Page 65 of The Night Prince

“I would never hurt King Aquilan,” Declan finally answered.

“We will not give you the chance,” the male Aravae growled.

“I do not believe King Aquilan would want you to do this,” Declan said, and that was very true.

“You won’tspeakto our king.You won’t touch him.You won’t evenlookat him!”the male Aravae snarled.

“We’re going to give you just atasteof what you’ll receive if you don’t do as we say,” the female Aravae said.

“This is a mistake,” Declan sighed for definite this time.“You should gohome.”

And Rhalyf wondered if he meant the Lieran Plain.But would that be far enough away from Declan?He thought not.

And then Declanmoved.

Declan shoved the barrel into the male Aravae’s chest and then brought it up tocrackthe elf under the chin.There was anoomphand painfulclackas his teeth came together hard.The male Aravae went down in a daze.Blood spurted from his mouth, likely from biting his tongue.

At the same, Declan swept his right leg back and took out the feet from under the female Aravae.She toppled back onto her ass, unable to recover in time.Declan then brought his leg back around and clocked her hard, but not hard enough to kill or even seriously injure, across the cheek.Then Declan slammed the barrel of wine down on the male Aravae’s chest, pinning him in place while he did the same with his right foot on the female.Both Aravae were groaning, but went silent when Declan spoke.

“You willneverreturn to the Dawn,” Declan said calmly, not even breathing hard.

“Our–our king,” the male Aravae sounded half strangled.

“Does not need the help of such dishonorable weaklings,” Declan scoffed. Then there was a pause and Declan’s voice was soft and clear as he asked, “Does he, Lord Neres?”

Rhalyf froze.Declan hadn’t turned his head to look up at where Rhalyf crouched.His magicshouldhave kept him invisible.But then he saw them.A few tendrils of Declan’s “cloak of magic” had touched him.Rhalyf hadn’t even noticed.That was unnerving.

Contradictions.Contradictions.Well, I’m outed now.Got to make the best of it.Make it seem I meant to be caught all along.

“Indeed, he does not,” Rhalyf said and lightly hopped down onto the ground between the two fallen Aravae.He conjured a golden light mote and had it drift by each of the Aravae’s faces.“Hmmmm, you are both quite the mess. Serves you right, of course.”

“We are protecting the king!”the female Aravae croaked out.

“You are being bullies and racists as far as I can tell,” Rhalyf stated flatly.

It was true.Whatever he suspected of Declan, it was based on actualknowledge.These two idiots saw a human that wasn’t what they expected a human to be and they’d decided to stomp on him for it.

Not the same thing at all.

“He’s–he’s a d-danger!”She coughed out.

Had Declan increased the pressure on her chest with the boot?He could have easily snapped her neck.Declanshouldbe snapping her neck. Was he not doing so because Rhalyf was there?Rhalyf looked up at his handsome, inscrutable face.No emotions to read there.

“You know nothing about me,” Declan said flatly, but heremovedthe foot from her chest and hoisted the barrel he’d been using to crush the male Aravae over his shoulder.He was turning as if to go in and leave Rhalyf alone with these two to question them.

“Are you justleaving?”Rhalyf asked, blinking.

“Lily needs help behind the bar.”

“This isyourmess!”Rhalyf protested.

“It’s you they want to talk to.Not me,” Declan answered simply.

“Yes, these two are going to badmouth you to me and have me tell the king.Do you want me to tell the king, Declan?”Rhalyf’s voice was light, but there was a lilt of threat there.

But Declan didn’t fall for it.“If you wish to listen to fairy stories about how aVulluinis capable of harming the Sun King that’s your time to waste,” Declan answered, but was there a touch of dull acceptance in his tone as if this knowledge being imparted to Rhalyf–and hence Aquilan–was inevitable? “And the king will think what the king will think of me.”

Because, of course, with him showing up like this, it was inevitable.Declan couldn’t kill these two even if he’d wanted to.But Rhalyf wondered if he would have regardless.

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