Page 69 of An Empress of Earth & Darkness

“Your beauty does not disappoint, Empress,” he said so smoothly it almost made Gideon’s eyes roll.

A blush took up residence in her cheeks, and his stomach flipped.

Gideon stuck out his hand before Sybil could take the Fae’s, and she placed her soft fingers in his. He bowed down low and kissed her delicate hand before rising. “Have fun. Come and find me if you want to piss off the fiddler again.”

She laughed, and before she could say anything, the Fae stepped in and had her spinning around like a child’s toy away from where they stood. As he sauntered back over to the seating, which was full of members of the factions in deep conversation, he was met by Marcus Coldwell with an ale jug.

“Drink this,” he said as he pushed the semi-cold jug into his hand. “You must be thirsty from all of that dancing.”

Gideon took the drink reluctantly.

Marcus Coldwell had been a member of the Blacksteel Hunting Clan for years after Viktir took him in from a distant cousin’s rejection. However, Gideon couldn’t place how he had felt as he watched Marcus choose Viktir over Torin. Gideon suspected Marcus could feel the tension of that decision lingering in the air as they stood together.

“To Torin,” Marcus said roughly, raising the jug in toast.

“To the Commander of the Blacksteel Hunting Clan.” Gideon raised his own, and they both chugged a drink in appreciation of their newest commander.

For the first time today, Gideon wondered how Torin would punish all the members of the clan who stood on Viktir’s side. Marcus had always been like a brother to both Torin and Gideon— a shoulder to lean on, a friend to talk to—but he had stood on the opposite side today.

“I would rather cut to it, Marcus.” Gideon’s words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them. “Why did you stand with my father today?”

Marcus sucked a breath through his teeth, and his eyes widened. “Because I had my choice and you had yours. We both had to make a hard decision.”

Gideon took a sip of ale and swallowed down the awkwardness. “That’s just stating the facts, Marcus. That’s not giving a rationale behind it.”

He let out a sigh that finally relaxed his shoulders. “Because I knew Torin would win.”

Confusion pulled Gideon’s brown down. “Then why would you not stand on his side?”

A dark hollowness glittered in Marcus’s eye. “Because I wanted to repay an old debt. I wanted to pay some respect to my former commander who took me in when I needed him most, and it was the only way I knew how.”

Gideon understood then. Marcus would always be grateful to have been brought into the Blacksteel clan and to be reared as someone of worth. Sometimes Gideon believed that Marcus was the only person on this earth that Viktir had time for. He saw something in Marcus, and he had always trusted him.

Their moment together was cut short as Rhea ran towards them, eyes filled with a brightness that Gideon had not seen in many moons. She pulled Marcus onto the dancefloor. “You owe me a dance for healing your broken ankle from the last hunt.”

Gideon laughed as the hunter was whisked away by someone so gentle that she made a mouse look warlike. But there was a strong side to Rhea, like his mother. They would not suffer fools gladly. Even though they may be earth witches, they were no pushovers. And as Gideon looked at Rhea and Marcus now, he could see that Coldwell was beaming from ear to ear.

“Giving up your dancing shoes so soon?” Breighly Baxgroll bumped her shoulder against his as she smirked.

There was a lightness that he didn’t know he needed as he saw her. She stood by his side in the silver guard uniform. He released a breath and his shoulders relaxed. The tension in his body dispersed. “I think my dancing days are over.”

She laughed, and it was honest and comfortable. It always was between them. “You did good.” She patted his shoulder. “You were extra smooth when you almost took out the musician. Such a catch, Gideon.”

He laughed it off. “How is guard life?” he asked her. “I am proud of you, you know. You never give up in your crusade to make it known that women are equal to men.”

She laughed again, this time a little flush in her cheeks. “Oh, Gideon, women are not equal to men. Therefore, my efforts have been in vain. I was never trying to show the world that women are equal, but that we are superior.” Her chin tilted proudly as a zestful smile brightened her face. She was beautiful in a feral way that men didn’t know how to handle. Even the hunters in the clan felt intimidated by her.

“Yes,” Gideon agreed. “Yes, you are superior.” He stood beside her, taking a drink of his ale and letting it wash down old memories of them being together. “Not drinking tonight?”

“Nope,” was all she said. And in the way that she held herself, he knew it was because of her newest responsibilities. Gods, she even had her hands behind her back.

He leaned in, bumping his shoulder to hers. “You know you have nights off, don’t you? This being one of them.”

Her eyes were immediately on his face. “You forget I am not a warrior of Thorin, but a wolf of Vanadey,” she said in that wild way she always had to bite back. “I don’t follow the same rules as you. Plus, I don’t want to mess up again.”

Again?

Gideon made the wise choice not to question her on that.

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