Without Armor

Chapter 14

The walking seemed to go on forever. The wind was cold and the snow was unforgiving on their feet. They all continued to stay quiet, only a few words here and there to each other. Nina was behind the group, trying to recover from what she had just seen. She dreamed of simpler times, when her and Matthias first met and spent time together. Before it all went wrong.

"Nina," Matthias said jogging up behind her now. "Nina, listen to me. You need to stay with the others." He ordered.

"Leave me alone." Nina hissed back.

When he took her arm, she whirled and clenched her fist, cutting off the air to his throat. An ordinary man would have released her, but Matthias was a trained drüskelle. He seized her other arm and clamped it to her body, bundling her tight to him so she couldn't use her hands.

"Stop." He ordered again as he held her close to him.

"Let me go." She struggled against his hold, glaring up at him.

"I can't. Not while you're a threat." Matthias replied.

"I will always be a threat to you." Nina's anger stirred inside her. The group had stopped now, noticing the argument that was going on.

"I know." Matthias said softly before letting her go.

"What will I see when I get to the Ice Court?" she demanded.

"You're frightened?" Matthias questioned.

"Yes, there's no point in denying it." Nina had enough of the games.

"Nina..." Vernera tried to speak.

"Tell me. I need to know. Torture chambers? A pyre blazing from a rooftop?" Nina continued to push Matthias, ignoring Vernera completely.

"They don't use pyres at the Court anymore." Matthias shook his head.

"Then what? Drawing and quartering? Firing squads? Does the Royal Palace have a view of the gallows?" Nina tried to guess.

"I've had enough of your judgments, Nina. This has to stop." Matthias was beginning to get fed up.

"He's right. You can't go on this way." Jesper was standing in the snow with the others.

"Stay out of this," Nina snapped back.

"If you two keep fighting, you're going to get us all killed, and I have a lot more card games I need to lose." Jesper argued back, now getting fed up as well.

"You must find a way to make peace," said Inej. "At least for a while." She added.

"They are right." Vernera agreed. "You two need to put whatever issues you have with one another behind you, at least until we get through this heist. It will be a lot more dangerous otherwise." She continued.

"This is not your concern," Matthias growled in Vernera's direction. Kaz limped up in front of her and in Matthias's personal space.

"If you'd wish to keep your tongue I would watch your tone." Kaz spoke through his teeth.

Matthias threw up his hands. "You've all been taken in by her. This is what she does. She makes you think she's your friend and then.-" he couldn't find the right words.

"And then what?" Vernera asked as she stepped up to Kaz's side.

"Let it go Ve." Nina pushed.

"No Nina," Matthias said, "Tell them. You said you were my friend once. Do you remember?"He turned to the others. He continued to rant about their past and how Nina had claimed he was slaver and that was how he ended up in Hellgate. How he trusted her, fell for her "lies." No one said a word, but they were watching, waiting. Nina couldn't bare to look at them.