he would still be stuck. He wanted to use his powers but that would kill Sakoptari... and so he was destined to die by the hand of a madman.
Sakoptari jerked to a stop, the knife hovering inches above Brand’s heart. He jerked again, and his eyes widened, then a sword was thrust through his abdomen, blood gushing out over Brand to mix with his own. Sakoptari was pushed off of him, and then Brand saw what had made him jerk—two arrows lodged in his back.
“Brand!”
Brand looked up at Kamoor, dazed by his own pain and the fact that his attacker had just been killed. Kamoor stood above him, frowning down
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