Page 39 of Of Blood and Fire
“In the badlands? You might as well kill me now?—”
“Thatis a seriously tempting statement, especially given I do not have the same convictions about killing in cold blood,” I cut in, “but before I decide whether I should cinder your ass or let you escape through the sphere, tell me one thing—how the fuck did you two get in here?”
“What’s in it for me if I answer honestly?”
“My vow does not prevent me from wounding you,” Damon replied. “And I’ll more than happily relieve you of a limb or two.”
Makki studied him for a moment, then waved to the bathing area on the other side of the room. “I made a door over there.”
“He’s an earth witch,” Damon said, with a glance my way.
“He doesn’t feel like any earth witch I’ve come across.”
“Because he’s not of Arleeon origin, and his energy is therefore different.”
My gaze returned to Makki’s. “The royal suite lies on the other side of that wall. There are no old passages between that and mine you could have used to get so close without being seen.”
His smile was derisive. “Just because their existence has fallen into memory’s shadows doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There’s an ancient passage that runs from the suite to the servant quarters, into the military zone, and then beyond, following the edges of the Blue Steel Mountains. I believe at least part of it might once have been a rodent run.”
Which was a term used for the passages high-level authorities sometimes used to safely escape, leaving everyone else to die. “That is why you spent so much time leaning against various walls. You were sussing out possible entry points.”
It was also why he was such an effective assassin. It was hard to stop someone who could, basically, walk through walls.
“I am but a mere soldier who obeys his king and protects the interests of Zephrine.”
“In that case,” Damon said evenly, “I think it wise you follow Zephrine’s heir into the sphere and protecthim. He would have landed in the badlands by now and is without shoes and weapons. Your life would be forfeit if anything happened to him.”
“A statementyouhad best take note of,” Makki growled. “Or do you think your father will sit idly by while you foul his plans for Esan?”
“Better his plans than his city,” I said sweetly. “Remember, we now have fire-breathing drakkons, and they, I’m afraid, do not hold a very good opinion of Zephrine or her people. Something to do with the drakkon slayings that are still happening.”
Makki didn’t deny the last bit, and I had to clench my fingers against the surge of heat against my fingertips.
Should burn, Kaia growled.
Makki or Zephrine?
Both.
Zephrine won’t be happy that we have drakkons and they do not. We could use it to our advantage.
Don’t care.
But can’t the drakkons use the aeries there? You’ve already said the ones here are overcrowded.
Are. Not trust them.
If the drakkon who go there can flame, they can burn any who attack.
Should burn anyway.
I snorted and refocused my attention, well aware that she would mull it over. I also had no doubt that once the currently reluctant drakkons saw the advantages of having flameandanalliance with humans, that they would eventually repopulate Zephrine’s abandoned aeries.
It might take several generations, but it would happen.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Makki growled. “That would be a declaration of war.”
“I wouldn’t use the word ‘dare’ around my wife,” Damon drawled. “She tends to take it as a guide to her next course of action. Move, Makki. Now.”
