Page 50 of King of Storms and Feathers

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Outside the gates, you would find desert, the Auryinnia Mountains, and not much else. If you traveled in a northwesterly direction, you’d eventually come to the coast and the Port of Tears. On horseback, it’s about a two-hour ride. On foot, well, you’d likely fall into the hands of gold raiders before you reached the port.”

“Maybe I’d be better off with humans than remaining a prisoner of the Storm Court,” I replied.

“You, in the possession of raiders? No, I don’t believe that would be an improvement in your circumstances.”

Ari was entitled to her opinion, but the prospect of reuniting with my own kind sounded pretty good to me. Worth the risk of being caught by raiders or Storm Court soldiers. All I had to do was work out how to get rid of my chains and steal a horse. Should be simple. Or maybe not.

Either way—that was my goal.

“I don’t know, Ari, I think I might be an optimistic risk taker so…” I let my words trail off with a laugh, and she scoffed loudly.

In the courtyard, we wove through a line of servants carrying supplies to the kitchen, baskets balanced gracefully on their heads. As if I was invisible, no one returned my curious glances. Clearing my throat, I smoothed the gold tunic over my legs.

“Why are they ignoring me?” I asked as we stepped through a doorway at the end of the courtyard. “I’m dressed exactly the same as the other slaves today.”

“We prefer to call them servants.”

The fae could call us anything they liked, but it still didn’t change the truth.

“Why do you think they might be afraid to look at you?”

My cheeks warmed. “Because the king told them not to?” I guessed.

“You are not so stupid after all, Leaf.” She grinned, her gold teeth sparkling.

Damned Arrow. Why did he need to control not only my body and emotions, but everything around me? I couldn’t wait to be free of him.

A week had passed since I’d first slept in his bed, and no matter how late he returned to his moonlit bedchamber, every night, he would unchain me from the pavilion so I could perform my duties.

For what seemed like hours, I worked kinks from his back, my breath catching in my throat when he turned over and stared up at me. His big chest rose and fell as I straddled him, massaging his neck and arm muscles.

My heart would pound in suspense as I waited for his hands to move, wondering if this would be the night he’d finally do more than touch me, but he never did. Because the Storm King took sick pleasure in delayed gratification.

Most nights, I barely slept as I lay in Arrow’s arms, unchained and alert. I waited for his grip to loosen so I could leap through the waterfall window—possibly to my death. But each time I shifted a muscle, his arm would tighten like a band of steel, and I’d curse him silently until sleep finally took me.

“Hurry, Leaf. Don’t fall behind,” Ari said as we walked along a series of covered outdoor corridors.

I made a game out of the shafts of sunlight that divided the red ground into strips of shadow and light, only walking on the bright patches and avoiding the dark.

“Does the king have many lovers?” I asked. “Since I’ve been in the dome, no one’s visited his bed.”

She arched a golden brow. “Well if someone did, you’d have a spectacular view from your pavilion.”

My skin flushed hot. I’d rather strangle myself than watch Arrow engage in bed sport.

“Do the dreams still plague him at night?” Ari asked.

I nodded, wondering how much Arrow had told her about the duties I performed in his bed.

“Then it is good he asks you to soothe him. Much better than ingesting the sleeping medicine every night. It clouded his mind and affected his moods. Now he is happier.”

“And his lovers?” I said. “What do they think of a human sla… servant soothing their king’s troubles?”

“Should I come across any of these mysterious lovers, I’ll be sure to ask their opinions. But my spies tell me he visits no brothels or courtesans’ quarters.”

I stopped walking and gripped her wrist. “Ari, is the king perhaps not… interested in such pursuits? Doesn’t he like to…” I couldn’t think how to say it without causing offense.

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