Page 59 of King of Storms and Feathers

Holding a short knife by the hilt, she strode forward with hostile intent, and I bolted sideways, tripping on the chain between my ankles. Her hand shot out, dragging me backward, and with the knife at my throat, she bent me over a railing positioned directly above a simmering vat of gold.

“Bit slow today, aren’t you, king’s whore?” She laughed. “This is too easy. One little push and over you’d go. Never to be seen again. And with the way you’ve been blundering about today, no one would doubt me if I told them I saw you stumble and fall into a vat.”

Rage shuddered through me, and I spat in her face. “If you hadn’t poisoned me, you’d have no hope of cornering me. I’m not the helpless human you’d like to think I am.”

A sneer twisted her lips. “Oh, I didn’t poison you. It’s only a large dose of hashish oil dulling your senses.” Keeping the blade at my throat, she shifted her other hand to my shoulder. “Just a tiny little push and—”

Using all my strength, I kneed her thigh, sadly missing her groin. She made a satisfying grunt of pain as footsteps sounded behind us. “Bad luck. Too slow,” I whispered over her lips. “Spent too long gloating.”

“Esen!” On the other side of the room, Raiden’s voice boomed from the shadows. “Drop the knife and let her go. Now!”

With a growl, Esen stepped backward, sheathing her blade.

“I thought your king ordered you to be nice to me today,” I said, rubbing the sting from my throat. “I’m not sure murder fits that definition. What do you think he’ll say when he hears about this?”

Esen’s face paled. A common failing of the overconfident schemer, she likely hadn’t considered that her precious Arrowyn might learn of her wicked deed.

Raiden grabbed her arm and tugged her toward the exit. It was pleasant to see someone else being hauled about for a change, especially the obnoxious Esen.

“Arrow won’t be hearing of it,” he said, flicking his head toward the door and directing me to follow. “And if you tell him, Leaf, we’ll just say you’re a liar who attempted to escape. Who do you think he’ll believe?”

On the silent journey back to the stables, my mind ran wild with far-fetched schemes of escaping from the king’s apartment. Now that I knew how serious Esen was about getting rid of me, the need to leave Coridon was more urgent than ever.

I had to sweeten up Ari, who thankfully grew more trusting every day, and please Arrow to the best of my ability, no matter how much I hated bending to his will.

The next day, after breakfast, I accompanied Ari to the river room. I sat in the waterfall window as usual, and we chatted as she arranged platters of fruit for the king’s pleasure. Not bothering to bolt my chain to the floor, she’d attached it to a single cuff on my wrist and left the end lying loosely over my thighs.

Over the past couple of weeks, her frosty demeanor had slowly thawed. And right now, I’d never been so grateful that the king’s Sayeeda and I had become friends. Or at least, something quite similar.

“Was yesterday’s foundry visit interesting?” Ari asked as she swept a broom around groups of chairs and low tables along the edge of the river.

“Extremely,” I replied, recalling my sweat-soaked skin as Esen had held my torso in the air above the vat of molten gold.

“You should ask Arrowyn to take you to Auryinnia. He’s long overdue a diplomatic visit to the mines, and I think you could convince him to make the journey.”

“Me? I doubt that. Wasn’t his family killed near there?”

“Yes. But three years have passed, and it’s time he upheld the contract his ancestors made with my people, the reaver elves. We have allowed him time to recover, but the Zareen’s patience is running out.”

“The Zareen?” I asked. “Who is that?”

Ari’s skin paled, and she waved a dismissive hand before marching off to the other end of the river room to throw a bucket of sweepings out a window. She collected her broom and called out to me. “I must clean the bathroom. Remain there if you wish. I won’t be long.”

With dread and excitement churning in my stomach, I nodded and returned her smile. A few moments later, I heard her broom thudding against walls as she swept the bathroom briskly. The Sayeeda had just given me what might be the only chance I’d get to escape from the king’s chambers.

With a pounding heart, I scanned the river room for what I hoped would be the very last time.

Translucent veils danced over the floor-to-ceiling windows, framed by gold and black columns. Dappled light cast intricate patterns over the marble floors and the dark green leaves of tropical plants. The atmosphere was uplifting and tranquil, like a refuge. A haven.

I turned my face away from the beauty and fixed my attention on the waterfall that rushed past my legs and over the windowsill I sat on.

Stupid idea or not, if I was going to do it, I needed to act fast.

Water sprayed my body as it gushed past, the urgent sound spurring me into motion. I got to my feet and studied the ground around the pool. The street appeared quiet, with only a lone cat wandering by.

The drop was high, but the rectangular pool below was deep and wide. I might survive the jump. Or I might not. Either way, one thing was certain: I’d had enough of living at the whim of the fae of the Storm Court, waiting for Esen or Arrow to kill me whenever the mood struck them.

If I died today, so be it.

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