Page 4 of A Sword of Ice
But there’d been no sign, and so in Porir she stayed.
“What’s up, Petey?” She stepped deeper into the room, stopping in front of his desk. Her arms crossed against her chest and she made an attempt to hold her breath to not inhale his scent.
“After you finish your rounds, I’m gonna need you to clean out the empty glass dome, the one with the pool.”
That spot had been vacant for years. The last animal they had enclosed in there had been a black bear before it had been rehomed.
Iona had been sad to see the creature go, but a lot of times the animals at the zoo were shipped off to other places that could better care for them. The unwanted, less rare animals were kept here. It was worse now, because they were trapped, starving, without hope.
Like her own kind, in a way.
“For what?” she asked.
His expression shuddered for a second before baring the anger underneath. It transformed into a leer that she recognized all too well. Petey always looked at her lecherously, but because he knew she was physically stronger than him, he never touched, and so she pretended not to notice. He was no danger to her in that aspect. No, the most perilous thing about him were his threats and his arbitrary rage.
“I’m the boss here. I don’t see why you’re questionin’ me.”
“Just wondering, Petey. I’m not questioning your authority.” Although, she really thought someone should.
He smiled, though, seeming satisfied with that answer. “Got a new animal comin’ in. Need it ready for tomorrow.”
They hadn’t had new animals in years. Not since his father died and Petey ruined his pride and joy.
“Really…”
He must have heard the skepticism in her voice because he glared, slamming his fist down on the surface of his table. “Why the fuck are you questioning me, Esses scum?”
A lightning flash of rage struck down her spine at the term. It was a derogatory word invented by the humans to describe the Fae. Originally, the words had beenSeelie Scum, shortened to S.S. and eventually, Esses.
Iona should have been used tothat,too. Mana knew the soldiers that came to collect each month had called her worse, yet it still made her grind her teeth, made her magic respond. It rushed through her blood, banging against the surface of her consciousness as it attempted to get out. It felt a lot like anxiety did in those first few moments after she opened her eyes in the mornings. Shaking fingers, pounding heart, troubled breathing.
She traced the image of her splintered ceiling against her pant leg, shoving her magic aside and relaxing her posture, even as Petey spewed more venom.
“You’re fucking lucky you still have a job after my father died. I could turn you into the fucking soldiers. I could send a letter straight to the fucking Emperor of Illyk. Is that what you want?”
The conquering Emperor of Illyk, otherwise known as the biggest Fae hater in the empire. It was his fault she was hiding in the first place and had been for the past seventy-five years. All the rumors she’d heard of him were bathed in blood and cruelty and suspicion. Fae parts were mounted above his throne, a testament to all he’d accomplished, while he still actively sent his soldiers looking for Fae to trap them in his iron camps.
She knew very well what the emperor was capable of. She’d been there on the one hundred and twenty fifth year of the human-Fae discord. When his armies had finally taken possession of the Seelie Court and had destroyed the royals, along with the Fae Resistance she’d been a part of.
“You know it’s not, Petey,” she replied tightly.
“You’re lucky you have an actual job. You should bethankfulI let you shovel shit. Would you rather suck my cock? Huh?” He reached beneath his desk and she heard the rustle of his clothing. “Is this what you want, huh?”
“No.” Humiliation heated her cheeks, but she kept her expression unreadable while her fingers thrummed rapidly against her thighs. She was Fae. She had her pride, and the old, violent part of her urged her to reach out and crush his head between her hands. With her strength, she could do it within a few minutes. But she didn’t live in the same world where the Resistance had her back, where she was in Tir na Faie. Where she could openly use her magic. Because even though the humans knew what she was, it still didn’t mean she couldbewhat she was.
“Then get the fuck out and go do what you’re told.”
Without a sarcastic rebuttal, she turned and walked out of his office, careful not to slam his door or give a hint of her aggravation.
A part of her knew the only reason he was being a dick was because she’d been equally bad when he started growing up to be an ass. She’d been snarky and rude, if only because she hated his leering gaze, his comments, and the way he treated his own father.
He was a prick, and that hadn’t changed. Now he was just a prick who controlled her future, so she bit her tongue and just did what he told her to do. Even if doing it killed a little bit of her soul inside. Even if obeying him felt like a betrayal to her very pride.
Sometimes, she just didn’t have a choice.
As she made her way to gather her supplies to begin working, her anxiety eased in bits and pieces, and her magic settled, burrowing deep in her chest. It would come out again, just like it always did, but she was the master of her emotions, not the other way around.
Iona tilted her head up to the sky. Her nose twitched with the sharp bite of cold, a sensation she felt deep down in the marrow of her bones, and she smiled. Sending out prayers to Mana had become as part of her daily routine as tracing patterns along her thighs. So she closed her eyes and sheprayed.
