Page 77 of Deadwood
“Why do you have a right-hand man?” I asked, interrupting the silence.
“Not sure what you mean.”
“Flynt. Siara said that’s what he is to you.” He was playing dumb, unless Siara and Flynt had lied?
He was quiet, and during his silence, I decided to pull at the magic with my body, seeing if it would duplicate in order to keep itself alive. To my surprise, it did. Amber liquid squeezed through the cracks in my fingers, and I pulled my power back a bit as it threatened to drip to the floor.
“He’s an advisor of sorts,” Bowen finally admitted.
“But you aren’t a king.”
“No,” he agreed. “I’m not.”
“Then why do you have an advisor?”
He looked back at me. “Why do you have a friend when your father keeps you locked away?”
He waited for a response, but I had none. What was he trying to say?
“Are you telling me you keep him close because you’re lonely?” I asked as I stepped over a hole in the ground.
He stopped, and I almost slammed into his back. “Lonely isn’t what I would call it.”
“What would you call it, then?”
He turned, and I was far too close to his chest. “An entire town relies on me to keep them alive and fed. While you may not know what that’s like,Princess, it is anything but an easy job.” He hissed the nickname at me like an insult.
I lifted my chin. “I never said it seemed easy.”
“Then don’t chalk my desire for others’ opinions on important matters up to me being lonely. I am far from that.”
He faced forward again, continuing on his way.
I followed suit. “Right. The brothel.” Lander had told me what the green building was, and I had to admit, it didn’t shock me to know what they did in there. People had desires. There was nothing wrong with giving in to them.
He chuckled, the sound low as it bounced off the walls. “I don’t need to find company there.”
“Are you insulting them?”
“Far from it. Not many can handle the tasks of what those men and women do every day. If anything, I commend them.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Really?”
He must’ve heard my footsteps cease, as he stopped and turned to face me once more. “Yes. Is that so shocking?”
“It is,” I admitted. My father didn’t allow prostitutes of any kind in Amosite, as far as I was aware. I’d eavesdropped on many meetings where he’d yelled about the disgust of it. Yet, it was no secret that his guards hired the few who worked under the table in the city. There were many secrets to be heard when you had nothing to do but listen.
“Well, it’s true. Now may we keep moving?”
I went to take a step forward, but as soon as I did, a massive, ivory face appeared from the wall of black directly behind Bowen.
“Bowen!” I screamed, and he turned just in time to avoid the beast’s teeth tearing his head from his body.
It had no scales like the dragon that had found me in the snow. Instead, it was all bone with hollow black holes where its eyes should have been. Its teeth were a mangey yellow, and its jaw snapped as Bowen dodged the attack.
It let out a roar as its head thrashed to the side, hitting the wall of the cave to knock more rocks from the ceiling. The sounds clashed together, reverberating through me. Bowen was on the other side of the cluster of rocks that fell, pressed up against the wall.
“Auria! Are you okay?” he shouted over the chaos.
