The Bodyguard Clause

Lyra

The creature was a blur of black fur and teeth. I didn’t have time to think. I didn't have time to be the "Ghost Maid" who hid in the shadows.

As his claws swung toward my throat, I threw the heavy glass vase with everything I had. It shattered against his head, but he didn't even flinch. He pinned me against the wall, his breath smelling like rotting meat.

"You smell like him," the creature hissed, his claws digging into my shoulders. "The King thinks he found a cure. But you’re just a snack."

I felt a surge of cold anger. Not fear anger. I was tired of being hunted. I was tired of being a victim.

Stop, I thought, reaching deep inside for that "Void" Zade had mentioned. Just stop.

Suddenly, the room went silent. The air around us turned heavy and gray. The creature’s eyes went wide. The glow in his pupils flickered and died. He gasped, his claws falling away from my skin as if his strength had been sucked out of him. He looked at his hands, confused.

"What... what did you do?" he wheezed.

"I silenced you," I whispered.

I didn't wait for him to recover. I grabbed a silver letter opener from the desk and drove it into his shoulder. He howled, but the sound was muffled, as if he were underwater.

The door burst open. Zade was there in a heartbeat, his shadows swarming the room like a thousand black birds. He didn't waste words. He grabbed the creature by the throat and slammed him onto the balcony. With a flick of his wrist, the shadows dragged the beast over the edge and into the dark abyss below.

Zade turned to me, his emerald eyes glowing with a terrifying light. He checked my shoulders, his hands trembling slightly as he saw the blood on my skin.

"Are you hurt?" he barked.

"I’m fine," I said, my heart still racing. "Who was that?"

"An assassin," Zade said, his jaw tight. "Sent by the Council. They don't want me to find a mate. They want me to lose control so they can take my throne."

He looked at the blood on my dress and let out a frustrated growl. "I shouldn't have left you alone. This is exactly why the contract needs to change."

"What do you mean?" I asked, wiping my hands on a silk towel.

"We can't just pretend to be fated mates in public," Zade said, pacing the room. "The world needs to believe I am obsessed with you. They need to know that if they even look at you the wrong way, I will burn their entire pack to the ground. You need a shield that never sleeps."

I looked at him, seeing the genuine worry behind his arrogant mask. For the first time, I realized that Zade wasn't just using me, he was actually scared of losing me.

"I want to add a clause to the pact," I said, stepping into his space. I ignored the 'one-foot' rule. I wanted to feel his heat. "The Bodyguard Clause."

Zade stopped pacing. "Explain."

"You don't just protect me from assassins," I said, my voice cold and focused. "You protect me from my past. Caleb is already sending messengers. He thinks he can still bully me. I want you to make it clear that I am untouchable. I want you to be the scariest man on this campus, and I want you at my side 24/7."

Zade’s eyes darkened. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. "You want me to be your monster, Lyra?"

"I want you to be the one they fear," I corrected. "I want to walk into the Winter Gala and see Caleb’s face turn white when he sees who is holding my hand."

Zade reached out, his thumb grazing my cheek. His touch was electric, sending sparks through my body that made my knees weak. "I was going to do that anyway, Princess. But if we’re going to be seen together that much, people will expect things."

"Like what?"

"Like this," he whispered.

He leaned down, his lips inches from mine. I could smell the cedarwood and the sharp scent of his magic. Just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he pulled back, his eyes flicking to the balcony.

"We have company," he said, his voice turning into a low growl.

I followed his gaze. A black hawk was perched on the railing. It wasn't a normal bird; its eyes were a familiar, glowing gold.

"A spy," I whispered. "Caleb's familiar."

Zade didn't hesitate. He raised his hand, and a spike of shadow shot out, piercing the bird through the heart. It burst into a cloud of gold dust.

"He saw us," I said, my chest tightening. "He knows I’m with you."

"Good," Zade said, his voice full of dark joy. "Let him watch. Let him wonder what we’re doing in the dark."

He turned back to me, his expression becoming serious. "But there’s something you need to know, Lyra. Something I didn't tell you about the Void."

"What?"

"It’s not just a power," he said, looking at his hands. "It's hunger. And the more you use it, the more it will try to take from you. If you aren't careful, you won't just silence your enemies. You’ll silence your own heart."

Before I could ask him what he meant, a loud explosion rocked the fortress. The floor shook, and the sound of screaming filled the halls.

"The gates," Zade shouted, his shadows flaring around him like a cape. "They’re breached."

"Is it Caleb?" I asked, grabbing a training blade from the wall.

Zade looked at the door, his face pale. "No. It’s someone much worse. My father is back from the Deadlands. And he’s not here to talk."

The door to my room flew off its hinges, and a man who looked exactly like a nightmare version of Zade walked in. He was covered in scars, and his eyes were pure, leaking black ink.

"So," the man hissed, looking at me. "This is the little girl who thinks she can save my son?"

He raised a hand, and the shadows in the room turned against us, wrapping around my throat like a cold, iron noose.