47. Tempest
47
TEMPEST
G rooming dragons was the exact therapy I needed. It was that or get weepy, and I was done with that.
I wouldn’t cry about Delaine, of course, but I would come close if I dwelled on what I’d done to Will. While he’d been snarly on occasion, he was a decent enough guy. He hadn’t tried to stab me like Prenton.
And I hadn’t purposefully killed him.
Why did I keep discovering one shocking reveal after another about these fucking collars? Since he must be in the dining room with the king, I wouldn’t bother Vexxion about it. This wasn’t an emergency, but we needed to have a talk about how we’d handle this.
I loved him. I’d feel like dying if he did, but that was different than actually keeling onto the floor if something happened to him .
And Brodine . . . The wedding was tomorrow, but we still hadn’t found a way to remove his collar.
Inside Glim’s stall, I gave him a thorough grooming. He kept nudging me playfully and huffing sparks across my leather tunic. I missed taking dragons to the training arenas and working them through their paces. I missed riding. There was nothing better than soaring through the sunshine on the back of a winged beast with nothing but you and the wind running its fingers through your hair. Spiraling toward the ground then pulling up at the last moment. Teaching them tricks they could use for fun or in battle.
I pressed my forehead against his flank and sighed. Unease kept squirming through me, and I knew why. Actually, I had a few reasons why.
Will’s death. I hadn’t caused it, but would I have killed Delaine if I knew it would also kill him? I didn’t know and that was eating me up inside as quickly as my sadness, because I’d been forced to kill her.
Brodine.
And my other concern. What were the fae doing to us with these collars? I was well aware of why they were allowed to claim us, and it was clear the king wasn’t the only one taking sips from our power. But we were mere chattel here, forced to serve at their kind or brutal whim with no way out other than through death.
I was worried about killing the king at the wedding tomorrow. Once they’d spoken their vows, I’d have to act before he collared Brenna or she’d die as well. I liked her, and I didn’t want to kill her as well .
So much rode on what would happen in such a short time.
I wasn’t worried about dying myself, but I bet Vexxion stressed about taking me along with him. I swore the collar protruded between us.
He'd said there might be a way to remove it. In addition to asking him to tell me everything, and I meant everything about these things, I wanted his assurance we were close to removing mine, Reyla’s, and Brodine’s.
Short on time, I ended up grooming only two dragons, and I didn’t work with Madrood, because a trainer had taken him for a flight.
Since Brenna wanted us to help after dinner, I left the aerie, stepping outside to the blinding late-day sunshine. Fae lords and ladies still strode about everywhere. Some landed on the bridge or outside the front door, while others flew in on dragons. They’d opened the lower aerie built into the cliffs to house the new dragons. More work for us Nullens, but they had to house them somewhere.
I had a dilemma. I could easily flit to my suite, but I hadn’t forgotten my promise. Later, once the crowd had thinned out, I’d free Amronth. I should’ve done it before so many fae arrived.
Vexxion hadn’t mentioned if he’d heard Iasar’s last words on the cliffs. If I knew him, he was processing them, studying them in his mind. That man never acted without thinking things through. He’d survived this long by being craftier than everyone around him.
If he’d heard Iasar’s words, he’d use them if he thought it would benefit me—or himself. I couldn’t think harshly about the latter. Wouldn’t we all do what we could to protect ourselves?
I knew in my heart that no matter what, he wouldn’t use me as a shield.
Moving quickly and keeping my eyes lowered, I took a right after crossing the bridge.
Drask soared over and landed on my shoulder, something round and white clutched in his beak. I slipped behind a long row of shrubs where I could be distracted without worrying about someone grabbing me.
“Hey, little guy,” I crooned as I eased down to the ground beside a shrub. Someone would have to step on me to notice I was there. I plucked Drask off my shoulder and placed him on my lap where I could give him a solid round of pats.
He ruffled his wings before settling them and looked up at me with pride in his eyes.
“What did you find?” I whispered.
He dropped the object in my lap, and I lifted it, grimacing when light winked off the red stone in the middle of the milky white bone coin. Vexxion had killed most of the attacking Lieges, though one got away. Crows were as eager to dine on dead flesh as any other carrion bird, but I didn’t want to think about Drask plucking his meal from the downed Lieges’ sinew.
“I’ll give it to Vexxion,” I said softly. He’d killed the Lieges, so he deserved the trophy, plus the supposed luck that came with it.
Brodine used to wear them like a badge, but while I’d collected them myself, I hadn’t flashed them around.
I tucked this bone coin into a pocket .
Rising, I plunked Drask back on my shoulder. Hunched forward to remain hidden by the shrubs, I made my way around to the back of the castle. I could emerge from the bushes when the rear entrance was within sight. I stopped when I could see the door. Since no one was around, I darted over and shoved it open, stepping inside the cool darkness.
The hallway leading to the stairs was empty. I hurried down the corridor, pausing only to duck into one of the rooms—a small, little-used parlor, where I freed every trapped creature. If I could, I’d release them all before I left the castle, though that was a big project in itself. It seemed like the king had spent a lifetime collecting these trophies, locking them away to writhe until they collapsed.
