Page 171 of Unrivaled
Then her spine straightened and her chin lifted.
This time, when I put my fist over my heart and bowed, she accepted it with a small, tight curtsey, and the rhythm they stomped was now openly for her.
When the Butcher returned, he wouldn’t be coming back to his home, but tohers.
CHAPTERSIXTY-ONE
AUDREY
Better to give them nothing than an opportunity.
—Matri’sion proverb
24thDay of Autumn’s Son Moon,
Age of the Locways, Year 272
La’Angi Keep
The cider’s tiny bubbles popped disconcertingly in my mouth.Dancers took to the floor as if they’d merely had a brief break, rather than being gone for a day.Yasmine, already in the thick of things, spun past in the arms of Sir Brayden, who had made it through until the semifinals before being beaten by Chay.He’d avoided being caught up in war because he was sworn to Darrius, who was in a state of permanent readiness to turn back the steppe tribes.But he wasn’t in Kadan’s inner circle, or even the outer one.They were friendly, no more.
“…Replanted the orchard as barley, or even rye, your benefits would be swift.Imagine, cows among it!”Irvinne told me.
I listened only with a small part of my mind.Cows did better down toward Triple Peak.The land around La’Angi had been salted by the sea for decades due to mismanagement.The trees weren’tonlyfor fruit.But I didn’t explain that.I hadn’t realized it myself until only a few moons ago, when I’d been doing some reading on a different topic and stumbled across the reference.It made the decision to plant the protective open area around the keep a lot more logical, and it made me look at the trees in a new light.
All of that aside, Isolde was asleep, and I hadn’t had time to go after Luca yet.Mayhap he’d live to see the sunrise tomorrow, mayhap he wouldn’t.My mind spun like a leaf in a storm.
“Cheese, m’lady.And, if you were besieged—” Irvinne went on.
“They could burn my fields and slaughter the villagers, while I enjoyed fresh cream in here?”I asked, cutting him off.“Orchard or no orchard, no one is taking La’Angi by force, Irvinne.Not even in the aftermath of the plague, at our weakest, did we waver.”
The man beside me nodded aggressively.“Of course, but not everyone will know that, now, will they?You need to think like a man, my lady.”He smiled at me.“Simply.How many men who have an army would reallybelieveyou could turn them back?”
Impatient, I said, “If I altered course to account for every stupid decision a man might make, I’d get nowhere.”In case he didn’t hear the dismissal in the words, I added, “Please enjoy the party, sir.”I struck out through the people, blessedly alone, only to feel dozens of eyes on me.
I sucked in a hard breath.The ribbons around my body flexed with the force of it, the flowers shuddering as if in a gale.Don’t be an uncouth bitch, you uncouth bitch.I shook myself, glancing around for an ally.
As had happened so often, Kadan was there, wandering in with his oaken staff in hand, the sparkling gold brocade on his doublet dimmer than the smile on his face and the gleam in his eye.“Ah, my lady!”he said.
I halted, looking him up and down.He’d changed, just as I had.Wheat and horses, horses and wheat.They were fitting decorations for the horse lord heir, and the man prophesied to take over the world.Food, transportation, and the edge in combat, all wrapped up in two items.
“Your footwear is excellent,” I noted, without a breath of a lie.“Your leatherwork isalwaysgood, but that boot is particularly fantastic.”
“I do like it,” Kadan agreed.“I considered getting some sort of accessory to my magefoot, but I’d rather make people a little uncomfortable, you know?”
I didn’t bother to hide my amusement, taking the arm he offered me and separating from the group of men always moving in his wake.He left the walking stick with the big brunet who greeted Chay like a brother and guided me across the dance floor.
“How are your feet holding up, O Beacon?”
From his lips, it was an invitation to laugh at the horrific nickname I’d somehow ended up with, and I took it.“Twice as painful as yours, I suspect.”
“Was that anamputeejoke, my good lady?”he asked, his eyes wide.
I smiled at the mock indignation.It was, in fact, the exact same joke he’d told last night, only with the perspective switched.At first, I didn’t know how to take him, but face value seemed to work remarkably well for Kadan.
I understood that.It was easier than going deep.
He whirled me away.I didn’t recall how graceful he’d been the first time we’d danced together.I’d seen him ride, though.
