Page 13 of These Violent Delights

She sat there in a heap of blankets and debated falling asleep on the floor.Finally, she decided the castle would find an unpleasant way to keep waking her and surrendered to her fate.

Grumbling to herself, she freshened up and groped her way to the breakfast table, her eyes half-shut.

Tea and food were placed in front of her.

“There's your food,” her uncle said gruffly.“You'll need your eyes open for the meeting with Redbone.”

Due to the circumstances, Zelda chose to keep the meeting informal.She simply stayed at the table while Redbone was ushered in and offered breakfast, which he ate with quick, efficient bites.

Redbone was grim.“The jellyfish swarmed our camp last night.It was battered; we only had one mage who does wards, and she was exhausted.She couldn't cover everything at once, but it made a big difference.”

“I sympathize,” Zelda rasped.She cradled her teacup like a precious elixir.

“The castle is fine, of course, but the village had it worse.Everyone took cover in their houses, but there were casualties,” Uncle Tank reported.

He glanced at Zelda and then placed the paper on the table.He slid it over to Redbone.

“These are our terms,” Zelda said flatly.They had kept things simple.The agreement was that he would treat the people in the castle like family, with the understanding that she was solely in charge of the castle.

He raised his brows as he read the paper, and then looked at her.There was a calculating gleam in his eye.“Family?Like that of a prospective bride?I accept those terms.”

“I do not agree to marry you,” she said firmly.

“That's family,” he claimed.“That will be how I choose to think of you.”

“No.Moving on.”

He gave her a look that said he was humoring her, and then said, “The attack devastated us.We're down to breeding stock and it would be ruinous to eat them.We need food.”

She tapped a finger on the table.“The village can't supply you.The soil is poor and it's all they can do to feed themselves.”She had a plan to deal with it, but there was only so much time in the day.

“We need to import food.For that to happen, we need caravans to travel safely.”

Redbone frowned in calculation.“It's two days' hard travel, possibly three, to the next supply hub.And yet we are vulnerable here.We need people to protect our clan and livestock,” he said grimly.“Most of the clan's wealth is in livestock, which was devastated last night.We will have to scrape together trade goods.”

“It must be done,” Uncle Tank said.“The supply run must be done and we must be fortified here.”He looked at Zelda.“This is where the castle comes in.If you can open up a cavern where the clan can live and temporarily stash their livestock, you will help greatly.”He looked thoughtful.“You might be able to coax the cavern to sprout mushrooms as well.That would help with the food.”

She thought about it.“Why stop at mushrooms?If I'm doing that, I may be able to route a stream with fish through the cave as well.If nothing else, it will supply fresh water.”

She frowned at them.“Mind you, I've never tried anything like this.”

“If all you do is make a cavern, that would help,” Redbone said frankly.

His attitude changed, became brisk.“Since we’re all friends now, I have another matter to bring to your attention.We captured one of the Beast Queen's men last night.He’s a creature handler, and he had a few useful things to say.”

Zelda straightened.“Do tell!”Anything she could learn about the Beast Queen would be useful.

“Why don't I have him tell you himself?”

The prisoner was brought in.He'd already been roughed up, and his green skin was swollen and cut under his facial tattoos.Despite that, he was still defiant.He met her eyes and launched a glob of bloody spit on the floor.

She grimaced.“Charming.”She appraised the injuries critically.“At least you left him alive.”

Redbone gave her a measuring look.“Did you think he would just spill his guts if I asked nicely?”

The prisoner let loose with a string of curses.

She sank him up to his ankles into the stone floor.

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