Page 43 of Beyond the Winter Kingdom
Corvo stretched. “Well, if you don’t want to be dinner, I suppose I could go fetch some help.”
“Drayden,” Vareck said instantly. “Find him or Kaia. Anyone who can get a witch to open a portal.”
“Wait,” I said. “What if they try to eat us while you’re gone?”
“Don’t let them eat you.” Corvo paused, cocking his head. “I mean, I thought that went without saying. Kinda shocking you made it this far to be honest.”
Damon frowned. “I think what we all want to know is when they consider us ‘ready.’”
Corvo tapped his chin. “Could be an hour. Could be a few days. Could be now. Time is weird here.” Corvo licked his paw and pointed it at Sadie. “That one’s kinda scrawny, meaty for sure, but you know meat is better with marbling, so I imagine it’ll be longer for her.”
“Then hurry,” Vareck growled.
Corvo looked over his shoulder and purred. “What’s the magic word?”
Vareck gritted his teeth. “Please.”
Corvo smirked. “And?”
Vareck looked like he’d rather stab himself than say it. “Thank you.”
Sadie snorted. I pressed a hand over my mouth to stifle my laugh. Damon just shook his head, muttering something about never trusting cats.
Corvo smiled, infuriatingly smug. “There it is. Back soon.”
And with that, he vanished into the shadows, leaving us behind in the pastel village of doom, surrounded by smiling creatures who were starting to look far too interested in our nutritional value.
Sadie stared at the now-empty throne. “We need a plan in the meantime.”
“Agreed,” I muttered. “Let’s just hope Corvo brings back someone who doesn’t want to turn us into a stew.”
Chapter 11
Corvo
I popped into Faerie mid-argument. The faint scent of blood greeted me like an old friend. Drayden stood near the dungeon wall, arms folded and scowling. Cadoc, Meera’s serial killer brother, loomed nearby, calm as ever despite the blood on his knuckles.Or maybe it was because of?Who knew? Kaia stood off to the side with her arms crossed, the picture of judgment. As usual.
The only one who looked as done with their talking as me was the bound leprechaun who’d seen better days.
“Finally,” Drayden muttered. “The damn cat’s here.”
“Language,” I said, tail flicking irritably.
Cadoc frowned. “You give a shit about the word damn?”
Kaia rolled her eyes. “It’s the wordcatthat he takes issue with.”
I pointed at her with a paw. “That one. I’m a god. Act like it, peasants.”
Both Drayden and Kaia groaned. Cadoc simply appeared confused.
I could see the relation to Meera. Over and over I said I was a god, and still the confusion. Alaska in the winter was brighter than the two of them, but perhaps he also gave good pets.
Kaia shook her head, refocusing on the surly asshole and his mini-me. “Pretty sure Vareck saidnotto torture him.”
Drayden arched a brow. “I didn’t.”
CadocDrayden Jr. shrugged. “No one said anything to me.”
