Page 58 of A Legacy of Poison and Lies

Kej laughed. It was light and joyful, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “She is, but she likes to have my full attention.”

“Her loss,” Zylah murmured, her own attention darting back from the guard to Nye just in time to block another attack.

“You see, Rin,” Kej said. “She’s not offended. She’s—”

“Kej. You’re letting Lirian get away.” Rin gave him a firm shove, but he offered nothing more than a wink and a slight dip of his chin before taking off after the guard.

Zylah concentrated on Nye’s attack as Rin scooped up the bundle of clothes Kej had left behind.

“My brother will fuck anyone with a pulse. No offence,” the Fae said, shaking her head in her brother’s direction.

“None taken.” From someone else, it might have been an insult. But from Rin, it was simply an observation. Zylah knew enough about her and her brother already to understand that. Nye merely smirked, continuing her pattern of blows. The movements were fast, but there was a sequence to them Zylah was quickly picking up, and the blocking became a more natural rhythm, the movements almost meditative.

Rin mumbled a goodbye, something about someone she was trying to avoid, but Zylah’s attention remained focused on Nye’s attack. Despite the company, despite some of the unsettling looks, the court gave her the same feeling Maelissa’s had; its occupants were trapped here, and this was the first opportunity since her arrival to shake the overwhelming feeling.

The world beyond this court was not safe for the Fae that resided in it, and to Zylah, their sanctuary felt more like a prison. Surely Malok understood. That was why it was so important Holt secured his support—so that all Fae could be free to live amongst the humans. And yet he wanted to go one step further in keeping his people here by raising a shield around the entire court.

The moment Malok’s spies sent word, she’d be leaving with Holt to find his key, and Zylah couldn’t wait to leave. She concentrated on blocking Nye’s strikes, losing herself in the steady rhythm, as they moved around each other slowly until Zylah could meet Nye’s blows without thinking.

“I met Raif once,” the Fae said after they’d built up a sweat. “Don’t look surprised. I read all of Malok’s reports before he gets them and it’s not difficult to string it all together. It was well known Raif was helping Holt in Virian.”

Zylah schooled her expression. Heat prickled her skin, and something else, but she willed it away. “Raif was… good to me.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “But I couldn’t give him what he wanted.”

They switched positions; it was Zylah’s turn to strike and Nye’s to block, and already Zylah’s arms and legs were aching.

Holt’s words cycled on repeat in her head.Maybe it wasn’t the kind of love you wanted it to be. But it was enough.

“I can see he meant a lot to you,” Nye said, her voice a little gentler than it had been a moment before. “But there’s a reason why you held back. Maybe even more than one.” She pivoted, swinging a leg behind Zylah’s knee and knocking her to the floor.

“That doesn’t make it right.” Zylah wiped the back of her hand against her brow. “Show me again.”

Nye offered a hand, pulling Zylah to her feet, but didn’t release her grip. She held Zylah’s gaze as she said, “Grief is messy. It’s such a tangle of feelings all knotted into one, like a net of spider silk has been thrown over you. Whatever you had, it was real, but now he’s gone. So you have two choices: stay here. Stuck under the net. Or push through it and take whatever you need with you. He died. Not you. Don’t forget to live.” A light squeeze of her hand, and then she pulled away, already back to training.

It was a choice, Zylah realised.

The way she had chosen to keep going when Pallia visited her. The same way she had chosen to get up every morning in Kerthen, putting one foot in front of the other.

But it didn’t change anything. She was still a monster for all that she’d done.

“Do you know why Holt covets these soldiers?” Nye asked, as if she’d sensed the previous conversation was over. She’d moved on to alternating blocking and striking now, using the moves she’d gone through in sequence so that Zylah could keep up.

Zylah remained silent, waiting for Nye’s answer.

“Our scouts can evanesce.”

Zylah had been told it was a rare ability, had been warned back in Virian not to do it in front of other Fae. But Holt had never discouraged it, had never asked her to conceal who she was.

“A male who once belonged to this court, a cousin of Malok’s, had the ability,” Nye continued, “and he wanted to pass it on to as many as he could, with the intention of using them for his own gain.”

Zylah halted halfway through the strike she was about to deliver. “Please tell me this isn’t going where I think it is.”

“He wanted to sire an army.” Nye nudged Zylah’s fist with her own to encourage her to keep going. “Malok was hunting in the woods one day when he heard the male conspiring against him.”

It was Zylah’s turn to block. “What did Malok do?”

“Ate his heart.”

Zylah’s hands faltered at the admission. “He can shift?”

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