Page 89 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
The golden sigils on my arms, face, and neck had faded back into my body, but Vession continued to stare at my skin as though it would come back any moment. I really needed to learn how to control that.
I arched an eyebrow. So my absencehadbeen noticed, and by the queen herself. “The queen herself?”
Vession shook my wrist, his worry and fear turning to anger. “You have always been too smart for your own good. Go back to whatever hole you have found where she cannot find you. There is little I can do for you now.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my status with the queen or the dangerous magicks I experimented with, but with the way his eyes lingered on my skin I had a fair guess at which one scared him more.
“The queen won’t find me,” I said, deliberately misunderstanding.
His eyes studied me.
“You are much too intelligent for this,” he cautioned, voice low.
I yanked free of his grasp. “Excuse me if I don’t think being too smart is a bad thing. Good day.”
I turned and fled, taking the side door that led to the rocky edge and where the tunnel began. Leaving him like that rankled me. I didn’t like the feeling, almost as though I’d … disappointed him somehow.
No. I didn’t like that at all.
I focused on the tunnel. That was the end goal. Get there, get my things in, meet Shava, and?—
“Hey! You there!”
Son of a fucking cunt. I hadn’t checked where the Fireguard rotation was. Or had Vession sent them after me? I’d kill him if he did. I’d?—
“STOP!”
No chance. I crammed my body into the fissure, pulling the satchels and bags behind me. The Fireguard was quick, and caught my shoulder before I could slip into the darkness.
Fuck. Now he knew about the tunnel.
My things clattered to the ground. He whipped me around to face him, and I stared into a young face not much older than mine. Eyes widened in recognition. He knew me, but I didn’t know him. That meant he was probably a mud boy who’d grown up in the dormitory with me, nearly minted as a Fireguard.
This could go one of two ways.
“T-the queen has offered a reward for you,” he stammered, one shaking hand going to his belt.
My eyes narrowed. “Call your fellows. You can’t take me alone.”
His lips pursed like that, shoulders tightening withindignation. “Is that so? You don’t think I can’t whip your ass, you fucking book rat?”
What was it with everyone calling me a rat?
I slunk backwards back towards the hole in the wall, slumping my posture and trying to look fearful.
“Want to see a secret tunnel? Surely that information is worth something,” I offered, backing into it slowly.
His head tilted and his sword fell down to his side, belying his interest.
“A secret passageway?” he parroted.
“Yes, in here. Look. It goes all the way to the mud quarter. There are many like it.” It didn’t matter what I told him now. He’d sealed his fate when he let his hubris get the best of him. It didn’t matter how much I told him.
Dead men couldn’t tell anyone else.
“It’s dark,” he said, cautious, but still following behind me into the tunnel.
Perfect.
