Page 32 of Stone Sentinels

“And what would that request be?” I ask.

“Morrigan,” he answers.

If Theren has a need for the Midnight Queen, that means she’s a valuable piece in this game we find ourselves playing. I tilt my head upward in defiance even as Aima lowers hers in respect for her king. I’m not Unseelie and, therefore, hold none of the same loyalty.

“And what would I get in return? I’m not sure you have anything we need,” I say, even as my eyes land on Cambion. I notice, with interest, that he won’t look at me. Instead, his gaze remains fixed on the ground below him.

“My brother?” Theren asks.

“Cambion faces exile if he stays here and he knows this,” I bluff. Nothing has been decided for Cambion just yet. “While hewasa valued member of our faction, The Rebel Lords of Vindication have no use for him since he betrayed one of his own. And Morriganisa very powerful sorceress. Either match her worth or you get nothing.”

Theren eyes me with an interest that surpasses his goal. He wants me. I can see proof in his eyes. And knowing that stokes something within me. I feel powerful because I know he won’t kill me. Not before he gets what he wants from my body—and that means I can buy myself time.

“And what if I simply take Morrigan and soil this ground with the blood of your allies?” he asks. He looks me up and down and smiles lasciviously. “And I take what I want from you.”

“Threats of violence don’t faze us,” I say dismissively, despite the pounding of my heart. “What else do you have to offer?”

“You dare to play me, Eilish?” Theren takes a step toward me and Aima moves to stand in front of me, just enough to state her allegiance on the battlefield should this discussion come to blows. Theren chuckles darkly, a throaty sound that causes my toes to curl in my boots as I imagine hearing his husky voice in my ear as he fucks me.

The Unseelie King’s nostrils flare and Aima curses under her breath. His eyes return to mine. “I offer myself...” he says as he looks at me directly. “And I offer Variant.”

“You offer me yourself?” I ask, confused.

He nods. “I understand you need at least one lover of light and one of dark in order to remain balanced. I offer youthat balance.” He glances down the line of my body again and takes another step closer to me. Then he closes his eyes, lifts his head and inhales deeply as he scents me on the air.

***

FLUMPH

The Veil

Don’t know why I gots to be the one to babysit this fuckin’ wench all the time. She really gettin’ on my last damn nerve with her lies an’ schemin’. Noni watchin’ over me all the time now that the Mother Heifer slap me. Masky don’t like us bein’ alone no more, an’ I agree. Too bad the other dumbass giants ain’t payin’ attention to much. They don’t even believes what I gotta say ‘bout the Mother Heifer. An’ when it all blow up in their faces, they ain’t even gonna say them sorry. I knows they ain’t. They never does.

“You real ugly in this light,” I say, just to see that smug fuckin’ look on her face go away for a second. She ain’t too happy anyway, with bein’ in the cellar. It real damp an’ drippy down here. I don’t mind it too bad, but it smell like sausages an’ sweaty asscrack, which remind me of Anona’s place. I don’t miss her nor that hellhole she ran, but I gets a little homesick till I remember I ain’t got a home. Noni say she popsed outta a flower, an’ that just sound stupid. Sprites... we different. I think we just sorta appeared.

Sprites usually asexual like me, so we ain’t breedin’ like rabbits somewheres seein’ as there ain’t much sprites left. This make me sad. I don’t wanna be one o’ the last o’ somethin’. When I busy thinkin’ ‘bout how adorable a little baby Flumph would be, Mother Heifer start fussin’ again.

“You seem to have lost faith in your companions, little one,” she say, all snotty-like. “Cambion’s betrayal must have hurt.”

“Not so bad as you think. I survived watchin’ a vampire falls in love with a rock, Elf walkin’ away ain’t that bad. I just thinks ‘bout the fact that he ain’t the first an’ he ain’t gonna be the last to do somethin’ this fuckin’ stupid.”

“So loyal, you are.”

I snort with my little squeaky voice an’ kick back on top of a sack o’ potatoes. “I ain’t too loyal, but I trustworthy,” I replies. “You ain’t neither. You just a sad, lonely hag with a stupid plan an’ no one to get it done, so you bullyin’ me to see if I do it for you. Well, I ain’t your slave.”

She grab me an’ I wiggle outta her bitin’ grip. “Asshole,” I hiss. “That gonna make the necromancer right mad.”

She let me go, jist like I knews she would.

I feel Noni rubbin’ my back where the Mother Heifer’s ring dig into my side. Her tiny hands give me the creeps an’ she just gigglin’ in my ear like a damn bell goin’ off. But Noni’s fun get shuts down ‘cause o’ the Mother Heifer that can’t sees her.

“What do you think of their plan?”

“Who plan?”

“Your friends, you fool.”

I shrug. “I don’t knows what they plan is, an’ neither does you.”

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