Page 17 of Vicious Princess
She arches an eyebrow, but says nothing to me.
Realization hits.
An outcast fae Decarios, running an inn. Kazh must dabble in some illegal activities. I should have known. She’s Vasquez’s friend, after all. And he sent me here.
I already went through this with him—becoming a criminal who needs to hide in the shadows won’t grant me the power or influence I seek to get revenge for my family’s death.
To punish King Francis for the betrayal, I need to rise to his level.
Or as close as I can.
I shake my head. “No, thank you.”
“Suit yourself,” she says, seemingly bored with the conversation. “If you sleep on it and change your mind, my offer stands.”
I don’t think I’ll change my mind about joining the Order. But I don’t voice that.
“You don’t even know me. Why would you want me working for you?”
“Because Vasquez wouldn’t send me a useless piece of shit. I trust his judgment.”
I stare at her, but she doesn’t say anything else. So we continue eating in silence while I ponder her words. Why would V send me here, other than to help me find shelter and food while I transition into being an Ezkai?
That secretive bastard.
After I’m done with my meal, I say, “I need a weapon. I left mine with Vasquez. Can you tell me where I can find a weaponsmith specializing in bows here in Jaakii? I need a new one as soon as possible.”
“Across the river, in the middle of Telf, you’ll find a market where they sell all sorts of goods. Look for Joaquin’s stall. He’s got the best bows in Jaakii.”
“Thank you.”
There’s a weird look in Kazh’s eyes for a moment. I sense that she wants to say something but doesn’t. So I rise to my feet and get ready to leave.
“Good luck, feral child,” Kazh says. “The spirits of the gods tell me you’ll need it.”
Going allthe way to Telf takes me a good forty minutes. On my walk here, something about the city feels…off. Or maybe it’s just me.
Most of the shops, inns, and other establishments are open from the early morning. The streets are filling up with more and more people the closer I get to Telf.
The market Kazh mentioned is larger than I expected, so it takes me twenty minutes to find Joaquin’s stall.
He’s an interesting old fae with a sharp white beard and a mustache curling upwards in a neat spiral. “Trust me, human, this is the best-quality timber you’ll find in Jaakii,” Joaquin sneers, looking at the bow I hold. “In the whole of Ekios.”
It’s a beautiful bow; I’ll give him that. But it’s not the one.
“That’s why I’m here,” I say to him. “Though this particular bow doesn’t feel right. Do you have something sturdier?”
The old fae grunts and takes the bow from me. Grumbling something under his breath, he shakes his head and places the bow back in its place on his stall. “You want something stronger, girl? Show me your arms.”
I look at him, thinking he’s joking. Apparently, the old man is serious. He crosses his arms and waits for me to offer my own to him. With a scoff, I push my cloak aside and show him.
Joaquin grabs my arm with his bony fingers, and I fight the urge to throw him into the nearest wall. What, for the love of the gods, is he doing? My cheeks heat up with bubbling anger.
“Stay calm,yrathi,” he says noticing my irritation.Yrathiis an Ekiosh slur for a human. “If you want a stronger bow, I need to see if you have the strength for it.”
I’m boiling with rage. Who does he think he is to questionmystrength?
He drops my arms and pinches my skin through my muslin shirt for a few moments before finally letting go. Without saying a word, he turns around and ducks inside his tent behind the stall. I stand there for five minutes, waiting for him to come back.
