He nodded to the men outside and they left the room. The other one, Urster, remained.
"Get out, Urster," the man said roughly.
"Are you sure that's wise, sir?"
"Get out!"
The man retreated, closing the door behind him.
Leaving Mianna alone with the mage.
She stood near the door. "I... I'll leave you to get settled." She edged towards the door.
He closed the gap between them with two strides, and Mianna barely had time to think before his hands were around her waist, pulling her sharply against him. "Anna," he breathed, right before his lips crushed hers.
Adrenalin flooded through her-fear combined with anger. How dare he! Well, she wasn't some little simpering woman. She might not have embraced fighting as Brianna had, but she was more than capable of defending herself. Her fingernails clawed at his cheek, and at the same time, she brought her knee up between his legs.
He shifted just in time for her strike to miss the most sensitive spot, but still he stumbled back, leaning against the desk, one hand going to his cheek. He stared at her as though he couldn't believe what had just happened.
Mianna didn't pause. "How dare you use my twin name! That privilege belongs to my husband and my husband only. I don't care if you're a mage, or a prince, that doesn't give you the right to abuse me."
His eyes widened. "Husband? Twin?" He swore. Then he laughed. "You must be Mia … Mianna, right?"
She just glared at him. He knew who she was. He must have heard her name from another village. "You think you can walk in here and win a set of twins? It's not that simple. We're already married, so you're going to have to find another way to fulfil your fantasies."
His eyes darkened and if her back hadn't already been up against the door, Mianna would have stepped back. He closed the distance between them and gripped her shoulder so hard she winced. "You're married? Both of you?"
Mianna wished she'd kept her mouth shut now. "Of course we are. Our village follows the law of the land. Twins marry together. That is how it is always done."
"We'll see about that," he growled. "Where's your husband?"
"Do you think I'm going to tell you that?" Mianna's voice shook. "What happened to not wanting to hurt anyone?"
He checked again, then released her shoulder. He paced the room a couple of times, then turned to her. "Where is your sister?" His face was taught, and while his voice was quiet, there was an edge to it that made Mianna shiver.
"She's not here."
"I can see that," he said through clenched teeth. "Where is she? I don't really want to have to get everyone out of bed to search the entire village."
"She's not in the village."
His frown was sudden, and less intimidating this time. "When will she be back and by which entrance?" he asked sharply.
"Do you really think I'm going to tell you that?" Mianna demanded.
He stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "You'd better, if you want to see your sister alive. My men are in the process of creating a magical barrier around the village. Anyone who tries to enter or leave will die."
Mianna stared at him in horror. "You said you wouldn't hurt anyone!"
"I said if everyone cooperated, no one would be hurt," he countered. "Trying to enter or leave the village is hardly cooperating. Now tell me where your sister will return, so I can create a gap for her."
Terion was waiting at the door. Fear clutched at Mianna. Hopefully he hadn't gone outside, searching for Brianna. "There's a door in the North East corner of the wall. She'll come in there." She hesitated. He had already threatened her husband, but if Terion touched that barrier, one that he probably couldn't even see … "My husband has gone looking for her."
He stared at her, then swore. He pushed her away from the door and spoke to the older man outside. "There is a door in the North East wall and a man somewhere nearby. Create a gap in the barrier around the door. Guard the area, but quietly. Don't let anyone coming in see you. And bring the man to me."
"A gap in the barrier? Are you sure that's wise?"
"Now is not the time to question, Urster. Just do it."
This Urster seemed a lot more sensible than the prince, who was fast beginning to seem like he was crazy. Mianna couldn't make any sense of what he was doing or saying. What was his goal? What did he want? She shook her head.
He stepped back into the room and stared at her. "You can bring your children up to bed. They're in no danger from me."
Mianna wished she could believe that. "They're fine where they are for now."
He paced the room a couple of times again. Then stood in front of her. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Mianna. I mean no harm to you or your family. You can go about your business without fear of harm."
"You invade my village, come into my home, threaten my husband, and you think I shouldn't be afraid of you?"
He winced at each word. "Come with me," he said and opened the door.
Reluctantly, Mianna followed.
He walked down to the living room, where two men stood at the door with swords. "Wait outside," he said quietly.
These two didn't ask questions, they just nodded and disappeared out the door. "Where is the entrance?"
Mianna hesitated. Logic told her that Ryla and the children were no safer in the basement than anywhere else in the house. But crossing to the rug and pulling open the trap door attached underneath it wasn't easy.
There was silence from the room below. "Ryla?" Mia said softly. She glanced over at the mage, but he just stood watching her, arms folded. Mianna stepped down into the basement, out of his view, giving her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dark.
"Is everything okay?" Ryla asked? Both children were asleep on the mattress next to her.
Mianna breathed a sigh of relief to see them safe. "Not really, but it's no safer here than up there."
Ryla looked at her questioningly, and Mianna sighed. "Mages have invaded the village. They say they mean us no harm, not that I trust them. Right now though, we have no choice but to do as they say. Bring the children up."
She picked up the sleeping Kylis and carried her carefully up the stairs. Ryla followed with Lylis. The mage watched her, lips tight. Ignoring him, she took the babies up the stairs and tucked them into the big bed. She stared at the sleeping children for a while.
How would she ever keep them safe through this?
Brianna opened the small door and slipped inside, two young men following her. She looked around the quiet corner on the far side of the village. Something was definitely wrong, but what was it?
She hadn't even made it to the next village before a feeling of unease had come over her. She had been planning on asking questions about the rumours she'd heard lately-rumours about invasions and attacks. But she no longer ignored those feelings when they happened.
Everything looked quiet.
That was it. It was quiet. Too quiet. There should be people walking about, visiting each other, lights from windows and the sounds of people eating dinner. Instead, everything was dark and silent.
She glanced at the lookout tower. Shadows patrolled the area. She was too far away to recognise who they were. "Something is wrong. Stay close and stay quiet," she whispered to the two men. She slipped through the shadows towards her own home, her heart beating loudly in the silence.
Were Mianna and the girls safe?
The feeling of unease had lessened, but it still lingered.
When she arrived at her own home, she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned that it was the only one with lights on. She considered the back door. She could see no traps, but she had no idea what was inside. Instead, she slipped around the side of the house and opened the window. "Wait here," she told the men.
Once she was inside, she could hear crying from the next room, the living room. Mianna! She opened the door as quietly as she could, but the room was empty save for her sister and Ryla.
"What's wrong?"
Mianna jumped and turned at the sound of her voice. "Bri, you're home! Thank goodness." She jumped up and hugged Brianna tightly.
"What's wrong," Brianna repeated, returning the hug automatically. She looked at Ryla over Mia's shoulder. Her face was also tear stained. "The girls? Are they okay?"
"They're in bed asleep," Mianna sniffled. "He said he wouldn't hurt anyone if they cooperated. But, Brianna, he took Terion!"
"Who did? And where did he take him?" Brianna asked sharply. "Maybe you'd better start at the beginning."
"A man showed up at the front gates, about an hour ago, with about a hundred men with him. He set half the field on fire, not real fire, and created a dragon. He said if we surrendered, no one would be harmed. I didn't know what to do," Mianna wailed.