Page 36 of Midnight Kingdom

“Abedon...Eclyp…”

Yep. She speakin’ in tongues now. I can’t hear shit right, but I don’t trust her, no how no way. Not after all I seen. Back in Variant’s palace, she didn’t seem too eager to comes with us when we thought we were rescuin’ her. As I see it, most folks who be imprisoned by a crazy fucker would jump at the oppo-tu-nity ta get they ass free. I know I would. An’ Variant a real scary fucker for someone who ‘spose to be the King o’ Angels, er some shit like that. He ain’t right in the heads, neither.

I heard tell he was fuckin’ Anona before he introduced her to his sword, but I can’t imagine someone like Variant fuckin’ someone as ugly as her. Anona that sorta ugly that make a man dream o’ bein’ celibate.

The door to the bedchamber open and I looks up at the elf. He don’t look too good. ‘Specially with that long-ass wound on him’s belly. “You look like shit,” I say, tryin’ to be polite about it, but he scowl at me anyway.

Dick.

“I still look better than you, fat flying rodent.”

“Keep tellin’ yerself that. I’d steal your girl, if you had one an’ if I weren’t asexual. Speakin’ o’ women, what goin’ on with you an’ the Unseelie woman?”

“Nothing,” he say.

“I thought she was your girlfriend or some shit?”

He shake his head. “No, she was not and is not,” he says, real smug like. Then he sigh real loud. “Regardless what Aima is to me, she and Kolvar need to be rescued.”

“Yep. I ain’t too fond o’ Assface Kolvar, but even I ain’t cruel enough to let him’s soul be burnt clean outta him’s body. That fuckin’ brownie say there ain’t no comin’ back from it. It scary to thinks o’ dyin’ without an afterlife waitin’ on the other side.”

The elf nod him head, real slow-like, an’ scratch his chin while he look at me. “They deserve better than that. My brother and Aima… It’s hard to think he would order her execution.”

“Well, Theren weren’t there exactly... not really.”

“What do you mean, ‘Theren wasn’t there’?” the elf demand, soundin’ real put-out like.

“Well, I ain’t seen him, but them dicks were workin’ on him’s orders. That what I hear when I was there. Unless there be another king I ain’t know ‘bout.”

“So, you didn’t actuallyseeTheren give the order?”

“No. Not less he a woman. Look like most the Unseelie Court be ladies now,” I answer him question. “Just ‘cause Theren weren’t there, don’t mean he don’t know what they was doin’.”

“You don’t know my brother.”

“Youdon’t know your brother from a dog’s ass! Or else you’da known he was gonna betray you durin’ the war. Didn’t see that comin’ at all! Soze you can’t say you know what he’s gonna do next.”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Didn’t say you did.” Why he gettin’ all pissy with me? “All I’m sayin’ is you shouldn’t be lyin’ to yourself when there’re plenty of fuckheads ‘round us willin’ to do it for you. We gots enough enemies, don’t make yerself one.”

“That may actually have been the wisest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“Stick around, Elfie. I’m a fuckin’ fountain o’ knowledge. Might learn somethin’ hangin’ ‘round a brilliant sprite like me. Might even learn how to get Pretty battin’ them lashes at you again.”

CHAPTER TEN

EILISH

The Mountain Path

Dry, frigid air burns my lungs as we trek through the obsidian stones that lead to the mountain path. Pyre grows weaker with every step, and I struggle to hold both his weight and my own. My boots crush the snow and ash that accumulates across the mucky earth beneath my feet. Clumps of frozen water trickle from the sky, melting in my hair and slithering down the back of my tunic. The path slowly begins to curve around the mountain. It’s so much like the place from my dreams…

“Something troubling you?” Pyre asks with a hoarse cough.

“My memory is returning.”

He gives me a look of surprise. “Anything worth mentioning?”

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