Page 40 of Kill the Queens

"You drooled on me," Shelby said.

Okay, so spitdefinitelydribbled out.

"Sorry, you must have lulled me to sleep with your lack of entertaining conversation." She leaned forward squinting asshe saw motion along the wall. Full armored bodies that paced back and forth or clustered in smaller groups. Ace went rigid. "There's guards." She looked harder. "Everywhere."

"I know. That's why I woke you. What should we do?"

Ask them nicely?Sylik suggested.

If that was supposed to be humorous, Ace was finding it sort of lacking. The gods could entertain someone's mind but they couldn't control them. Not since humans had free will and all that. So they might be able to keep someone distracted but she doubted they could just waltz right up there unnoticed or even come right out and ask it. The answer would be no. The answer would probably also be a swift stabby-stab right in the heart with a sword.

Come now, you can come up with something better than that,Greshta pushed.

Apart from slaughtering them with her newfound holy fire, I think asking might be the best option,Sylik said.

In what world?Greshta practically gasped.What you should have done is snagged a soldier on his way to his shift and worn his armor. Impersonated them.

Now that was an overused trick. Ace rolled her eyes. It was too late for that and she had no interest in using whatever thing was inside of her. She wasn't even sure she could easily call forth the holy fire.

Sylik was rolling with laughter at Greshta. Prompting her to ask,Well, does anyone else have a suggestion?

Apart from batting her eyelashes, not a clue,Mina said softly.

We are the god and goddess of beauty and nourishment this is not our expertise,Nathalian confirmed.Perhaps you should be asking Judia. She is the goddess of war after all.

Judia had never spoken to Ace. Not once had Ace been certain she'd heard that voice.

Judia is still banned from speaking. You know that!Greshta growled.

Banned? Banned from speaking to who? The world? Me in particular?Ace thought.

Judia was the goddess who broke our oath of silence to you. Judia told you Shelby's desires. Gave glimpses of who he was and why he desired it so much. No deed like that can go without punishment.

Shelby held the reins and the horse had come to a stop. Ace glared up to the sky dotted with clouds. "You’ve got to be kidding me." She wanted to shout it but managed to let the words come out in a hiss.You're telling me the only reason I was able to convince Shelby to help me was because the goddess of war assisted?

"What?" Shelby coughed.

Ace twisted in the seat to look at him. "Long story, but I'm sure none of it is a good thing."

If the goddess of war was coming out to play then Ace had to wonder if her and Shelby's deal had been a turning point for the human world, for the Fae, and what felt like the brewing of war. Brewing had to be the wrong word for it though because this war had never stopped. There had been a year of what some considered peace, but that was more like a brief pause in this wicked game the Fae and human queens were playing.

Don't get lost in your thoughts,Bedesh warned just as Ace's hair was picked up by the rush of wind and the cursed whistle of a loosed arrow that tore past her.

Shelby's hands wrapped around her waist, tugging her back against him, only narrowly helping her avoid another arrow. "Shit." His voice was a rough growl in her ear that stirred up the nervous flutter in her stomach.

Men stepped forward through the trees. They were dressed much differently than the men in black shining armorthat almost blended in with the wall but were still the queens’ guardsmen nonetheless. These guards were in head-to-toe blacks, browns, and greens that blended with the forest around them. Even their faces were smudged with streaks of the colors.

"Don't move or I won't miss again," a man snapped as he walked to the horse.

Ace pointed her face down, trying not to make eye contact with them. The scar on her neck burned. Shelby's grip on her tightened, squeezing her breath from her lungs. Blinking brown eyes came into Ace's view as the man stepped up to the horse and pulled the reins from Shelby's hands. He paused as he caught sight of Ace.

"What in the fuck is this?"

"What is it?" a man farther away shouted.

"Orange eyed freak with a crazy mean looking scar." He tipped his head. "Come to think about it, did we get word of a pair that looked a little something like this fleeing from Queen Sienna's castle?" He didn't wait for confirmation as he snapped his fingers. "Get the girl. She can be brought before a queen. The man can be taken to be hung for the Impelling."

Hands were on Ace, fingers digging into the fabric of her clothes and tearing at her skin. She was already twisting. Already reaching. Begging. Shouting. Ace was moving to reach for Shelby as he was tugged in the opposite direction from the horse. Of all the hands on her, his hands were the only ones she wanted to stay.

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