Page 79 of Joy Guardian

My head was spinning, making it hard to keep a grip on reality.

“What do you mean bysold?Did Mother get money for me?”

“She sure did. A good coin too. I would’ve given you away for free, but everything has its price, doesn’t it?” He sneered.

Was that true? Of all the complicated reasons to give up a child, did my mother have the simplest one? Money?

Watrat sidestepped me carefully, holding his sword up, ready to strike.

“I told her I’d kill you if she didn’t get rid of you,” he said. “ I thought she’d finally have more time to look after me and the farm, but getting rid of you only made her more miserable. She fucking cried all the time, pathetic woman.” He scowled, giving me a long, measuring stare. “Who would’ve thought that she loved you so much, a nasty little brat like you were?”

Watrat was the last person I expected to get any comfort from, but what he said brought me peace. It finally delivered me from all resentment toward my mother. Maybe she was weak. Maybe she felt like she had no choice. But she did her best to protect me, even if it hurt her. Because of her, I grew up to be what I was.

Watrat lunged at me, slashing with his sword. I leaped aside, evading his attack.

Anger rose in me, hot like the fire in the camp. I gripped my dagger, itching to return every moment of violence this man had put me through in my life. But the camp was aflame. And Ciana needed me.

“Where is the woman who had this dagger before you?” I demanded. “Give her to me, and I’ll let you live.”

“You came for the Joy Vessel? You caused all this?” He jerked his head back at his burning camp. “For a fucking human?”

I’d burn the rest of the world for Ciana in a heartbeat, if only that would help me get her back.

“So you want some of joy riches too, farm boy?” Watrat mocked. “But A Joy Vessel is an expensive plaything. If you want one, you’ll have to pay.”

“She is not a thing to be sold.”

“Oh, but many will be happy to buy her at the auction where she’s headed. A sweet morsel like her will fetch a good price. But the gold will be mine, not yours. Because I’m the one who owns her now.”

“Ciana will never be yours.” I raised my dagger, determined to move past him even if I had to cut him down.

“Except that she’s mine already, to do whatever the fuck I want with. And you can’t do a fucking thing about it, because I’m the one with the sword. ” He swung his weapon again.

I jumped back, tripped in the sand but managed to stay upright. Ducking under his sword, I struck up with my dagger, stabbing him in the stomach. He howled in pain, gripping his sides and dropping his sword. I shoved him into the sand on his back.

“How did my mother die?” I pressed my blade under his chin.

His features distorted in pain, but even that failed to completely erase the hated smirk off his face.

“She tripped and fell on a garden hoe. It got her right between the eyes.”

“That wouldn’t kill a fae,” I snapped, pressing the blade harder.

“Well, I guess the hoe was made of iron,” he croaked.

No one would waste the precious iron to make a garden hoe.

“You killed her.”

He didn’t deny it. There was no regret in his expression, just pure, undulated fear of dying.

“I was acquitted by the queen through my High Lord,” he whimpered.

“But not by me.” I sliced across his throat.

Hot blood splashed on my hand, gushing from the wound in spurts when he attempted to scream.

Lifting the dagger, I sank it into his chest, straight into his heart, inflicting the wound that was not survivable. I felt no remorse. No pity. Just a regret that I hadn’t tracked him down before and hadn’t done this much, much earlier.

---