Page 5 of Till Kingdom Come

Bracca’s lips twisted with contempt. “And yet I have witnesses who say his ‘accident’ was a result of your soldiers’ aggression. Or are you calling my witnesses liars?”

“No, of course not, Your Highness, but the situation was confusing. Your men were heavily armed and seemed threatening. My guards were afraid.”

Bracca simply stared at Ellien, long enough that it must have made him nervous. It started him babbling excuses. “We regret his tragic death, of course. Very much so. It wasn’t intentional in the least. You have to believe me. We want to make recompense, and we went to great trouble to get the one you said you wanted.”

“Very well,” Prince Bracca said. “The law is clear. You owe me a life for a life. If not your own, then there must be another one offered in trade.”

Though I still didn’t understand much of what they were talking about, I squeezed Ellien’s shoulder for courage. I could see that this Bracca was a man who only valued strength. Poor Lord Ellien had to try to control his fear, but instead he stepped backward and cowered, refusing to meet Bracca’s gaze. Bracca’s lip curled mockingly as he stared at Ellien, so I stepped over to face him instead.

“Lord Ellien has told you what happened. Are you pretending not to understand? The Solarians said they had no intention of hurting your captain. Therefore, they probably struggle to see why they must pay some terrible price when it won’t bring your man back anyway. They’re offering this trade you mentioned as fair compensation. What part of that is unclear to you?”

People gasped all around me, and Bracca tilted his head to the side and gave me a look like he had no idea why I was even speaking. Then one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk, and he very deliberately turned his back on me to speak in his language to one of his soldiers, his hand still firmly on his sword.

But I persisted, shoving in front of him again. “Pray tell me why you’re so angry. Why won’t you explain yourself?”

Looking down at me again, Bracca spoke in a low, menacing tone, “Explain myself to you? Why are you involving yourself in my business, mortal boy?”

“My name is Killian Honeywood,” I said, before he could say another word. “And I’m definitely not a boy, although it’s true I am mortal. I’m the son of Sir John Honeywood of Scolley Hall in Kent.”

“I know who you are.”

“Y-you do?”

He glared at me, and a frisson of unease swept down my back, but I’d been taught never to back down. My father would have beaten me bloody if I had. I persevered out of force of habit.

“Tell me how you know me,” I said.

“Don’t make demands of me. Why are you even still talking?” he snarled at me, his voice filled with malice. It made me take a step back. “Stop your smart mouth or I’ll stop it for you.”

I should have backed off then, and I definitely would have if I hadn’t heard my father’s voice in the back of my head.Only cowards back down. Are you a coward, boy?

“No!” I cried out. “I have things to say.”

“Oh, do you?” He replied, leaning in dangerously, and finally, some small sense of self-preservation made me take a nervous step backward.

Ellien shrugged, glancing over at me. “Your Highness, he’s very young.”

“No, I’m not. I’ll be twenty-one soon.”

Bracca rolled his eyes. “Why is he even here for this? It’s not necessary.”

“I was afraid something might go wrong with our trade.”

“How did you meet him anyway?”

“At the tournaments held by his father.”

He sneered. “Tournaments…mortal foolishness.”

I ignored the tone of disdain and spoke up again. “Yes, tournaments. Are you hard of hearing?”

Everyone assembled looked at me as if I’d lost my mind for speaking to him that way and perhaps, I had. I was afraid of him, but he wasn’t my prince after all, and he was being a terrible bully. I’d had enough of bullies like my brothers and their friends and even my father to do me a lifetime. Besides, there was something about the prince that irritated me badly. Still, he was powerful and a Dark Fairy. Perhaps I should apologize.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“Oh, I think you did.”

I halfway expected him to tear my head off, but all Bracca did was smirk at me again as if he could read my thoughts. “What? Are you reconsidering your words now, boy?”

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