Page 43 of Fae Champion

After another journey through tunnels within the palace walls, I found myself the object of Pru’s painful ministrations while Rush did whatever he did to get himself ready in his antechamber. Hiroshi, West, and Ryder had gone a different way when we’d left Saturn’s rooms, to update Roan and Reed, I presumed.

Pru wove the next strand of hair into a slim braid that was too tight. Since she wouldn’t listen, I reached behind me and clasped her hand.

That fierce grip shook in mine.

More gently than I’d planned, I unwove her fingers from my hair, the plait loosening, and turned toward her, looking down to meet her eyes though I was seated.

“Why are you so mad at me?”

Pru snorted and looked away, her throat bobbing as she blankly studied one of the walls and its satiny lilac finish. “We must hurry, Mistress, or it’ll be off with our heads. The queen will be?—”

“Pru,” I interrupted sharply. “What’s going on?” When she blinked more rapidly than normal but still didn’t answer, I added, “You know you don’t have to be here helping me if you’re worried the queen’ll punish you for it.”

Pru snickered. “Her Majesty will punish me if Idon’thelp you get ready for the party.”

“Okaaaay,” I drew out. “So then … what? Did you figure I could use a bit more torment after what I’ve been through the last few days? Since I was brought to Embermere, really?”

When Pru met my waiting eyes, hers glistened. “Pru’s not trying to hurt Mistress.”

Exhaling slowly, I shifted on the stool and pulled her toward me. On gangly legs, she stepped closer. Softly, but intently so she’d understand I meant every word, I said, “You know, if it’s too dangerous for you and your family, I won’t be offended if you ask to be reassigned. In fact, you totally should do that. It’ll be safer for you if you’re not around me.”

Pru released her hand from my grip, but patted the back of mine before walking over to the vanity table to arrange the row of shiny gold pins she’d laid out minutes before. They didn’t need organizing.

“We goblins have no say in where we go or whom we attend.”

“Then you should join Rush and the others in turning me in to the queen, so she knows you weren’t in on my escape … that turned out not to be an escape really at all.”

Pru dropped the pin she’d been fiddling with and whirled toward me. “Mistress takes too great a risk. Her Majesty will punish her in the Hall of Mirrors.” After a cursory scan of the room, especially its shadowed corners, Pru whispered, “The queen likes an audience.”

“There are no eyes and ears here now,” I told her. “The queen must not realize I’m here.”

“Of course she doesn’t. If she did, she wouldn’t wait for you to arrive at the Hall of Mirrors. She’d kill you here and order me to clean up the mess.”

I studied the goblin in her threadbare, dingy frock. She’d tucked her hands in deep pockets.

“Is that why you’re mad at me?” I asked. “Because you think I’m being reckless?”

For several moments, Pru didn’t reply, then, “We must hurry, or it’ll be off with our heads.” With a gnarled hand to my shoulder, she attempted to turn me to face forward. Again I took her hand and held it.

“I’m being careful, Pru, I promise you I am. I can’t help that the queen’s a psycho bitch who seems determined to end me.”

“You provoke her.”

I was going to deny it, but there was no point. Half of Embermere had witnessed me calling out her dragonshit in the ring.

I inched forward on the stool; Pru wriggled her hand free. “The queen preys on weakness,” I said. “I mustn’t appear weak.”

“So Mistress openly defies her in public? In front of her subjects?”

My patience evaporated. “Yes, that’s exactly what I did,” I snapped. “Or should I have waited until she tried to kill meagainbefore giving her a piece of my mind? I’ve lost count of how many times she’s tried to do me in since I got here. So if you expect me to lie down while she orders cowards to do her dirty work,you’re in for a big surprise. I won’t go down without taking her with me.”

In the antechamber, the door opened and closed.

“Did Rush just leave?” I asked, alarmed that the thought should cause me concern. I didn’tneedhim. He hadn’t been there to help me in the dungeon, and I’d gotten out, hadn’t I?

You wouldn’t have left that horrid cell without his help.

Pru padded across the floor to peer through the door between our rooms. “Yes, Mistress, he’s gone, but I’m sure he’ll come right back. He was beside himself with worry when Mistress was in the dungeon and he didn’t know where she was. He won’t leave her alone for long.”

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