After, I took the stairs two at a time, though I had to slow part way up to catch my breath and proceed at a slower pace. I definitely needed to do more exercise than the sporadic training Vexxion offered and shoveling dragon shit. If I wasn’t worried about Lieges roaming the woods—another thing I had to quiz Vexxion about—I’d go for a run with a heavy bag weighing down my back for extra resistance.
A short time later, after I’d bathed and dressed, I left Drask in the room and flitted to the hallway outside Brenna’s suite.
Three fae lords and one lady were walking toward me. They paused, and while most of them continued down the hall, one of the lords stopped beside me, looking me over.
“Nullen,” he said with a sneer, looking me up and down. “You should be penned up until after the wedding. All of you are a menace.”
Asshole, I wanted to reply, but I didn’t. I lifted my lips in a slick smile and allowed the blade I’d tucked up my sleeve to slide down into my palm.
Brenna’s guards stared forward, paying no attention to the interaction, but I wasn’t surprised about that. They were here to protect her, not me.
“Shall I tell future Queen Brenna what you think about one of her ladies-in-waiting?” I asked oh, so politely.
His nose twisted and his scowl deepened. “She’s also Nullen.”
Not really. “Why are you here for their wedding if you disapprove?”
“I’m here for the king, not her.”
“And I’m here because a fae lord placed a collar around my neck. Perhaps you’ve met him?” I shouldn’t bother with this horrible person, but I couldn’t resist. “Some call him the beast. I call him the controller.” And my vexing love.
Losing color in his face, his lungs wheezed. He fought to gag down a swallow. Without saying another word, he scurried around me and down the hall.
“Should I speak with him?” I called after him. Truly, I was so bad. “I’m sure he’d love to hear what you think about his collared Nullen.”
He joined with his friends as they rounded the landing and started down the stairs, all of them shooting wide-eyed looks my way.
Eh, they were barely worth my time.
To avoid another altercation like this, I should start flitting to the inside of her suite instead of the hall.
Inching my blade back up my sleeve, I strode forward, and one of the guards swept open Brenna’s door for me to step inside. When it had been secured behind me, I lifted my skirt and slid the blade into the sheath I’d strapped to my thigh. There was always a chance I might need it even here, but Brenna would scowl and chide me if she saw it.
“There you are.” Reyla rose from one of the sofas and strode over to me. “Brenna just returned from dinner. She rushed to her room.” Her lips thinned. “She’s still upset about Delaine.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “We need to talk about what Kinart told me before he died.” Her voice dropped even further. “Remember, he said that I need to expose the secrets of the fae. I think I know what one of them is.”
My breath caught. “What did you discover?”
“Well—”
“Ladies?” Brenna called out. “I can hear you speaking in the sitting area. Why are you out there and not inside here helping me undress? Hurry.” She clapped her hands.
“Meet me in the aerie after we help Brenna,” I said softly. “There’s a shed full of carts to the right of the stable, and you can wait for me there.” We could find a quiet place to talk in that area.
Reyla nodded, and we hurried into Brenna’s room to help her undress.
After helping Brenna put on a nightgown and settle her in a chair with a fire crackling in front of her and a glass of wine on a nearby table, she dismissed us, stating she’d put herself to bed, that she was finished with us for the day. Strain showed in tiny creases around her eyes. She’d sleep, but I doubted it would be restful. Would she have nightmares about Delaine or about her upcoming wedding?
Relya and I parted in the hall, me flitting to our suite to give her time to reach the aerie.
I’m sure you’ve had dinner, but do you want to sit with me when I eat? I asked Vexxion, though I didn’t hold out much hope he’d be able to join me. Most of the time, I ate my meals alone in our suite. He was expected to attend to the king, and even if he wasn’t, he needed to keep an eye on the high advisor. Killing him was our second priority.
I can join you later, he said.
Duty, right?
Always. I’d much rather be with you. Heavy emotion came through in his voice, and I wanted to sit on one of the sofas inside our suite with a fire toasting our feet. I’d ask him to surround us with his threads and we’d talk. Not about Delaine and collars and killing the king, but about us . Time was slipping away, and I felt like one day soon, something precious would be stolen. I didn’t like it. I had no skill in foretelling, but the feeling of doom persisted.
I’ll wait up for you, I said, not wanting to lay the burdens of my heart on his broad shoulders. He’d taken on enough of them already.
Please do. I’m still hungry, he growled.
For much more than food. My heart flipped over and my pulse sped up. I’ll wait for you naked.
With a smile, I flitted to the aerie shed, a safer destination than anywhere else inside the dragon area. Back at the fortress, the threat had been a dragon spiking me with its tail or biting bad enough to cause a wound that would ache for days. Other than raids and regular forays to protect the villages, we were relatively safe. Here, I felt like everyone would delight in killing me.
And it wouldn’t be a painless or brief death.
“You’ve come a long way while I was drowning in whatever land this collar sucked me into,” Reyla said from behind me. She wove among the carts to stand at my side. “I’m not even sure what to call what you just did, that disappearing and reappearing thing.”
