Chapter 20 #3
She kissed Faron with urgency, and he responded in kind.
But as much as Tal demanded more from him, she could tell he held himself back.
Just as he had all these past few weeks, Faron let Tal take the lead.
Perhaps their power imbalance forced his restraint.
According to societal standards, it certainly wasn’t proper for them to be alone in a room together, much less kissing.
However, those few weeks they’d spent ignoring their attraction let Faron observe more about Tal than she would have freely revealed.
He knew she liked to be in control, and he was all too happy to surrender it to her.
When Tal realized, it sent her head spinning.
Never had she met a man who allowed her to be herself so completely, and she certainly didn’t expect to meet such a man with his social status.
She’d found someone who perfectly complemented her.
She pressed against Faron, and he responded with a maddeningly satisfying groan. He stopped kissing her and fisted his hand against the ground, holding himself over her. His head dropped slightly. “Hells. You’re treading on dangerous ground.”
Tal smirked at him. “I’m not treading on anything. I’m on my back.”
Faron chuckled darkly and shook his head. “If kissing you always escalates like this, I’m afraid I won’t have enough restraint for much longer.”
“I’d like to see you with a little less restraint.”
His eyes burned into her, and his nostrils flared. Tal tested his resolve. “Do not ask for things you aren’t truly ready for,” he growled.
“I’m not asking.” She lifted her chin up, so her lips were a hair’s width from touching his. “I’m demanding.” Tal narrowed her eyes in a challenge and waited for Faron’s answer. But she was caught off guard when, instead of meeting her lips, he pulled away.
Faron sighed heavily and rolled off her.
He lay on his back on the floor, seemingly struggling over something.
Tal sat up on her elbows and watched him.
Frustration built within her over his sudden change in behavior.
She wanted to accuse him of taunting her these past few weeks and then backing down when she took action.
She watched Faron’s chest heave, unable to gather her thoughts.
“We have an audience.”
Tal’s attention snapped to the opening where Egan, to his credit, looked away, blushing. “How long have you been standing there?” she asked with a harsher tone than she intended.
Egan opened his mouth to answer, but didn’t say anything.
Tal crossed her arms over her chest, fists clenched. “You knew?” she snapped at Faron.
“I tried to warn you.” Faron shrugged at the ceiling.
“What part of all that was a warning?!”
He smirked to himself. “The part where I didn’t undress you.”
Egan coughed from his position, and Tal scoffed. “Tal, the gals had some information for me.”
Tal groaned and stood with effort. “Let’s talk by the river. I need air.” She ignored Faron’s chuckle and stormed out of the tunnel.
“Oona’s been feeding me information from the brothel. Two of the girls went missing the night of the… uh… Communal,” Egan began. He rubbed a hand behind his neck nervously.
Tal swore. “It’s been over two weeks! Why are we learning this now?”
“I’m sorry. I was on duty that night with Syb.
Badger and Gully kept to their usual routine.
Nothing strange at all, I swear. Oona thought the girls escaped.
It’s why she never mentioned it. They had already been planning it.
But she overheard the headmistress last night threaten someone about stealing her girls without compensation. ”
“Who?” Faron snapped.
“She couldn’t tell. A client called for her before they stepped into the hall.”
The three of them sat at the tunnel opening.
Nearly two months ago and almost every day since, Tal practiced her newly discovered talent of breathing fire.
She thought back to that night and the hope they had felt.
So much and nothing at all had changed since then, but she could feel a crossroads on the horizon, and she didn’t feel ready for it.
“There’s more,” Egan continued. “One of our little problems has developed a bit of an addiction.” Egan’s main source of information came from the brothel.
The women there favored him. He claimed they preferred his kindness to their usual patrons.
Tal wondered if he simply enjoyed a change from the tunnels.
“Was he there when the women went missing?” Tal’s eyes shot daggers at Egan.
“No, that meeting was in the morning. He only goes at night. He’s been using his newly earned coin to visit Nemina almost every night this week, and he talks. He has been summoned to the palace for a meeting with his associates, as he calls them.”
Both Tal and Faron stiffened. “The palace?” they asked in unison.
“With the king?” Tal asked.
“With who?” Faron said at the same time.
Egan shook his head. “Someone important, that’s all he implied. He was very proud of himself.”
Faron frowned while Tal swore. “And what of his coin? Did you get a chance to look at it?”
Egan nodded. “Gold coin with the king’s seal. Just like Pochette’s.”
“The king’s seal? You’re sure?” Faron’s voice twisted with worry.
Tal pulled out the coin she kept in her pocket and handed it to him. “The apparition gave this to Pochette. We’ve tracked several other coins, just like this one, around the docks.”
Faron inspected it and shook his head. “This is not the king’s seal. It’s a good attempt, but it’s fake.” He handed it back to Tal.
“Can you prove it?” Egan asked.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Tal crossed her arms. “I’m still not convinced the king isn’t involved. Everything has been pointing at him this whole time.”
Faron’s eyes widened at her. “Tal, think about what you’re saying. Why would the king ally with the mages? Do you know what that would mean for the kingdom? For him?”
“Yeah, power.” Tal already ran through the reasons in her head.
Meladair suffered from violence, unbalanced classes, and a significant amount of poverty among other things.
They were constantly in danger of being overtaken by any of the foreign powers, even from those within.
A partnership with the mages could provide the protection the king didn’t have access to locally.
Egan tilted his head, thinking. “If power is what they’re after, why wouldn’t they just overthrow the king?
What would he have to offer that they couldn’t easily take on their own?
I mean, Rain and Syb lived in a village full of warriors, and they didn’t stand a chance. We need their take on this one.”
Tal stood. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s offering the throne without a fight.
Or the secrets of our enemies. Think. Syb’s vision has to do with that room in his palace.
The two servants were tortured underneath it in a secret dungeon.
And then we found the girl in his own private residence, guarded by mages.
And now, this urchin is going to the same godsdamned palace.
There is no way the king doesn’t know about it.
” She headed off to her room. She had a bounty she needed to fulfill before the others returned.
Faron caught up to her. “Tal, don’t jump to any conclusions here. We don’t have all the information.”
She stopped and faced him. “Look, Faron, I know he’s your friend. But can you really look at all the facts, and tell me you don’t suspect he’s behind this? Can you honestly say he would never do whatever it takes to keep power?”
Faron shook his head. “You don’t know him.”
She turned and started walking again. “Well, maybe you don’t either.”
“Tal, wait.” Faron reached for her arm and slid his hand down to hers. The satisfying chill that spread across her skin distracted her momentarily.
She turned to him and could see the concern in his features. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to storm the palace,” she teased. The lines on Faron’s face softened.
“What if I could prove to you that it’s not him?”
“Aside from finding who is responsible, I don’t see how you could.
” She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that the king didn’t invite mages into their land, but the evidence suggested otherwise.
Either the king was corrupt, or he was completely oblivious to what happened right under his nose and wasn’t suited for the role.
“I trust you,” she said. “But until you can prove it’s not him, he’s the first person I’ll blame for anything mage related. ”
Faron nodded. “Understood.”
She sighed, wishing they had a little bit longer to explore what had happened between them before Egan interrupted. “Sounds like our evenings are about to get exciting.”
Faron stepped into her and forced her back into the wall. “I thought things had already started to get exciting.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his.
She let him tease her a moment more. When he didn’t deepen the kiss, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away playfully. “You’ve been coming here for weeks, and now you’re ready to make a move?”
He walked backwards toward his exit to the street above. With both hands up in surrender, he said, “What can I say? I’ve had a taste. Now I want more.” With a bow and a wink, he headed off and left Tal to her responsibilities.