Page 94 of Dead Crown
Jaki drew his sword, and an arrow narrowly missed him. The winged fairy landed closer to the steps to block them from leaving, and he aimed an arrow at Jaki.
“One wrong move, and Lumi’s dead,” said Tivar.
Several arrows were pointed at Lumi. He held the pack with the Crown under his cloak as he stared up. His face had gone completely white, and it almost looked like he wasn’t even there. Not in his head.
“Lumi,” Jaki hissed, trying to bring him back. If they had to fight…he didn’t have a weapon, and there were at least ten men up on the ledge.
“I don’t really need him,” said Tivar. “He’s practically worthless, and when he did finally get pregnant, he gave me a useless girl. So much trouble for nothing.”
Jaki glared at the traitor near Tivar.
“As for you, Jaki…I want a closer look at you. I suggest you stay put unless you want to see Lumi full of arrows.”
Lumi wasn’t Tivar’s main goal. Not anymore.
A couple of men threw down a rope ladder. Jaki couldn’t see where they’d anchored it. Further back, they must have been waiting, knowing the Princes would come.
All while eating the food Elswere had happily allowed Lord Smith to take. The lord watched him with a blank expression as Tivar carefully made his way down the rope ladder.
Lord Smith, hearing where Jaki was going, had sent a dove to Tivar, left, and hurried for the tomb. As for the others…if a winged man is strong enough, he can carry another long distances. It’s a dangerous, unpleasant way to travel, especially in such a cold climate, but it can be done if someone wants to be elsewhere as fast as possible. Tivar had braved it once he had a note from his spy.
Tivar stepped off the ladder, although he didn’t approach. He had a patch of dry skin near his nose, and his face was red like he’d been flown from far away, and the cold wind had irritated his skin. Jaki had the wild thought to rush and gut him like a pig, but Lumi would be full of arrows in seconds if he did.
“Even flying, I was worried we wouldn’t make it first,” said Tivar. “It seems I worried for nothing. We’ve been eating the food you so graciously donated. Thank you. Family should help family.”
Shit. They were fucked, and Jaki had helped Tivar. Lumi shook as he clutched the pack.
“You’re not family,” Jaki forced out as he slowly lowered the lantern to the floor. “Not anymore.”
Tivar snorted. “Lord Smith had a fine time at my court while we decided what exactly he’d tell you once he returned. I didn’t thinkyou’dactually cross the border alone and come all that way like a fool.” He shook his head and let out a short whistle.“You got me good there. I was expecting the city guards to ring the alarm one day and say a huge, armed group of men were approaching.”
Lord Smith laughed. “He’s certainly a man with guts. I didn’t think he’d pull that either.”
Tivar looked Jaki up and down in a way that made his skin crawl. “You look strong and good for breeding. Unfortunately, you can’t get pregnant, but that’s all right. I didn’t want to get other prisoners, and it’s not easy keeping someone hidden. I’ll have to now. There are quite a few homeless around now, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to snatch three or four women. You can breed them, and whoever first gives me a boy gets to live.”
Jaki nearly spat on him.
“Honestly, Lumi’s only good for receiving, since I think he’s a bit tapped in the head. You look like you could get a few up the stick pretty quickly.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, you’ll be doing the fucking,” said Tivar. “I’ll let you fuck Lumi if you behave.”
Jaki would rather die than rape Lumi or a woman for a baby to help Tivar, and he couldn’t see a way out that wouldn’t result in at least Lumi’s death. If he agreed to save Lumi, and Tivar let him live, it wouldn’t last long.
If Jaki produced a boy with a woman, Tivar would kill them all once he had his new heir. He wouldn't need them anymore.
He wouldn’t be able to kill the man closest or climb the rope ladder to reach the others. They had arrows. He only had a sword. The guards he’d brought would never hear them yell, and they’d be caught unaware when Tivar and his men came out.
“I told you what I want,” said Tivar. “So what’s it going to be? If you refuse, we’ll kill Lumi, and we’ll only need to injure you enough to incapacitate you.”
Lumi suddenly bolted for the doors to Rinder’s room.
Chapter Twenty-One
An arrow narrowly missed Lumi as he raced for the double doors. They started opening, and several of the men shouted. Clutching the pack, he shoved himself through the small gap that appeared.
Tivar yelled, and Lumi almost expected to be snatched backward, but he made it through. Lumi heard a scream that wasn’t from Jaki. In the dark, something nearly hit him in the face, and he wildly swiped at the hair. His fingers hit metal, and sudden, dim light from a dangling crystal lantern showed a slightly raised walkway leading to a dais.
