Page 164 of Deadwood
Flynt’s lips rolled together before he raised a hand, and the crowd went silent.
I let a breath of a moment pass before speaking. “As you are all aware by now, King Tenere is on his way here as we speak.”
Hushed murmurs flowed through the crowd as eyes remained glued to me. One look confirmed that none of the people from Auria’s group was among them. They were likely hiding away in their temporary housing, fearing they’d be at risk of harm from the frantic townspeople.
“I don’t know what his intentions are, past coming to retrieve his people, so I won’t pretend that I do. We gave them sanctuary until the bridge was repaired, and as of a few hours ago, the crossing has been restored.”
“When will he arrive?” one of the men asked.
“Late tonight,” I answered, which earned more whispers rolling amongst the people. “He has guards with him, likely for his safety.”
“What if they find out we’re fae?” a woman with a baby on her hip asked.
The sight of the two of them caused a wave of uncertainty to hit me. Not only was Deadwood a refuge to criminals, fae, and anyone that needed a place to rest, it was also a home to many families. Families that had felt safe enough to settle down here. The determination to do everything in my power to keep them safe had me saying, “They won’t. Not unless we make it known, which is exactly why everyone must give their utter respect and act cordially. All this is is one leader visiting a town to bring his people home. It is not an act of war. No one will be harmed.”
The group remained quiet after my words ceased echoing through the street. Slowly, a murmur began, and I was thankful for it as I turned to Flynt. “Siara?—”
He dipped his chin. “It’s done. She’s made sure the dragons know to stay away tonight.”
My chest eased the slightest, knowing they would be out of the crossfire should anything happen. Humans didn’t have an alliance with the dragons, other than believing they took care of the fae population. The last thing we needed was King Tenere aware they were aligned with us should he discover what we were.
“We should go down,” I said, glancing back at the town.
“Bowen.”
Flynt’s voice had me turning to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
The question had me swallowing my doubts. I wasn’t sure if I was, but the people of Deadwood were counting on me. “I have to be.”
“It’s okay not to have all the answers,” Flynt said, a crease forming between his brows. He might get on my nerves from time to time, but Flynt had a heart. On the days I worried I’d lost my own, he reminded me it was still beating stronger than wings on the wind.
“Not today it isn’t.”
After making our way down the spiral staircase and letting Triss know she and her coworkers should stay inside the building the rest of the night, we waited. Lander showed up shortly after we exited the brothel and stood cast in shadow by one of the buildings, not uttering a word to anyone. I scanned the area for Paxon but didn’t find him.
After three hours of waiting, I ordered the citizens to return to their homes, unless they were in the brothel or the saloon. The entire time, all I’d wanted was to go to Auria, to make sure she was sleeping well and not sitting in bed terrified of what might happen tonight. I would have hours ago, but the last thing I needed was the town to create another riot and King Tenere to show up early. I also wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep myself from hiding Auria away where no one could find her. So instead, I stayed standing, my feet planted like twin anchors in the dirt.
On the fourth hour, I debated sending the guards still standing tall in the street to refuel with food and water, but I thought better of it when my magic sprang to life with the scent of smoke in the air.
They are near, my smoke whispered, satisfaction coursing through the tendrils in my veins with the hope of attacking them. I let it anticipate the worst, knowing this could go haywire fast.
It was a miracle the sandwalkers hadn’t torn the group’s limbs from their bodies the moment they stepped foot in the desert. The only things keeping the shadowed creatures at bay were the lines of torches on either side of King Tenere’s horse-drawn carriage. As the group got closer, I became certain he was comfortably inside while the others were exposed to the monsters that lurked in the dark.
Before entering the town, the guards at the head of the group stopped. They stood with straight backs, squared shoulders, and their torches held high. The driver pulled the reins on the wagon, and once the horses slowed, I spotted a second carriage behind the first, more elegant one. Only two horses pulled the smaller coach, compared to the four on King Tenere’s.
Raiden stood to my right as Flynt flanked me on my left. Siara was behind all of Deadwood’s guards that waited behind us, ready to alert the town in the event that chaos ensued. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but King Tenere was unpredictable. I’d almost expected him to send only his guards to retrieve his daughter, but maybe the man was smart after all and was finally coming to learn that his men weren’t the best trained. Obedient, sure, but prepared for battle? Hardly.
Out of the near hundred men that flanked the two carriages, one moved, opening the door to the first. Meanwhile, movement to my right caught my attention, and I turned to find Paxon finally joining us. I hadn’t a moment to wonder where he’d been as King Tenere stepped out. Even in the flickering flames, the bags under his eyes were all too noticeable. The slightest bit of satisfaction coursed through me at the thought of him losing sleep over the daughter he treated like he couldn’t care less if she lived to see another day.
How terrible it was to lose a gem you had never once valued.
Smoke twirled around my fingers, itching to creep into the people of Amosite and suffocate them where they stood. I reined it in, keeping it hidden beneath my skin. If I didn’t have a town behind me I needed to protect, I’d let my magic have its way with every single one of King Tenere’s guards, stealing the oxygen from every lung, infecting their blood and stopping the beating of their hearts.
As soon as King Tenere’s polished boot touched the ground, Paxon and Lander were moving, leaving our group to join theirs. I was nothing other than fucking relieved to see their retreating backs. They could have them, but I’d be damned if they touched Auria.
Three guards emerged from the shadows of an alley, two limping and the other clutching a dangling arm, his wrist swollen and blue. We’d offered them aid, but all three had refused. Either because they loathed Deadwood or feared their king wouldn’t approve of them seeking further help from the enemy.
