Page 60 of Between Fear and Favor

“Not sure the point of this,” Lasu grumbled, crouching at the edge of the roof. “They’ve laid siege to a city full of innocents. Do they expect you?—”

“Rainier,” the Supreme’s voice boomed—echoing into the night. I flinched, and I reached for my ear. It was so fucking loud, I wondered if he burst my gods damn eardrum. For a brief second, the clash of metal and shouts of battle were clear, but they dimmed quickly. Frantically, I searched for the Supreme—Zaphus—but there was no sight of him. He chuckled, and shivers ran up my spine.

“We do not wish to rule over corpses, Rainier. It is time you surrender. It is time she gives me what I want.”

“Look,” Lasu said, pointing a few streets over, only visible because of our height. I blinked, confused, when I saw movement. Soldiers fought in the streets. The glint of metal was clear alongside flashes of light and wisps of shadow. And yet, we couldn’t hear a sound. Were we supposed to think we were alone? That my soldiers wouldn’t be in danger if I did what the Supreme asked?

Suddenly, a growl reverberated below us, and the woman screamed.

The swirling shadows had morphed into something else. On four legs, three animals paced around the small family, snarling and gnashing their teeth.

“For every five minutes your wife is not here with her blood, I will allow my wolves a taste,” the Supreme’s voice echoed once more. It seemed he had been blessed by Ciarden, after all. I swallowed, and my stomach tightened.

“What if you use Emmeline’s light?” Lasu asked, nodding toward the shadow creatures. “Would they be able to withstand it?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. And besides that, I wasn’t sure what kind of ward they’d drawn. Could it block my divinity? If the Supreme saw Em’s divine light slam into the ward, he might harm his captive to spite me. To test it, I decided to gently nudge at the earth below the woman. If I could somehow force the ground to crack, I’d know better what I could do.

I jumped down into the alley from the roof and crept closer. If I failed, I’d need to find a way through the ward to save them. I knew in my bones, it was what the Supreme wanted. But I couldn’t find it in me to turn away from the callous murder of the most vulnerable. If I allowed them to die without any action, Em would never forgive me. I would never forgive myself.

I already needed her forgiveness. She had been right when she’d uttered coarse words at me as we dressed for battle. I hadn’t trusted her. I hadn’t trusted her clever mind, relying too much on my perception of her soft heart. I should have trusted her to weigh our options, to look at the broader consequences. Shielding her had always been my weakness.

“Now, now, young man,” the Supreme’s voice spoke, this time softer than before, as I prodded at the earth in the square with my divinity. “I can feel that.”

A blood-curdling scream rang out as the infant child was ripped from the mother’s arms by one of those shadow creatures. Viciously shaking it back and forth, the babe in its maw was silenced nearly immediately.

“Stop!” I shouted, but it was too late. The woman jumped to her feet, and the toddler wailed. With tight curls like Elora’s, yellow like butter, I knew what the Supreme had intended.

It was an unnecessary detail, for the man to choose a child who looked like my daughter. I would have sprinted past the wards either way. With a shout, Lasu and my other soldiers followed behind me. Just as divine light struck the shadow creatures, the ground beneath us gave way.

Chapter 30

DEWALT

“My great-granny swearsup and down that our downfall started with the Myriad,” Fletcher said, earnestly as he looked at Nor across the table. Though I’d locked the door behind me, expecting her to stay put while I dealt with whatever the fuck Kife had gotten himself into, she’d slunk down the stairs a few moments later. She’d started her descent with a timid eagerness, but the moment she saw me, she straightened her spine, summoning all her courage at once.

I didn’t love the idea of her being surrounded by all these men who their own barkeep didn’t deem trustworthy, but I didn’t much like the idea of her being away from me either.

Tucked away in a shadowed corner, I could see the entire tavern. A large fireplace sat beside me, providing most of the light. The flames danced a warm light across her face, and I did my best not to stare. Lanterns were scattered around the room too, illuminating the wooden tables.

“Sorry,” Fletcher said, blinking those big pale eyes at her. “I don’t mean to insult you, but you essentially spat on your heritage by being a novice,” he said.

“Enough,” I said, as Nor looked down at the table, tracing her finger over a knot in the wood. Most of the furniture was made crudely, not manufactured beneath artisan hands. She seemed out of place. Everything smelled of alcohol, and someone as poised and controlled as Nor didn’t quite fit in.

“I did learn some good things being in the Myriad, but I can’t say you’re wrong,” she said, not raising her gaze. “Are you speaking of how the Myriad took control of the font? Because…” She hesitated, swallowing as she looked up at me. “I think I was probably taught a different version than you were. And perhaps no one quite knows the whole truth.”

“Let me guess. The elves were abusing the font, and the Myriad had to step in?” Fletcher suggested, stifling a hiccup.

She nodded, pursing her lips. “I wondered if that was why I had to hide what I was. Maybe it was my mother’s idea all along.” When she tucked her hair behind her ear, I couldn’t help but notice the path her fingertip took, tracing over scarred skin.

“They’re a bunch of cunts, so—” Fletcher said, then slowly turned to face me, eyes somehow wider than I thought possible, before he turned toward her again. “Except you. And your mother. I’m sure you both—Hanwen, help me,” he mumbled, and Nor snorted.

I ignored Fletcher as he stood, stumbling toward the bar. I should have cut him off, but instead, I turned to look at Nor. She was smiling after him, and the small beast in my stomach sat up, lying in wait since the moment in our room when I’d nearly kissed her. I took a swig of my ale, hoping to douse the fiery emotion I couldn’t quite acknowledge as jealousy. When she glanced over at me, her smile faded. I knew I needed to say something, to break the silence and alleviate the tension I’d stupidly caused between us.

But words failed me, and I lost my chance.

“Tannyl would have taken back the font for its rightful owner,” Fletcher said, stumbling toward our table far faster than I would have liked. I stood, grabbing his mug from him before he sloshed it all over Nor.

“Rightful owner?” Nor’s nose scrunched up as she looked at him, completely unbothered by the drink I’d saved her from.

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