Page 96 of Of Mercury and Mist

He clicked his tongue. “No fear. I sense no remorse or fear from you and instead, pride. You know what they say—pride comes before the fall.” Diego laughed at his own joke before lowering his voice. “This won’t do.”

The boots backed up and I saw his robes sway as I waited. Before I could brace myself, a different boot landed on my kidney.

Rolling with the punch, I met one of the soldier’s pair of legs, and before I could right myself, the hilt of a sword smashed into my other side. Arching away from the assault, Ethan’s fist knocked the wind out of me.

“This is but a taste of what awaits you,” Diego proclaimed loudly for the benefit of the crowd, lifting his hands in the air. “We want blood, do we not? We must honor Ezra.”

Hoots and hollers rose in the background and Diego whirled around, metal flashing. The sting of his blade was delayed, the instrument so fine it took several seconds for pain receptors to register the wound. My hand raised to my cheek when I felt the wetness.

My eye twitched at the sharp sting of pain in my wrists, and finally my canines descended on instinct, my biological urges crying out for retribution. There was no need to hide here, so I let them be as badly as I wanted to tear into everyone around me.

If I fought now, I would lose. I had to bide my time.

“Take him away,” Diego bellowed.

Ethan beckoned me with a hand, as if I had any choice but to follow. “Let’s go. I hope you like your tomb; we’ve had it waiting your arrival for a while. Tried to make it cozy.”

“Fuck you,” I spat, clambering to my knees, my restraints sending shock of pain with each movement. Bile filled my stomach before one of the men surrounding me shoved a hand under my shoulder and pulled.

It was impossible to stand on my own, the magic-infused chains sending shockwaves into my muscles. My thighs and arms convulsed under my efforts and before too long, I had a soldier on each side of me, holding me up.

Sound died down in the room, the show was over. For now.

They began dragging me, and several of the men wandered off to attend to other duties, clearing the view. People were bunched around the doors, trailing off to get back to their lives but many remained, eating, drinking, and Diego was settling in at a long table.

I noted some differences from when Josiah and I had worked together in this very room, but much was still the same. The wafts of orange mist trailing along the ceiling and in the corners, the muted, sun-tinged colors of the light fixtures, the decorative fountains and features pouring blood.

And then I saw her.

THIRTY-FOUR

Ashley

“Ahh, look what we have here,” the man said, getting up from his throne and clasping his hands together. A beatific smile graced his face as he stepped down the short stairs and came to a stop in front of me. “Aren’t you lovely.”

Uncertain what to say, or who this man even was, I simply said, “Thank you.”

“Ashley, this is High Lord Diego, one of our esteemed board members of the Collective.”

I twisted my head closer to Samuel, “Are you one of them, too?” I’d heard him referred to as Lord several times now.

“I am not,” he replied, with irritation. I’d forgotten he didn’t want me to talk.

Diego tilted his head at an angle. “You never know, maybe someday if you continue on this path and the opportunity arises. With this turn of events your position will be elevated.”

“Ashley, will you do this court the honor of joining us for this evening’s meal?”

I glanced at Samuel, and he nodded, indicating I could answer. “Thank you, I’d be happy to.”

“You may speak if one of your superiors asks you a question,” Samuel said to me.

How I was supposed to understand the foreign hierarchy and know who was who was beyond me, but I nodded anyway and shut them out, taking a moment to peer around the large room we were in.

Nearly the entire space was encased in ebony marble, with a dining table to one side, surrounded by chairs. The faint orange fog I’d seen above the woods was drifting around the tall ceiling, curling around wooden beams and metal arches. It was concentrated above a smooth, stone throne set on a short dais with what would’ve been a water feature back home. Instead, it was a waterfall of blood. If I listened closely enough, I could hear the soft trickling sound it made as it gathered in a shallow pool.

To the right and the left, were clusters of seats bearing what I guessed were luxury fabrics. Some appeared to be leather, and others, thick upholstery. I wasn’t closest enough to make out the fine details, but it was the obvious the place was lavishly appointed.

“Did I ever tell you your boyfriend used to work here?” Samuel didn’t wait for an answer. “Josiah was the court’s enforcer and Micha worked by his side as his second in command.”

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