“No, of course not. I’d make sure the barn was clear of fae first, then light it up.”
I nodded, noticing Rook had stopped talking and his ears had perked. He was listening to us now. “That would certainly send a message, but what would the rebellion actually gain other than targets on our back?”
“That’s how I know you’ve been living in that castle while the rest of us are barely living. We already have targets on our backs. We were born with them. We sleep with them. We name them and take them out to dinner. Don’t forget that, pet.”
If I bit any harder on the tip of my tongue, I was going to bite it off.
“Listen, I’ve spent my entire life in limbo. I’m not good enough for them, I’m not tortured enough for you. I don’t belong and I get that. But don’t for one minute think I’m doing a single thing for that asshole’s benefit. I’m not his pet. I’m not his friend. I attend those meetings to bring information directly to the rebellion, and I have done so faithfully since the day I came here. Don’t think that because I’ve lived a different life than you, I’ve had anything better. You start drawing those lines and you’re no better than he is.”
He slammed his hand to my back, flashing me the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. “Glad to see you’ve got some fire in you. I was beginning to think you were all talk and no walk.” He winked, but the damage had already been done.
“If you’ll excuse me.” I slipped away. I caught Oravan waiting for me just before I reached the door.
“Just wanted to say thanks for getting me here.” Oravan held a hand out to me. I took it and found an object pressed between our palms. He leaned in. “It’s another barrier charm. In case you know someone in need of it. As a thank you.”
He wasn’t ready to tell the rebellion about his ability to block the king’s enchantment, and I’d let him do that in his own time. I hadn’t told them about the truth serum yet, so we were on equal terms. I’d share that with the rebels soon. I just needed to have a few barrels of storage before I did, so they had enough on hand to start questioning each member. I imagined it was the same for Oravan. He’d have to make a large number of charms, like the one on my finger, and they likely took a lot of time and magic.
“Thanks. I’ll see you around,” I said, walking out.
He smiled a genuine smile and walked back to his family.
I’d never seen a real smile from him, and I was, once again, reminded of the importance and necessity of the rebellion. Rhogan had meant only to test my reaction to his jeering. I really shouldn’t have expected anything less.
Chapter 13
KING TOLERO
Inok would have some choice words for me when he discovered I’d gone out without him, but I’d decided to go anyway. He was loyal to a fault, but he was buckling under the stress of the past few days.
I remained cloaked in shadow as I watched the people of my city fill the evening streets. With long dark robes wrapped in black ornate steel plating, I let my sharpened twin blades show as I moved. Should anyone get any bright ideas, I hoped it would deter them from starting a fight they would never win.
I kept my head down as I made my way toward the slums of the bustling city that seemed more alive at night than day. Judging by the crowds of fae moving in one general direction, Muth had his pit fighters working tonight.
As I approached the outdoor arena, two of his males worked their way through the crowd towards me. Still, I kept my hood up and chin down, trying to avoid them. While most fae in the north carried blades, in the south, I probably drew more attention than I wanted once I moved from the shadows into the crowd.
“You there,” a guard called in my direction. I walked on, pretending I hadn’t heard him. “In the black,” he yelled, trying to push people out of the way to get to me. He grabbed my shoulder with firm fingers and I rotated to face him.
I let my magic loose ever so slightly. “You do not see the face of the king. When the others ask, everything checks out.”
“Yes, everything checks out,” he mumbled, his eyes blank.
“Good lad. Continue on.”
My throat pinched as I pulled the coursing magic back in and shuddered. It called to me. Roared at me to let it soar through the world. There were few things I disliked more than taking away someone’s free will and memory, though I’d felt the purity and strength of that magic fade over the years. It was not what it had once been.
Moving back into the flow of the crowd, I found an empty bench and sat. I looked down at the sandy pit below and watched as large black beasts paced back and forth, panting so heavily their shoulders lifted with each breath and saliva dripped from their elongated teeth. Fae hounds.
I watched the anxious crowd as we waited for the fighters to come. With extra sensitive hearing, I listened to the conversations around me. Everything seemed relatively normal, apart from the hounds. Admittedly, I didn’t frequent the pits, and I was unaware that hounds were ever used for training. I’d have to find out if this was something new.
“Welcome,” the deep timbre of a male’s voice called from below.
The anxious crowd roared, their cries echoing off the walls of the stadium.
Four males held the fae beasts at bay with whips that cracked through the night as the announcer continued. “Tonight, you will have the pleasure of witnessing some of the most exciting and brutal pit fights you’ve ever seen. As you all know, the Trials are just weeks away and, as our best, most ferocious fighters prepare to climb their way to the top, we bring you an evening of entertainment and bloodshed. Now, get on your feet and show your due respect to the male that makes it all happen around here. Our fearless leader, a fae who can build someone from nothing, a male who can spit at the feet of the elder king and walk away, a male who cares more for you, his loyal patrons, than for his own fighters. The one and only, Muuuuuuttth.”
The crowd laughed and jumped to their feet, stomping on the rafters and screaming through the night air. At least Inok wasn’t here. He likely would have jumped into the pits just to teach the announcer a lesson.
True, I had become much more complacent in recent years, keeping the tiger in hibernation. As the world began to fall, they would learn to fear me once more. Perhaps I had made the Flame Court too comfortable.
