Page 97 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
Shava’s gaze sharpened just as much as mine. She saw what I’d seen: the smudge of gray ash on the Noble’s left wrist.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
We settled into an uneasy routine. The others were thankful enough for what supplies I brought that they didn’t question why two satchels were filled entirely with books, ink, and notes. Shava frowned at it, sitting in the cave’s corner now and then, but I was mostly sure she was illiterate, since everyone from the mud quarter was. My secrets were safe.
The Noble’s name was Nisar. Not that I cared. He just made it his mission to make sure everyone knew not only his name, but how unfair his lot in life was and how much it hated it here.
If Zariah snapped and bit his head off before I could make use of the pasty Noble, then it wasn’t the end of the world. There would be more, after all.
I wanted to spend time with Shava and gauge how she would react to bloodmagick. Could she use it like I could? Or did you need Noble blood? As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was getting used to having her around. Helping her get into bloodmagick and improve herself like I was would better ensure her survival in the world.
And yet, every opportunity I tried to seize to get her alone she would spend with Cerys, D, and even Zariah.
“I have brought some rare tomes from the library that hold many secrets of the mud people. Would you like to see?” I held up the crumbling manuscript, my voice bright.
Shava glanced up from where she had been sewing a tear in D’s tunic. The boy was currently running around somewhere stark naked.
Mud boys.
“Oh, um, well … I can’t read, Z.”
I rolled my eyes. “Obviously. I would read it to you.”
One of her dark eyebrows rose, and I hastily corrected my statement. “Er, that is, I’m sure I could teach you?” I grit out. The idea of having to break down something as basic as reading was the last thing I wanted to do. I’d rather have Zariah pluck out my eyes with his claws.
My face must have shown my reticence, because Shava chuckled. “Do not worry, I won’t force you to tutor me. Zariah is taking me for a ride later.”
Of course, spending more time with anyone other than me. I hadn’t kissed her in over a week, and it’d been longer still since I’d been between her thighs. Was she no longer interested in me? I was intelligent, learning bloodmagick from the ground up, and passably good looking.
What was there to dislike?
“I’d like to see the manuscript, if you don’t mind. I read fine.” Both Shava and I ignored Nisar, who had emerged from the cave mouth.
“What do you do when you fly?” I asked, perhaps a bit too tersely.
Shava was unperturbed by my tone, as she was with most things.
“We fly and explore more tunnels. More people will come, and they won’t all fit up here in this cave. We needsomething bigger, more permanent, and perhaps connected to the palace tunnels for easy smuggling.”
I felt a tiny smidge of regret for thinking the worst. Here I was only thinking with my—er,little dragon, and she was busy planning.
“And we also talk. You know, about him,” she finished. “You aren’t interested at all about his life or what he’s been through?”
I shook my head. “What’s to know? The queen makes him play dragon while his twin is the pampered prince. If it weren’t for the enchantments forcing obedience, I’d have barbequed her a long time ago.”
Her lips twisted. “She’s still his mother.”
I laughed with no humor. “She’s a harpy. At least if I further my blood—er, studies, I might come up with a way to break the enchantment. Wouldn’t that be something?”
Be impressed,I silently willed her.
She shrugged.
So much for that.
“You plan to live in abandoned mines?” I asked next, seeing several challenges and advantages with the idea.
