Page 69 of Ryld's Shadows
“My dear Kai.” She took his hand, something hard in her palm that she placed in his. “All the trouble you’ve gone through. You shouldn’t have.”
That hard object bit into Kai’s palm, and he jerked his hand back. An emerald lay in his palm, pulsing with a sinister green-yellow light. Kai tried to remove it…and failed. It was stuck fast to his skin. “My lady…what?”
“Only what you deserve.” Lady Jessamine rose from the sofa and placed her hand on Hank’s chest. “Sleep.”
Hank collapsed in a heap and though Kai’s mind reeled in confusion, part of him snarled at himself. He’d made a terrible mistake. He reached for his magic, ready to draw power as fast as he could and again…nothing.Nothing. Not only was he cut off from his magic, his physical strength felt as if it were draining out the soles of his boots. She’d affixed a cursed gem to him, and he’d been blind enough to let her.
“You’ve… Lady Jessamine, how could you do this? Why?”
Her beautiful face had transformed with rage, her complexion an unflattering brick red. “Why else, you fool? They’re just pixies and fairies. Ship ten off and they’ll breed twenty more next week. This court is powerful, and wealth brings more power, the power to do what is necessary. The humans of this world are barely more than animals. They give us this pittance of land as far from civilization as they can. Someone has to teach them their place. Once I bring yoursulitekto heel, he’ll do nicely to keep the drow and the kolle in line. Conquering the humans will follow. But first, you’ve necessitated an accident for yourself and the orc. Could you possibly be any more inconvenient?”
It hurt. Of course it hurt. Kai had thought they were friends. He had truly believed… Ah, this world had made him careless and soft—believing people who were mortal enemies in other worlds could work together here. Fine, yes, there were some aelfe he could trust without reservation, but Val and some of his officers had earned that trust a thousand times over.
While he was angry at Jessamine, he was furious with himself.Oh, Ryld. I am so sorry. My terrible decisions will leave you alone and in danger. Forgive me, little brother.
Out loud, he only said, “I suppose I could be more inconvenient if I bit you.”
It was the wrong thing to say, and he’d known that. He just had time to steel himself before she backhanded him across the face and knocked him from his seat.Lovely.He was too weak now to sit up again. Though from this vantage point, he could see Hank.Still breathing.Still alive always meant there was still a chance. The sharp pain of the emerald burrowing into his skin threatened to steal thoughts and sense, but he had to keep thinking to get them out of this.
Lady Jessamine spoke to someone just outside Kai’s line of vision. “Take them to the north face in the Pine Woods. If anyone asks, say they were on their way to see if that drow bitch had anything to do with what they discovered. I will handle Ryld.”
