Page 1 of Knightfall
Chapter One
That dirty, liver-eating shitehole threw ale all over me!
“This tripe’s disgusting!” he snarled. “Cost a whole half-penny and tastes worse than my boot!”
I was soaked and freezing. My eyes glazed over with rage. I swiped a hand over my sopping face and focused on the jerk holding the empty cup. I ignored the table I was serving.
There was a reason this asshole’s food tasted awful. It was three-day-old fish I’d saved specifically for him. I bit down on my smile.
The inn was crowded with miners on payday. Here to play until their pockets were empty. Entitled as shite because they had two coins to rub together.
Case in point, Tripe-man picked up his plate, ready to toss that at me, too.
Asswipe. He thought he could steal from Kylee, and then waltz back in here? That tripe would have him heaving in no time. But I had to pretend I didn’t know that. That I was outraged by his attempt to attack me with it.
I held up an arm to block him. “I didn’t cook it, you piss-pot! If you don’t like the food, leave.”
“I want my money back, you soulless witch!”
My power flared. Oh, if he only knew. I shoved my power down and grabbed Tripey by the collar. “You want roasted duck? Go to the palace and try your luck there! Of course, I hear they like suckling pig. You might end uponthe table.”
“How about you suckle my pig!” a nearby miner shouted.
“You mean piglet!” I yelled at the heckler as I dragged Tripe-face toward the door. I’m not that strong, but he wasn’t that big, and rage was a big motivator. I tossed him into the dirt. “Don’t come back.”
“Sard you!”
“In your dreams, Tiny!”
I turned to go back inside and nearly ran into a wall of a man. Green vest, gold pocket watch, pressed shirt. All covering a body that used to be pure muscle. But, running an inn and gambling hall made Kylee soft. It was the only explanation for why the brute hired me. He was soft in the head. It was how jerks were able to steal from him.
I bit my lip and looked up. “Sorry, sir.”
“Bea, you can’t keep throwing out patrons.”
I sighed. “I know.”
“Gonna have to—”
“Dock my pay. I know.”
Damn it all. I needed that money.
But I didn’t argue. Kylee didn’t know what I was doing. And I wouldn’t embarrass him by saying I knew he’d been swindled. No man liked to feel a fool.
“Learn to control that temper, Little Dragon. Then I can toss you in the back with the fat cats. They’d love you.” He nodded left toward the double doors that opened onto the gambling hall, where the nobles and merchants sat, laughing and playing as much with the prostitutes on their laps as they did with the cards in their hands.
I shook my head. “No thanks.”
Kylee ruffled my hair. “Well, if you don’t want that, get your pretty butt upstairs and change before those tits start a riot down here.”
I glanced down. Sure enough, my wet shirt was see-through. My nipples had pebbled and were straining the transparent cotton.
“Don’t tell Abel or Marcus,” I wagged a warning finger at Kylee as I tromped over to the servant’s stairwell.
“They’re probably already up in your room, panting,” he barked out a laugh and shuffled back toward the poker table.
I rolled my eyes and hiked up my skirts to climb the stairs, hoping Kylee was wrong.
