Page 228 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Or will the Council judge us like this? Shit, will they send us to be devoured by the Shadow Gods?
My breathing becomes labored.
“You okay, love?” Daire asks.
“You’ve also said that more than a dozen times.” I force my breathing to slow. “I should be asking you. You’re the one whose wrist has only just recovered from being dislocated.”
Daire smirks. “I’m always up for some kinky bondage.”
Does he realize that I’m beginning to learn his tells? Smirking and deflection.
His wrist must be fucked again, and he doesn’t want me to know.
How much trouble is he in with Maximinus? What has Maximinus been doing to force him into working for him?
Has he been threatening the featherglass?Threatening me?
“So,” I lick over my dry lips, “do we have our stories straight?”
“And what story would that be?”
“Ehm, that we fucked off from Bael because of my heat and then broke the rule not to bond with Aurelius.”
Daire’s lips quirk. “Aye, that one. As someone who finds himself in trouble a lot?—”
“I’ll have you know that I’m quite the troublemaker too. Hard as it is to believe, I can compete with you there.”
“Not that hard to believe, love. Then you should knowthat brutal honesty normally gets your arse kicked. Although, in this case, I’m not sure there is much we can say that will change what happens next.”
Chills chase down my spine. “Then what can? Aurelius or Maximinus?”
Daire shakes his head. “Look where they’ve brought us. This isn’t Aurelius’ study or Maximinus’. It’s not even the Silver Banquet Room. This is the Silver Basilica, the Council’s playroom. It’s not somewhere any prisoner wants to end up. Only the most serious crimes are judged here, the ones that end bloody.”
I pale. “The Council hold the power here, but who controls them?”
I don’t understand the guilt sheeting through Daire’s expression.
“The Head of the Council will sway their decision, and the last one is, well, dead.”
I narrow my eyes. “Dead, huh? Wild guess here, you killed him.”
“And this is why we’re fated mates. You know me so well.”
“I’d prefer that it wasn’t in an assassin club.”
“Those arseholes in the Assassin Guild never let me become a member. It appears that killers and torturers are also elitists or else, they had enough sense not to trust me.”
“Why did Maximinus order you to murder the Head of the Council?”
“Do you remember Quintus Sempronia? The man from the banquet whose lap I was sprawled in?”
I let out a long breath. “That’s why you were seducing him. Fuck, you killed him that night for Maximinus.”
“I killed him,” Daire says, hard and cool, “because that bastard dared to lay his hands on you. That it was my orders was only a bonus. If ever someone deserved to die, trust me that it was Quintus. Maximinus only cared about the fact that Quintus was trying to form a faction behind Aurelius, which would weaken his position in the Shadow Court. The choosing of the new Head of the Council took place the morning after the Carnival of Shadows. You’ll know them by the large, silver signet ring shaped like dragon wings. What’s the odds that in Aurelius’ absence and after the carnage during the night, Maximinus manoevered someone loyal to him into the position? I truly have fucked myself.”
I kick out in frustration and then regret it, when the movement sends a shock wave of pain through my shoulders. “Why were you working for Maximinus? He’s worse than Aurelius. He was behind the First Fae War and has been fanning the flames of the second one. On the other hand, Aurelius has been trying to end the fighting. You’ve seen his back. On the moon, isn’t it obvious how hard he’s trying to break the hold of both his uncle and Council in order to reform the realms?”
“Should I be grateful?” Daire’s voice is dangerously soft. “Forget how I was brought to this capital in a cage, as you seem to have done?”
