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“Stay away from me,” Daim said, panicking as his attempts to escape, to move, to do anything were hindered by both the restraints holding him and the hot, lancing pain of his shattered kneecap. He barely managed to push himself up into a sitting position again, gasping from the effort.
Nasrin grinned down at him, blood dripping from his hand and along the blade of his cleaver. “Do you have any idea how much control it took?” he asked, pacing back and forth in front of Daim, “To not kill you before now? I had to watch you sleep, innocent and trusting and oh so tempting.”
Daim snorted, “You think I trusted you? I slept with a knife under my pillow.”
“And yet you failed to notice me adding anything to your dinner?” Nasrin scoffed, “By all means, continue deluding yourself. You seem to have everyone else convinced of your imagined grandeur.”
“Are we talking about Daim, or about you?” Sira asked, glaring over at them angrily, despite the fear that raced through his heart.
“Don't interrupt Sira, it's not polite,” Nasrin said, not turning to look at him.
“He has a point though,” Daim said, the barest hint of a smirk tweaking the corner of his mouth.
“Ah but see, the difference is, my grandeur isn't imagined,” Nasrin said, smiling down at him.
“Whatever you say,” Daim said sarcastically.
“Do you really want to push me right now?” Nasrin asked, eyes flashing with something dangerous. He leaned forward, tracing the sharp edge of the cleaver along Daim's collarbone.
Daim swallowed heavily, body trembling uncontrollably from both fear and pain. “What, you expect me to sit here quietly? Maybe beg you for my life? Well that's not going to happen so you might as well-”
Nasrin swung, bringing the cleaver up just enough to slam it back down with considerable force. It would have embedded itself in the junction between Daim's shoulder and neck - if he hadn't twisted out of the way in time. Howling with pain as the motion jarred his knee, Daim rolled quickly to the side as Nasrin swung again. The tip of the cleaver caught in the earth. The precious seconds it took for the Jael to tug it free were enough for Daim to start squirming away, tears of pain streaming down his face.