Page 29 of The Heartless Archer

“You’re calling this place sacred?” His brows raised in disbelief, and his eyes flickered around the barn.

Once it was sacred. She didn’t know how she felt about it now. But he didn’t need to know that.

“A royal guard can afford to pay a little, can’t he?”

“What do you think, I am some kind of rich man? I’m new to the royal guard, I barely have anything saved up!”

Liar.

She pressed the blade further into his skin.

“Should we see if your fresh blood is also black? Maybe I could sell your body on the market and get my fair share for the troubles you made me go through.”

He held up his hands in defense. “Are you crazy?” His voice shook before he went on. “Listen, I am most grateful for your service but I don’t have any gold, despite you thinking I have. I am but a mere guard, low on order. If I had anything to spare I would give you something.”

Greedy Bastard.

He could even spare her one of the Kronen; it would be enough for her.

“I see.” She backed off, narrowing her eyes at him. An uneven breath left his lips. His eyes rove over her for a moment. Noora felt like she saw something hiding beneath those watercolour eyes, a hint of something but before she could grasp onto the unknown, his lips parted.

“I don’t have any gold. But I may know how you could get a pretty good sum.”

Noora crossed her arms in front of her, making sure that he saw the blade of the dagger resting close to her.

“I’m listening.”

She wondered what he would come up with. She would lull him into safety and maybe follow him up to his house.

It wouldn’t matter if she stole from the rich, despite what he was saying, she knew he had gold. She would not take much, just enough for her and Lulva. She saved his life, he owed her that much.

“This is exclusive information, from the royal palace.”

“No need to glamorize it, just get to the point,” she said, drawing an impatient breath. A glare was his answer but still, he kept on going.

“The royal family has planned to throw a tournament, with a prize of 100,000 Gulls for the winner.”

“One hundred thousand?” The words slipped past her tongue incredulously. Only the royal family could come up with a careless idea and spend that much gold on nothing. She could imagine it; how the prince was lounging on his throne, ordering around servants, declaring that he was bored and he wanted to throw a tournament.

“The king wants to gift his subjects some spark and joy—”

“And he thinks the best way to do that is to gift 100,000 Gulls to one person? How would that help the subjects?”she asked.

Kai’s gaze darkened and satisfaction immediately fled her body. “Not so clever, is he, your king?”

The man was up in an instant as if never injured. Noora almost stumbled as he advanced on her but she caught herself quickly, throwing up the dagger and pointing it right at his abdomen. Kai hesitated but he was clearly close enough for his rage to waft off of him, clouding their surroundings.

“The king is doing everything he can and I will not tolerate you talking down on him, not knowing what he is willing to do for his kingdom.”

Noora narrowed her eyes at him, the audacity this man had was incredible.

“Well, certainly he has not been doing enough. Because soon your king will no longer have any subjects. The water is beginning to spoil, the harvests are growing smaller with every day. The land is rotting and he has nothing better to do than throw a stupid tournament.”

Kai scoffed, still not moving away from the dagger. If possible he leaned even closer, making Noora catch a few green sparks flying in the depth of the dark irises of his eyes.

“You were interested in the silly tournament a few moments ago. Don’t pretend like you care about the lands just because you’re a witch. You’re greedy, caring only aboutyoursurvival.”

“How dare you, question my intentions? Is it dishonourable to make sure one stays alive? I may care more about the land than your glorious king does! He is merely a child who is so lost that he does not know what he is doing!”

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