Page 108 of Feral Guardian
“That’s not too hard, to be fair,” Lily cuts in. “Cock, dick, fuck, pussy.”
“Princess,” I groan as I cover my face, feeling heat rising in my cheeks.
“See?” Lily says with a bubbly smile.
Scarlett laughs again. “Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about your magic. You’re warding in midair! How is that possible?”
Lily opens her mouth to gush and I grip her leg under the table in warning.
“Is it wise?” I whisper to her.
“Alastair, I appreciate your caution, but it’s starting to become a little offensive,” Scarlett says. “I could’ve put my dagger in your back a dozen times now, but I haven’t. I would rather have my other eye cut out than hurt my own sister or harm the man she’s in love with.”
My jaw works as the demon under my skin grumbles. I am powerful, and in a fair fight I stand a chance against either Scarlett orZane, but not both—and they wouldn’t fight fair. She’s right, and perhaps I’m being overly cautious.
“We’ve had a rough go of our journey. Maybe if I tell you about it, you’ll understand,” Lily offers. “And then of course I’ll tell you about my rune-writing techniques, as long as Alastair approves.”
I sigh. “I didn’t tell you no. I asked if it were wise to share such a powerful new weapon with…with…” Words fail me. They’re not the enemy, but is Scarlett competition for the throne?
Lily cups my cheek and I lean into her warm, calloused palm. No longer the hand of a sheltered princess, but a warrior queen who’s been through trial after trial.
“Can I tell them?” she asks, her eyes soft and open.
She means to tell them the prophecy. It’s too soon to trust them with this, and it’s dangerous whether we know them or not. Sharing this knowledge could damn things, change things. I could’ve ruined everything enough already by telling Lily.
“Trust me,” she whispers.
Gods, forgive me if this fucks everything.
“I do,” I say. I kiss her wrist before putting her hand back in her lap, holding it tightly in my own.
Lily looks at Zane and Scarlett and begins telling our tale. We talk for well over three hours, discussing everything from the prophecy to Trask, to Scarlett’s recent attempt on the queen’s life, to the Pit—which she called the Dark Room.
Apparently, the queen had tortured Scarlett for years trying to expose her magic, and when it all failed, or seemed to, she chose to “get her out of the way of the throne.” Scarlett doesn’t want to rule Fynren, and that admission gives me a little ease. She may change her mind at some point, but I’ll deal with that when it comes to it.
After the third flagon of beer, Scarlett and Lily turn to indecent talk, leaving Zane and me to make infrequent and awkward eye contact as we each refuse to leave our princesses’ sides.
Finally, when they’ve had their fill of being naughty and divulging far too many secrets, Scarlett pushes back her chair and declares it’s time to stop holding up the revelries. With a single nod from Zane, more of their soldiers—the Spiders—file into the tavern. They move the tables and set them with candlesticks and full flagons.
“What’s all this?” Lily asks.
Scarlett balks. “What, I can’t throw a homecoming party for my sister? You are home, yes? You’re going to stay here with me and help me kill our bitch of a mother?”
Lily nods. “I don’t…I’m not sure I can. I’ll stay. I want to stay here with you, but hurting her…” She pauses, her hand hovering over one of the runes I know is etched into her body, Zephrom’s obedience. “I don’t know if I can hurt her.”
Scarlett pats her on the back. “We’ll figure it out together, won’t we! And if you can’t, I’ll do twice the damage just for you. We’ll draw out her torture for weeks and months!” Scarlett declares, raising her tankard.
“Weeks and months!” Zane echoes, raising his cup to hers.
“Fuck the queen!” the Spiders around the room cheer.
Scarlett laughs. “Wonderful. Now, let’s celebrate my little sister and her husband-to-be.”
Chapter thirty-two
Lily
“I’m going to throw up,” I say as I look at myself in the mirror.