“Flit. It’s called flitting.”
“Using magic, of course.” I could barely see her scowl in the dim light filtering in through the dust and grime covering the sole window on one side. “I suspect it takes a different spell than this one.” She lifted her finger and created a light. “At least I haven’t lost the ability.”
“Not at all. You’ll be able to use magic. You need to be trained.” And now I sounded like Vexxion. Should I tell her she was unprepared? Because she was nowhere near ready to face everything inside the castle. Though she had, just from a dreamy state she didn’t appear to remember.
“I’ll ask Zayde to help me when I find him.” Her brow knit. “I still haven’t seen him, though I assume he’s somewhere nearby. That’s the funny thing. I don’t remember much since the Claiming, but I have a map-like knowledge of the castle floors and the aerie, like I’ve been here before in the past, which I know isn’t true. ”
Maybe it was implanted in her mind? Drained Nullens appeared to be much too common. Vexxion wasn’t here all the time to protect them. No one wanted them wandering off a cliff, so they must cast a spell to give them the basic skills they’d need to provide useful service.
“ You killed Delaine,” she said.
I held my finger over my lips. “Keep your voice low. We don’t know who’s listening.”
She peered around, obviously bewildered. “We’re alone inside this shed.”
“We appear to be alone, but fae have excellent hearing.”
She nodded. “Where can we talk?”
Nowhere.
“I think I know a good place,” I said.
She followed me inside the aerie, right over to Madrood’s stall. When I lifted the latch, she put her hand on top of mine, stilling me. “You can’t do that.”
“We can talk inside as long as we’re quiet. I know there won’t be anyone else there.”
“No, something’s telling me it’s not safe in there.”
I spoke softly near her ear. “Madrood is in this stall. He’s the king’s dragon.”
Her breath caught. “I vaguely remember hearing about a big silver dragon burning people.”
“That’s my buddy, Madrood.” I eased the latch up and opened the gate, slipping through the gap.
Madrood lay on the sand, his snout resting on the netting covering the opening into the valley. He rolled his eyes my way but didn’t turn his head .
“I can’t,” Reyla hissed from the hall. “When I try to step inside, something in my mind shouts no.”
I stepped back out and secured the gate. If my theory about them implanting basic guidelines in a drained Nullen’s mind was true, there must also be a warning about Madrood.
“We could go to my suite,” I said. “Though without Vexxion’s . . .” Vexxion’s threads were not my secret to share.
“I learned some things about him,” she said. “He’s the controller. Did you know that?”
“He told me.”
“He’s the king’s bastard. I’ve heard a few horror stories about Ivenrail Levestan that would sear the hair off your head. He’s bad. Really bad. And Vexxion helps the king. How can you . . .” She shook her head and swallowed back her dismay, tightening her spine and making her voice come out neutral. “You’re collared. You had no choice in that, but I know you, Tempest. You’d never care about someone like—”
I tapped my finger on my lips. “Do you trust me?” Funny how I used the words Vexxion had so many times.
She nodded without reservation.
Taking her hand, I flitted us to the peak where Delaine had pinned me to the ground as an offering for the Lieges.
“Wait here,” I said. I flitted to the woods, to the area above where I was bound, and even to the edge of the cliff, though I didn’t peer down. Seeing no movement, I sent out my magic, seeking . . .
I hadn’t done anything like this before, and I didn’t know if it would work, but I didn’t feel anyone nearby. It would have to do .
Returning to Reyla, I nodded. “I think we can safely talk here as long as we’re quiet and careful about what we say.”
“Finish telling me what’s happening here.”
I shared what I could, leaving out the plan to kill the king. I trusted her, but I still wanted to protect her. The less she knew, the safer she’d be.
Another thing that reminded me of Vexxion. He’d done this with me, and while I was upset at the time, I understood, especially now. When you love someone, you’d do almost anything to protect them, even lie or hold things back.
“You said you were looking into something?” I asked. “Something related to Kinart’s last words.”
Her eyes shimmered with tears. “It’s so weird. I feel like everything since the Claiming is a blur. So much was stolen from me, even my chance to mourn, to think of him, to dream of what might’ve been. To remember how much he loved me.”
Being claimed sucked.
“I’ll love him forever,” she said. “He was special.”
“He was the best. No one will ever take his place.”
She swiped the tears from her face and sniffed. “I wanted to come here to finish what he started.”
“What did he discover?” It felt like ages ago since she said Kinart told her to expose the secrets of the fae. There were a lot of secrets in faerie to expose.
“Remember how he’d just returned from a training mission in the city before we went on that final raid? While he was there, a bunch of palace staff got sick. Since riders are trusted all over the realm, they asked his team leader if riders could fill in until their guards were better. Kinart was one of those selected, and he was assigned to the king’s detail.”
“Wow. He didn’t mention that.”
“He did to me and he probably would’ve said something about it to you eventually. I’m sure he shared it with Brodine. Anyway, he overheard something that shocked him.”
I couldn’t imagine what it might be.
She peered around before leaning close enough to whisper by my ear. “The dregs were created from Nullens.”