Page 60 of Lies Within the Darkest Tower

Talon sat forward. “Not Sawyer. He’s a child and he’s timid. A few extra rotations with the other novices will be good for him.”

“The humans say he’s a man and he already knows the basics,” Quill replied. “He’ll be bored and think it’s another punishment. He has extraordinary potential. He could become an elite hunter. But if we’re not smart, we’ll break his spirit.”

Which was the biggest challenge with the human novices. The fae chose to be in the Guard. They had to commit to fifty years of service, but most stayed for the rest of their lives unless they were soul bonded with a woman or chose a male mate and wanted to settle down.

The humans were here for life whether they wanted to be or not. Some saw it as their purpose before they were even summoned, but the rest had to discover that it was their purpose or find peace with it. Those who’d had a full life, like our new smith who’d had three children and a wife before his name had been drawn, struggled, and it was a delicate balance between pushing them to turn them into decent Guardsmen and not breaking their already damaged spirit.

“I’m not sure heisa man.” Talon took a long sip from his cup then sighed. “We all saw the way he fought. He studied you with the other novices, knew his best chance at scoring a point was right at the beginning before you figured out how fast he is. Which means he’s smart. He’s also not arrogant and doesn’t parade around like some of the other noblemen we’ve had to deal with, so Grefin’s idea that he thought he was too important to pay attention doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe the humans messed up and a priest didn’t give him the talk,” Quill said.

“Or maybe he’s not sixteen yet,” Talon replied.

That thought made me almost as angry as forcing a father to abandon his children. Except human children weren’t rare like fae children and neither were female mates. Family wasn’t as precious to the humans as it was to us, and it wasn’t my place to try to fix how the humans selected their half of the Black Guard. Even if Sawyer wasn’t sixteen, he was probably close enough.

“He’s been bound to the Tower. He’s a Guardsman now,” I said, my voice gruffer than I intended.

If Talon was right, then the humans really were sending me children now. Thank the Goddess this child at least knew how to swing a sword and hadn’t pissed himself squaring off against me or the hounds.

“We can keep him off the most dangerous shifts for a while,” I said. “But the rest of the men have sacrificed enough lieu time. They’re getting tired and tired men start fights and have accidents. We need more bodies and he’s a body.”

“And what good will he be if he’s killed?” Talon insisted, sitting forward and glaring at me as if that would get me to change my mind. Which he knew wouldn’t. It never did. “I’d rather we risk breaking his confidence in himself than throwing him to the shadows.”

“No. There’s no point in even debating this,” I growled, spearing another piece of carrot with more force than I intended. Talon was right. The boy shouldn’t be thrown into active duty so quickly, but we couldn’t afford to hold him back.

“There sure as hell is. He’s a child. He doesn’t even know himself.” Talon’s breath picked up and the shadow trapped under his skin that he couldn’t get rid of but usually managed to keep under control by regularly having sex started swirling up his neck.

Quill set a hand on Talon’s knee, making Talon tense.

“Fuck,” he hissed as if he’d just realized he was losing control of his shadow. He ran his hands through his hair and drew in sharp breaths, trying to calm himself and his shadow.

“When was the last time you fucked?” I asked. I couldn’t afford to have him lose control, not when I needed him to help me with the novices, especially the boy he’d gotten so worked up about.

“Last night,” Quill replied, his expression tight with worry.

“Well, you need to fuck someone tonight as well,” I growled back. “I don’t want to have to put you in the infirmary because your shadow took over.”

Talon snorted. “Are you making an offer?”

“If that’s what you need,” I growled back, making Quill’s eyebrows rise in surprise, because while Talon and I had fucked before, I hadn’t had sex with him or anyone since I’d mated Isemay. “You’re losing your shit over a boy and with barely a day after sex. That’s not like you at all.”

“A boy who’s fae-touched,” Quill added softly, making Talon shoot him a dark look.

“That isn’t your secret to share. I’m not sure he fully realized the truth until he walked in on me in the bathhouse last night.”

Ah. Well, that explained it. Talon’s shadow wanted Sawyer, but Talon was the kind of man who didn’t take advantage of someone. If the boy didn’t know he was fae-touched, then Talon’s magic was influencing him toward something he might not be ready for, and Talon wouldn’t be able to tell if the boy was a willing participant or not.

“I’d rather you find someone else, but I’ll feed your shadow if I have to,” I said. “But it has to happen tonight, and we’re putting Sawyer into the advanced training.”

“Fine.” The muscles in Talon’s jaw tightened and a hint of shadow curled up his neck. “Let’s get to the Garden and find out what Ash has learned. Then I’ll find someone to fuck.”

“And we need to warn him that we’ve got three novices who should be on suicide watch,” Quill said.

My pulse picked up at the thought of going to the Garden. Would she be there? Would she still be just as stunned?

Fuck. What the hell was wrong with me? I had to stop thinking about her. Just. Stop.

CHAPTER 38

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