Page 97 of Crownless King

“Where is he, by the way?” Sauria turned to me. “Where’s Bavius?”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before I could say the words out loud, “Bavius is dead.”

“What?” Her face fell. “No way. Nothing can take down that boar. He’s meant to live forever. Everyone knows that.” Her chin trembled, despite her upbeat tone of voice.

Holding Aithen to me, I climbed to my feet.

“I’m so sorry, Sauria. But Bavius is gone.” I tipped my head in the direction of the pit. “They killed him.”

She threw another look at the guards, filled with real hatred this time.

Turning Aithen away from the pit, I glanced inside quickly. Both men were completely still now. The sharp, bloodied spikes poked through their chests, stomachs, and thighs, as well as the wings of the one who’d had them open.

The web of transparent lines already spread over their skin wherever it was exposed, crisscrossing their hands and faces. The gruesome scene reminded me of King Tiane’s Garden of the Cursed. Except that the guards had a quick death. Soaking the wood in the juice ofebonweed had been an act of mercy on Bavius’s part. He ended up showing more kindness to the wild animals he trapped than King Tiane did to his people.

“We’ll need to cover it up again,” I said.

The bodies of the guards would eventually disappear, joining the air of the forest. But their clothes would remain. Anyone could see them from the air when flying, especially if they were looking for them.

Sauria nodded. “Let’s do it right now. Then, you’ll show me where they got Bavius.”

* * *

“Do you want some tea?” Sauria asked when I exited my room after having put Aithen to bed.

“Tea would be nice.” I nodded.

I left the door open to keep an eye on Aithen. All windows in the house were closed and shuttered, all curtains drawn together. The door was locked. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone might come looking for the men we’d killed, seeking to avenge their death.

Sauria poured a fragrant herbal tea into a cup, then shoved it to me along the table. It was the same table that Bavius had tipped over. Sauria must’ve straightened it while I was with Aithen. As a fae, she was much stronger than me, despite her frail appearance.

I’d left the table on its side for Bavius to pick it up later. Only now, he was dead. Neither of us knew when he’d stormed out of here that it’d be his last time in his house.

I dropped my head between my shoulders.

“It’s all my fault.”

Sauria took a sip of her tea. “What are you talking about?”

I’d taken her to the place where Bavius was killed. I’d told her how it happened. She’d touched the bolt sticking out from his shoulder. It glistened with red.

“Nerifir iron,” she’d whispered. “It’s fatal. Sorry, Bavius. You were a good neighbor, even if I often said otherwise.”

I wanted to move him into the house, but she wouldn’t let me.

“Let him be,” she’d said, brushing a tear off her wrinkly cheek. “His life began in these fields and ran its course here. Let the fields keep him, now.”

Like all sky fae,taureanbodies were absorbed by air after death. Bavius’s flesh had already turned invisible in many places. Soon, he would fully become a part of the winds over the land that always held his heart and his soul.

I tried to find consolation in the thought that he died where he loved to be, but it didn’t ease the guilt gnawing at me.

“Had I not forced Bavius to let me live here, none of it would’ve happened. He’d still be alive.”

Sauria smoothed her silver hair pulled back into a neat bun. “First of all, you didn’t force him to take you in. I did. Second, King Voron didn’t come here because of you. He came for food, plain and simple. And third, those assholes showed up here, searching for the king not for you. You sure aren’t responsible for Bavius’s temper, either. The man always was as stubborn as a bull and severely lacked social skills. Maybe if he handled those men with a little more caution, he’d still be alive. We’ll never know now. One thing is clear—his death was tragic, but it was not your fault.”

Sauria didn’t know it all, however.

“Bavius wanted to marry me,” I said.

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