Grishma (Book One in The Necoh Saga)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ryder followed the girl with the golden hair and eyes the color of the sea into her room. She smelled of sweet flowers and fresh spring air. He found himself distracted and he had to force himself to focus.

“So, you said you just saw Brianna? Which way did she go?”

“Give me one second, I just need to close the door,” said the girl.

Ryder spun around and admired her lavishly decorated room. “Wow, this is really nice.”

When he turned again, he found himself looking directly at a gleaming sword pointing directly at his throat.

“Who are you? And why are you looking for Brianna?”

“What the—”

“I don’t like to repeat myself, so I’m going to ask you this one last time. Who are you and why are you looking for Brianna?” spat the girl.

Before he answered, his eyes focused on the decorated hilt of the razor sharp blade pointed at his jugular. “Wait a minute! Why do you have my father’s sword? Where did you get it from?”

The question caught her off guard. “Huh?”

That’s all the time Ryder needed. He dropped to the floor and kicked the girl’s legs out from under her. She crashed to the ground.

The sword clanged on the wooden floorboards. Both Ryder and the girl reached for it.

The girl had one hand on the sword’s hilt and the other reached for Ryder’s face. She managed to scratch his cheek with her nails and draw blood.

He wrapped his legs around the girl and squeezed tightly. Then he rolled over, sitting on top of her, and grasped hold of the sword with both hands.

Finally, he ripped the sword away and held it above her head. “Don’t move!” he warned.

The girl took a deep breath and pursed her lips. “Fine.”

Ryder rolled off the girl, keeping the sword pointed at her.

“Sit down, over there.” He motioned toward an oversized chair with a high back.

Ryder pulled the sheet off her bed, ripped it down the middle, and quickly wrapped it around her in the chair and tied her arms to her side.

“Now, listen. I need you to tell me how you know Brianna and why you have my father’s sword.”

“Brianna is my cousin and I found this sword hidden in the royal garden after some party crashers had a nasty skirmish with Grishma.”

“She is not your cousin! That’s a lie!” snapped Ryder.

“It is not!” hissed the girl.

“It is too!” argued Ryder.

“Really? Then prove I’m lying!”

“Um, okay, that’s simple. I’m her brother. If you’re her cousin, then you’re my cousin, too. And I’ve never seen you before. That’s how I know you’re lying.” The girl’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “Wait a minute, you’re Ryder?”

“Yes, who the hell are you?”

“I’m Alexia. I may not be your real cousin, but I’m the closest thing you’ve got to one!”

“Explain yourself, now!”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, it all started several years ago. My mother, Lady Quinn, is a member of the Royal Court and one night, I became very sick. I was feverish, delirious, and I began to have convulsions. My mother was worried I would die and she begged the King for help. He sent for your mother and asked her to make the medicine necessary to save my life. She rushed to give me the concoction and stayed by my side until I had fully recovered. Without her help, I would have died. From that point on, she always treated me like one of her own.”