Page 177 of The King is Dead
Hever glanced over his shoulder. For a breath I thought he saw me, but then I realized he was just speaking to himself.
He stood like a statue in that massive cloak, the deep hood pulled over his gray hair, but his chin high. His eyes followed Melek as my mate fought the second challenger.
“So fuckingbrash,”Hever muttered, shaking his head, his tone coated in disgust. And then he moved, pulling one of his hands out of the deep pocket of his cloak. It was the kind of bell-sleeve that spread wide over the hand and covered everything but his fingers when his hands were down. But with his arm bent, and from my angle just behind him, his hand was hidden from my view. I watched curiously as he lifted his hand to his face, and I thought he had a looking glass, because I saw something round poking out from the fabric.
But it was far too narrow. And too long.
And he didn’t raise it to his eye, but to his lips.
As he did, his sleeve fell from his wrist and every one of my instincts screamed.
Long, shining straw.
Hever drawing a deep breath.
He was going to dart Melek!
Sucking in a panicked breath, I drew my dagger and had that gleaming edge at his throat in a blink—but was forced to reveal myself to do it. Hever froze. We were almost alone this far out, and the men who were nearby faced away, watching the fight.
I clutched the back of Hever’s hood and his hair underneath it to keep him still.
“Onetwitchand I will open your throat so wide you’ll be breathing out of your neck,” I hissed.
Hever blinked but didn’t move.
“When I came hunting enemies, I didn’t expect to findyou,”I growled.
“And you haven’t, you impulsive little bitch,” he hissed back. “What is it that you think I’m doing?!”
I pressed the edge of my blade harder against his throat and felt the flesh give a hair underneath it. He’d feel the trickle of blood even if he didn’t feel the cut itself.
“Tell me how you brought the others through the Shadows of Shade.”
He hesitated, eyed me from the side. “Your Shadows of Shade are not sentient,” he rasped, so quietly I almost missed it. “Themagik of it can be… turned aside if one knows how. I know how, though it is challenging.”
I swallowed hard. “Who else knows?”
“No one that I am aware of,” he muttered. “I found no need to share the knowledge with anyone.” His yellow eyes met mine in a challenge.
“How do you do it?”
He huffed. “How do you walk the Shadows—it is a power of which I am capable.”
“Bullshit!” I pressed that blade harder against his throat and he eased back, his eyes narrowing.
“Sheath. Your. Claws,” Hever muttered through gritted teeth. “I’m trying tohelpyour mate.”
“By darting him out of the sky?”
“By poisoning his rival who currently has him on the back foot!” Hever hissed.
There was another roar from the crowd. My body trilled with fear and my eyes flicked towards Melek instinctively.
Time slowed as I looked for Melek to measure his safety. Was Hever being honest?
Hever’s arm jerked.
I heard the small, hollowthockof the pipe, and the dart flew.
