Page 88 of Deadly Maiden

“I did.” He’s sitting cross-legged on the floor pulling out the books from the lowest shelf.

“Or that we used to have a major trade route over the Hogbacks but it was closed after an earthquake?”

“Yep.” He sounds as if he’s not really listening and didn’t move his head at all when he said that.

“What about that dragonshifters have tiny penises?”

“I don’t know about that, but I did hear that girls who tell lies get spanked hard.”

I bite off a laugh and wander off to a new section in the shelves.

I find a new book that’s more of a diary than a true nonfiction history book.

As soon as I reach the entry about the battle, I find this passage:

From my vantage point on a mobile tower I see the death of one of the two dragonshifters the king has recruited to our side. Orish dies a terrible death, eaten up by some new black menace, a new weapon sent by the necromancers in Jannik Stryke’s army. The second dragonshifter, whose name none knew, almost immediately seeks his revenge for his fallen comrade. He fire breathes over the necromancers and kills them. A cheer went up from the army after this. It turned the tide, struck fear into the enemy’s black hearts. We had them running afterward.

Lucky for me as my wounds made me vulnerable. If they had overrun us, I would have been one of the first to die.

I felt a relief that the name was not known, and I look up again at Rorsyd, past my desk, and find him prowling the shelves in the section on coins. My fae is so predictable.

But the next page…the very next page announces itself as if with trumpets and horns. As I turned the leaf of paper, the black ink shouts—so flimsy yet so significant—I see his name on the revealed page as if it has sought me out and fastened my eyes to the letters.

After some questioning, the name of the hero dragonshifter became known to me. An old soldier on his deathbed whispered it. Rorsyd Targram.

I cease to breathe for a second. There it is. Now I know.

I study him where he stalks, strong, determined to unearth new facts about gold, and I find nothing has changed in my heart. I still love him.

If anything, this is a relief.

I shut the book, take it to where I found it, and slot it into the cavity. Removed books are like pulled teeth.

Now, to find something on necromancy. Before I can discover anything like this in the Magik section, which is a bit along from the History part, Rorsyd comes to me from behind and clasps me in his arms, rocking me, smelling my hair, like he does.

“Lunch time. Wyntre, you need to eat something.”

Our favorite eatery is closed. The sign on the door placed by the Langordin Lawgivers. All it says is:Currently Closed by order of the Mayor.

I aim to speak to Kyvin and tell him about the inn…what do I tell him?

Where can he hide at the new rooms? I am about to ask Rorsyd this when I notice the white ball from yesterday rolling up beside Kyvin’s foot. He kicks it into the shrubbery, somewhat poorly, and something kicks it back to him.

It’s Anathema, again. He runs in and worms about Kyvin’s ankles then dashes into the undergrowth.

I think Rorsyd definitely saw him.

Mentally, I yell at Anathema and tell him to stay hidden. He seems to obey.

“Was that some sort of cat?” he asks.

“Uhhh. Possibly? What’s on your sandwich?”

“Umm. Salad and cow.”

I elbow him. “Beef. It’s beef, not cow.”

“Depends on how personal you want your food to be. This is cow. I can lift a cow into the air, but some bulls are much too heavy.”

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