Page 98 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
“Not ideal, obviously, but I think it’s our best shot. We need to be close to the tunnels for new people to arrive, and to take Nobles out as they change,” she continued, her brows furrowing with determination.
“Why set up a residence in the mines at all if all the Nobles must be killed eventually?” I questioned.
Her glare was sharp. “Because the banished Nobles will only be a tiny fraction of who I smuggle through the tunnels. The ones who aren’t affected by the Noble curse will be free to set up something more permanent in the abandoned mines if we can make it work.”
Sometimes I hated how intelligent I was. Her entire plan came to me in the blink of an eye.
“You’re going to smuggle all the reaped girls out,” I said tiredly.
Her grin was dazzling. Suddenly, I was glad Zariah was her focus for this little mission. I even felt bad for him. A determined Shava was a relentless, tiring one.
“Fine. Enjoy your little flight.” I turned to Nisar. “You want to see what I’m studying? Now is your chance.”
Nisar nodded, clapping his hands together once as though we were about to go on a grand adventure of sorts.
“Let’s get Zariah to give us a quick ride down, then I’ll show you,” I offered pleasantly, smiling.
“Can you take me back to the city?” Nisar begged. “I can sneak in and go home. I won’t tell anyone about you, I swear!”
I barely suppressed my groan at hearing the same argument for the umpteenth time.
“No, Nisar,” Shava grit out.
“But I don’t want to be here! The queen was wrong to cast me out; I need to go back and argue my case! I’ve done nothing wrong!” His constant whining and moaning was really getting on my nerves
“I’m going to tell him,” I grumbled to no one, or so I’d thought.
A punch to my kidney had me bent over, cursing.
“You willnot,”Shava whispered back fiercely, eyes darting between the Noble man and back. She’d crept up on me before I’d noticed.
Rage coursed through me at the playful jab.
How dare she hit me! I?—
I paused, taking a moment to breathe in and out. I’d been struggling more with anger ever since the death of the Fireguard and my first taste of bloodmagick based on someone else’s pain and fear. I was moodier often. Ormaybe it was living in this godforsaken desert. Or simply, Nisar. Likely the latter.
“I’m going to kill him.”
Shava rolled her eyes and walked toward the mouth of our cave, disappearing into its depths.
Leaving just me and the fat, sweating Noble.
I’m going to kill him.
Now that the thought was in my head, it was hard to get it out. The man was annoying. He took up valuable food, space, and whined constantly.
Or maybe I was taking my recent frustrations out of him. Shava wanted me to slow down on the rituals, claiming it was ‘doing something’ to me.
No shit. That was the point. To get better, faster, and stronger.
After all, if everyone was busy today, it may be the perfect time to sneak away and try a little … something.
After a quick ride on a dragon, I waved to Zariah as his form faded into the horizon. Eager, I whirled around on Nisar, who flinched.
“I’m not going to hit you. I’m not a little bitch,” I scoffed.
Unlike youwas the unspoken part of that. After my hurled insult, he went silent for all of two minutes, until we descended into the abandoned mineshaft. The cool air washed over my skin, lifting the edges of my hair. I much preferred it to the blazing heat of the desert, and the sun’s unrelenting rays.
