CHAPTER 166: FEAR AND FEELINGS

Percy didn’t know how long his hand had been in the air, but he knew for sure that he was in pain and needed to settle his hands, but that would be if he wanted his head rolling along the rough plains of Rhane’s estate.

"What are you doing here?"

Percy hissed when the sharp blade almost touched his face; he took a cautious step back. He had arrived to stay beside Kali as Rhane suggested, but since Percy left Jenna’s doorstep, he hadn’t had a moment of rest— from the road until now, with Kali refusing to let him turn back or go in.

"I can go back if you—" Percy dodged the blade, but it tore his sleeve. This had Percy widen his eyes with fear. "Were you going to kill me?!" he cried.

Kali tilted her head. "Do people put a blade over your face because they want to let you live?" she asked in a dry tone. Shifting her eyes from Percy’s shirt to his face, she asked,

"What did you say to Rhane for him to bring you back here?"

Percy shrugged, relaxing a bit. "Exactly what you asked me to; everything was in control, and Kali has orders in place."

Kali searched the young man’s face. He didn’t look like he was lying, but that wouldn’t have been the only thing. Rhane sending the young man was as if he was giving her comfort. Kali pressed her lips; she tried to read Percy’s expression. The young man was plain and simple-minded; he wouldn’t be able to look this calm if he was lying- not if a blade was in front of him. Yet—

"Liar!" Kali pushed the blade to his neck. "You had told him I cried, didn’t you? You let Rhane know I cried in your arms!" Her eyes narrowed as she pushed the dagger closer to Percy’s neck.

Kali fumed; she knew she was wrong when she trusted a man to start with. She should have locked Percy up until Rhane returned. Now she didn’t even know what he said to Rhane and maybe left him worried.

Percy, in the face of the dagger, closed his eyes, a tired sigh escaping his lips. "I should have escaped to my mother’s kingdom," he murmured to himself.

"What?" Kali barked.

Percy raised his hand again, trying to get the woman to calm down. "I didn’t tell Rhane any of that... and about you crying in my arms..." he paused, a blush gracing his cheeks.

"Did you really... in my arms?" he touched his cheeks, feeling the heat rise. Percy pressed his lips.

Kali sucked her teeth. "Look at this... you fool! You don’t fear death at all, do you?" Feeling embarrassed, she dropped her hand and turned.

Percy furrowed his brows. Seeing that she was walking away, he recoiled and decided to use the opportunity to slip out and return to Rhane. He was going to tell Rhane that his sister was very fine and would survive in the belly of a fish for seven days. If anyone needed help, then it was Rhane.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Kali’s heavy accent returned.

Percy stopped in his tracks, his toes tipped. "I—" he gulped, "returning back to Rhane."

Kali rolled her eyes. "If my brother sent you here, then there was a reason," she said under her breath. When she raised her face, she pointed at Percy.

"You’re going to stay right beside me until I decide exactly what I’m going to do with you... whether to skin you alive or behead you."

Percy touched his neck protectively, wrapping his body with his arm. "Everything you want to do to me will leave me dead. Don’t you have another option?"

Kali twitched her lips, as if deep in thought. Then she nodded.

"You see?" Percy snapped his fingers. "I knew you weren’t such an evil person. Killing is not always an option. All the hate in your heart can be turned around to..."

"Boil you alive."

"...boil you— what?!" Percy screamed, staring at Kali like she had grown a second head on her neck. He was wrong about the young woman; she had some of the nuts in her head cracked, and there was no saving.

Kali wiped her sword on her shirt before sheathing it. "If you’re done sprouting rubbish, follow me."

Percy didn’t want to. He turned to look at the gate, then at the woman. His freedom was near, so was his death. And he knew if he wanted to spend another second breathing, then he had to follow Kali as she had ordered. Though it was foolishness, because which lamb offers itself as a sacrifice without putting up a fight?

"Hasten up!"

Percy found himself running. When he got to Kali, he rubbed his palms tightly. All he had to do was pray that Rhane and Jenna made it in time before he was buried. He needed his only family to at least mourn him.

Kali led them to a ring where some other men were gathered. Every one of them stood shirtless, covered in sweat and sand. Their noise and laughter came to an abrupt stop when they saw Kali. They bowed in respect before continuing with their training.

Percy hummed; he was really going to give it to the woman. As evil and heartless as she had proven to be, she was still respected by these men and was capable of—

"What are you doing?"

Kali’s question made everyone turn, their attention now on Percy, who was using his body to cover Kali’s body.

"I..."

Percy had almost lost years of his life when Kali pulled off her shirt in front of men. Instinctively, he had gone to cover her up, not that he meant to wrap her up the way he did— and now he was close, Percy felt her waist, her tiny waist, in his arms.

"Do you wish to die that badly.... by my hands?"

Percy shook his head when he heard Kali’s voice, returning back to reality. "You were going to remove your shirt with these men here. It’s not proper," he whispered to her.

For a moment, Kali’s eyes softened before she punched Percy’s stomach. The court shook with the other men laughing at Percy’s dilemma.

"Ow," Percy coughed saliva, his entire body convulsing from the impact of the punch that he teared up a little.

Kali went ahead to remove her shirt, wearing only a small band that covered her breast. She grabbed a wooden sword, glanced at Percy once more, before going to spar with one of the men.

"Pity... it’s truly a pity." Some of the men gathered around Percy. "You have no fear to touch Master Kali."

Percy tried to stand straight, but he felt like something had been broken in his stomach, and he winced.

This led the men to laugh even louder. One of them pressed Percy’s arm. "You can tell this one has never killed a man a day in his life."

Another patted Percy’s head gently. "Master Kali is just like us... no... she is greater than us," he remarked, then pointed at Kali, who had taken down the first man she sparred.

"That isn’t a woman you should protect, but one you should fear."

Percy groaned, standing on his side. He wasn’t sure what to do— fear or not fear. He just wanted to run away from Rhane’s devil of a sister.

"And why act like you have never seen a woman naked before... which grown man has never—"

Percy gulped audibly, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

"What— you mean you’ve never done it?" The men shouted, some ruffling Percy’s head and others laughing at him.

"We will have to save this man from that misery. No wonder you tremble so much from a mere hit." They kept teasing Percy, making him stand in the middle.

"Tonight, we will make him a man!" they cheered, shaking Percy back and forth.

Kali paused amidst training; she turned to look at Percy. He looked like a rabbit in the midst of wolves. She hadn’t seen it before, but the man looked really innocent. Kali smiled, then turned to continue her training.

Percy, who was losing his mind with the men roughing him up, glanced at Kali. She was smiling while she trained. In that moment, Percy saw her as a woman. An actual woman. It scared Percy.