Page 101 of Fae Champion

“Not enough for Cambo and Gorko, queenie. Just us,” Cambo said. “Yum, yummm.”

My bout of sympathy for the brainwashed pygmy ogres evaporated. I now wanted to kick them right in the dangly bits that kept jouncing around behind their loincloths with their every movement.

Rush stepped closer. If he reached out, he could touch me. Both hands hung loosely at his sides so he could draw weapons if he had to—though none of them would make a lick of difference against her in the end, and he had to realize that.

“Your Majesty, I’ve told you. I can’t kill the lady Elowyn.”

Her face locked into perfect impassivity. She blinked at him several times; her eyes alone pulsed with her anger. The blue was as bright and azure as the perfect summer sky.

“You’d choose to kill three perfectly viable drakes and the girl’s precious pets instead of her?”

His next exhale vibrated slightly in the air, the only sign that his steady stance was for show. “No, Your Majesty, I choose not to kill anyone.”

Her laughter rang as it circled the large room before fading out toward the vaulted ceiling. Braque giggled in support, the deranged teehee festering before silencing. Ivar simply watched all of us, the blood still shining along the blade he clutched at the ready.

“Kill her,” the queen snarled.

Xeno fought against his chains until Gorko tugged on them, revealing the extent of his strength and tossing Xeno to the floor, where he landed awkwardly on his spine.

Saffron whimpered through his muzzle.

My heart ached with the need to soothe the dragonling, but I forced myself to look away. I’d already revealed too much of how much he meant to me, and the queen was always observing. Her little spies still floated somewhere behind us, just beyond my line of sight.

“You know you can’t do it,” West said to Rush. “It’ll haunt you forever.”

Rush sighed so that his shoulders rose and fell. “I know. I won’t kill any of you. I’d rather die first.”

The queen frowned andtsked. “Fine. Ivar.”

While the pygmy ogres lumbered out of the way to make room, Ivar stalked past them, pausing to spit on Xeno, then disappeared through the open door.

I stiffened.

The queen leaned forward on her throne and smiled.

I tensed so hard that my butt cheeks clenched.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I couldn’t tell whom she was addressing, Rush or me, or both of us.

Either way, whatever was coming next wouldn’t be good.

“Please, Your Majesty, let us all go,” Rush said. “I promise, I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”

“You’re already supposed to do whatever I ask of you. You all are.”

“Then, I’ll be in your debt.”

“Rush, Rush … why must you play these silly games? You were born into this world already in my debt. You should be kissing my feet and begging me to let you do my will.”

Rush didn’t speak. None of us did, not even the pygmy ogres.

“This is your final chance before things get ugly,” the queen said, her tone too soft, too gentle, entirely out of place. “Kill Elowyn and everyone else goes free. I’ll even let you do it quickly so she doesn’t suffer.”

“I can’t,” Rush said, but his reply was just as soft, resigned, and possibly defeated.

My pulse thumped in my head.

---