Predictable

His lips tugged in a smile when he felt the tip of a blade poking at his throat. It was just a nudge to jolt him from his sleep. He opened his eyes, hoping to see the little beast he had a hand in unleashing from its shackles.

The King's calvary was posted on either side of the bed. Iris was in the same position as he was. It was in the dead of night. No doubt it was Karrise's order.

" Get up," One of them barked pushing the blade deeper into his skin.

" You might want to turn around. I'm not appropriately dressed and neither is the Queen," The guard's face contorted in anger at his little remark.

" I have no trouble flaunting my goods," Corvin chuckled, as he pushed himself up on the bed, propping himself on his elbows, and looked down at his groin.

" I don't want you boy to feel any lesser," He hummed amused when the guard opened his mouth to retort but his eyes went to his groin and now standing erection.

He was awake, through and through.

" Don't be disgusting," The other one smirked as he poked Iris with his blade, nudging her to get up.

She obliged, reluctantly so. And she dropped her legs off the bed, the Sai daggers, still strapped to her thighs made an appearance. The guard stiffened, and his gaze on her hardened.

" Slowly, " The guard warned as he took a step back," I've seen you...You're like a rabid dog," He smirked. He hasn't seen anything yet.

With her back to him, he couldn't see what expression Iris was wearing but he was sure it wasn't a happy one.

As she stood up the sheet dropped, gracing him and the guards with her lustrous naked body. Ah, gods. He felt his eyes hurt as she swayed her hips around the room while the guard

followed her with stumbling steps.

At ease, she poured herself a glass of water, while the guard eyed her fleshy breasts, greedy fucker. Then again he'd done just that more times than he could count.

" Would you like some?" Iris offered the guard the glass of water, smiling.

" You must be parched. After all, barging into people's bedrooms in the middle of the night must be arduous work," She shrugged when the guard stood still, and just ogled at her like a dim-witted oaf.

" I said get up," The guard posted at his side barked, as he recovered from his reverie. He'd been distracted by the beauty prancing around naked before them.

He raised his hands in surrender and pushed himself off the bed, and stood up facing his guard. After all was said and done. He was right and that was what mattered at that moment.

" Where are the others?" He dared to ask as backed away towards the center of the room where Iris was.

A shrill scream, followed by the keening of a child and he had his answers. Rounding up the others. Mass execution. That's why Karrise had gone to so much trouble to come to the celebration.

" Put something on," The guard smirked, " Unless you want to meet your maker with your cock dangling in full view," He instructed as tipped his head towards the floor, where his clothes lay.

" It's not like he hasn't seen it before. After all," Corvin shrugged, " He made me," He smirked at the guard who was definitely not pleased with his response.

Shoving with his foot the pile of clothes on the floor, the guard urged him with his blade to put the clothes on. He was losing his patience.

Iris just leaned against the table with the glass of water in her hand, sipping out of it. Unusually relaxed. Was she enjoying teasing them?

" Dress," The one in charge of holding her hostage barked at her, and with a drawn-out sigh, she pushed herself off the table.

" Would you be a dear and say hello to our maker for me," She smirked as a whisp of a flame climbed on his foot. One that he had failed to notice.

That little whisp, followed by a line of them trailing up his leg, as Iris placed the glass on the table and stood before the guard smiling.

" Why don't you say it yourself? You will meet him sooner than I will," The guard barked back angling his sword over her heart.

" If you say so," Iris shrugged, folding her arms over her chest, as her gaze trailed down to the guard's crotch where the flames had settled. Waiting for her command. Iris was enjoying playtime.

" Your crotch is on fire, " The other guard finally noticed, and that was when the flames erupted in full force engulfing the guard in the time he needed to take a breath.

His fist collided with the face of the guard who fell flat on the floor. He knocked him out.

" Kill him or tie him up?" Iris hummed, cocking her head to the side. The beast was out to play.

" Your choice," It didn't matter which one she chose.

It didn't take her long to decide and by the time he reached for his slacks, the guard was nothing more than a pile of ash on the floor. Two less to worry about.

" We have to find the others... Karrise is cleaning house," She nodded as she tugged on a pair of trousers and one of his tunics. Unsatisfied with the fact that she couldn't reach for the dagger, she ripped the slacks around her thighs and disposed of them as they patrolled the Ironstone corridors.

Cries of women and children trickled through. Edýia was with a child. One that would never see the light of day if they didn't make it in time.

" We need to find Edýia and Rom," That was a priority. She nodded in agreement, as she craned her neck to see around the corner.

" Two guards and two women are coming down the stairs," Iris whispered as she reached for the daggers. It was a good position. The corridor was darker than the rest of Ironstone. Surely, Dakran had put up a fight, but he would relent if the children were at risk.

" We take one each," Iris nodded as the sound of their footsteps grew louder.