Page 7 of To Bleed A Kingdom

“I got it in my mouth!” He jabs a finger at the dead creature. “The Soulless. I got its body juices in my mouth. Ach!” He hunches over and gags for a moment more, then straightens, attempting to compose himself, but still appearing a bit green.

“Then maybe you should have summoned your Gift instead of slapping at it like a hysterical female,” I chastise. “Or fought it off like the trained warrior you are.”

“I panicked! I've never had one get close enough to bite me.” He pauses, his brow furrowing. “There was what? Eight of them? We’ve never fought that many at once.”

“No, we haven’t.”Blowing out a weary breath, I turn away from Kace and begin making my way back toward the city gates, Kace and Griffin following behind.

“Their numbers are increasing,” Griffin echoes my thoughts.

I nod in agreement, but say nothing more, listening to the crunch of Fall leaves beneath our boots.

“They had several new Soulless in this group,” Kace notes.

“Four,” Griffin adds.

“Their clothing… it isn't Breccan,” Kace says, his body popping in and out of view as he slips between trees. “Where did they come from? What kingdom?”

“I don't know,” I reply through gritted teeth, hating that I can’t give him a definitive answer. Hating even more what I suspect that answer may be.

“The Kings Council is today,” Griffin reminds me.

Rubbing my eyes, I groan internally at the thought ofenduring another Kings Council meeting, wishing there was some way I could avoid another session of listening to the petty squabbles and drunken snide comments of the ruling monarchs of Vanyimar. But as acting Captain of the Guard, my presence is, unfortunately, mandatory.

Griffin places a large hand on my shoulder, pivoting me to face him. “This affects every kingdom, Darius. You must bring it to their attention.” He pauses, conveying the severity of his thoughts with an arch of a brow. “Despite what orders you may receive.”

Often others look at thequiet, muscular immortal who prefers his own company and assume him to be dim-witted. Yet, Griffin is anything but. He may not speak much, but when he does, his words are carefully selected and delivered with a keen intelligence that I've not found in another. I wouldn't dare to refuse his advice.

Mentally preparing myself for the punishment I’m sure to receive, I jerk my head in assent.

“At least this will give the rulers something else to argue over,” Kace says, chuckling darkly as he rushes past. “Besides which one of them has the biggest cock.”

A fae born in the lower class, Kace has always held an aversion towards royals and the members of nobility. Son of a courtesan and his father’s identity unknown, his upbringing was darker than most.

Hungry and poor, Kace was no more than a child when he began slinging pots, shining boots, and occasionally pick pocketing. He has afirst-hand account to the cruelty and selfishness of the nobility towards those less fortunate.

“You do know males aren’t the only ones on the Council, right?” I ask Kace, watching him swing from tree to tree. “It also contains Queen Celene and Queen Adelphia.”

“Oh, yes. I know all about Queen Celene,” he drawls her name, bowing beneath a rather thin looking branch before swinging to another.

“You don't know a godsdamn thing about her.” I chuckle, tossing a stick at him that he dodges easily enough. “That female would eat you alive.”

Dropping to the ground, he bounces on the balls of his feet, his eyes glimmering. “I would love for her to eat me. Do you think she can shapeshift just her throat? She is the Shapeshifter Queen. Oh, gods!” He groans, biting his fist. “She could literally gobble my entire dick. Swallow it whole!”

Griffin chuckles. “Her being a queen, and you being…” He pauses, gesturing towards Kace with a wave of his hand, “you, I doubt you’ll be able to get near enough to ask.” Inhaling a deep breath, he cringes. “And with the scent currently wafting off you, she’d mistake you for a Soulless and kill you on the spot.”

Griffin and I laugh, but Kace appears genuinely shocked at his words.

“I’ll have you know I’m a fantastic lover. A-ma-zing,” he says with a proud lilt to his chin. “Queen Celene should feel honored to have a male such as myself in her bed.” He scrunches his nose in disgust, glancing down at his guards vest slickened with black blood. “Even if I am smothered in Soulless juices.”

Griffin smirks. “No matter how amazing you are, her guards won't allow you anywhere near her.”

“No, no. You're right.” He rubs his chin, mumbling as he walks past. “I need to study the rotation of her guards. Find their weakness. Lie in wait for my chance to sweep her off her feet. Then, we'll get married and make a bunch of panther babies.” Cocking his head to the side, he scrunches his face in thought. “Or would they be cubs? I'm not exactly sure how that works. In the meantime, I'll check the brothel. There must be at least one shapeshifter there.”

Griffin and I share an amused look,having no words in response to the delusional male babbling to himself. Until Kace shouts over his shoulder, “And we'll live happily ever after… because I’m fucking amazing!”

Unsure if he's trying to convince us or himself, but already knowing it's best not to encourage him, we silently follow the ridiculous fae back to the city gates.

At the sound of the creaking door, all conversations cease and the room falls silent. Pausing over the threshold, I look up and see every pair of royal eyes staring back at me. Grumbling a curse, I quickly shut the door and round the large oval table centered within the room, barely taking notice of the dark oak, honeycombed walls, the unlit Gods Light sconces arrayed between the black and gold stitched tapestries, the Kings Council crest stitched within, and the view of the two moons through the floor-to-ceiling, arched windows. Instead, my head remains high as I make my way toward the Cascadonian heir.

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