Page 33 of King of Flesh and Bone

“Three corpses.”

“Four. With interest.” Yarin smacked his tongue. “Or did you believe two hundred years wouldn’t come at a premium?”

“What a curious time to show yourself—a month after she arrived—when you’ve remained blissfully absent for over a century.”

“What can I say…? Eilam sought me out, lamenting about how you pushed the borders of your prerogative once again, keeping something from him that was…” Yarin sighed. “And so on and so forth. In any case, I expect you near the town of Airensty in ten days. Rumor has it the Tybosts will lay siege to it. Battering rams. Siege towers. Oh, what a spectacle it’ll be! You know full well how battles excite me.”

Enosh tapped a thumb against his chin, his voice a mumble. “Airensty…”

I breathed against the quickening beat of my heart, struggling it into a state of calm. Had Enosh noticed? Airensty lay several days’ travel on horseback from Hemdale. If I could convince him to take me with him—

“Surely there has to be another battle in another direction,” Enosh said. “Mortals quarrel all the time, and certainly not only beyond the Æfen Gate.”

Yarin tilted his head, lifting his chin in an almost taunting manner. “Ah, yes, the Soltren Gate then. Who wants to see oil poured over those men pushing the battering ram then set aflame, if we can instead… Oh, I just remembered… because you killed everyone beyond that gate.”

My fingers numbed.

Killed everyone?

No. Calm. I had to stay calm.

I didn’t even dare to lift my brow while the two brothers stared at each other, air tainted with aggression. After almost a month, I couldn’t afford more of Enosh’s suspicion. One way or another, I needed him out of the Pale Court to have a chance at escape, no matter how slim.

“You could always try to lure him toward the edge of the bone and push him down.”Yarin’s stare remained on Enosh, but something sinister played around his lips.“Maybe you can get rid of him like that.”

My eyes went to the ring of darkness surrounding the throne chamber. A gaping ravine of never-ending blackness that swallowed the glimmer of bone and the echoes of the Pale Court. What if Enosh’s immortality ended at the bottom of it? Could he be killed like this?

“He cannot, but you can always throw yourself down during an onslaught of madness.”Yarin scoffed a bitter laugh. “Now I’m certain she hates you. I suppose it offers cause for entertainment and… Whatever do you do all day, Enosh? You bury yourself in her womb and then what…? Stare? Drink? I say it is time for fresh— Orlaigh!”

The moment Orlaigh spotted Yarin, she gave him a dismissive wave, though a smile tugged on the corners of her lips. “Ach, as if yer brother dinnae trouble me enough already, now ye came to shush me about court?”

“Old Orlaigh, as plucky as ever. When was the last time my brother led you across the bone in a ceilidh, huh?” Yarin shot up, hurrying over to take Orlaigh’s hands. “Let us dance and remind my bore of a brother how lively the Pale Court had once been.”

“Nay, leave me old bones—”

“Nonsense!” Yarin wrapped his arms around the barrel-bellied woman, lifted her, and swung her around the chamber in circles. “Ada, won’t you join us? How could my brother resist a plea from lips I’m certain he had sucking his—”

“I refuse,” Enosh shouted, seething beside me, veins along his arms swelling with what had to be rage.

“Now, now, brother. You might want to reconsider, given the likelihood of you needing another soul chained in the future.” His eyes flicked to me for the fraction of a breath, but long enough to raise the hairs on my arms. “Did you forget what happened to your last woman? Poor Njala, bleeding out from her throat.”

A dark pit formed at the bottom of my stomach. His last woman? What had happened to her?

As though Enosh had noticed my unease—which, he probably had—he placed a kiss against my shoulder. “Airentsy. In ten days. Now leave my court.”

Yarin lowered a giggling Orlaigh back down before he bowed. “Madam, I thank you for the honor of this dance.”

She pressed a hand to her sternum. No doubt she would have blushed had her blood not gone black such a long time ago.

Even as Yarin straightened, green eyes searching mine, the god faded until nothing was left but the dull chamber.

That, and a final whisper.“Such a joy to be in your head. And Njala…? Well, he killed her dead.”

My blood cooled. “Who was Njala?”

Enosh regarded me, his cool demeanor crumbling with each frown forming between his brows, showing me a glimpse of something behind his arrogant wall of indifference I couldn’t name. “If I take you with me, little one, will you promise not to run?”

“If I promise, will you rot my husband’s bones?”

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