Page 40 of A Court So Dark
Frowning, I glanced back toward the table. The thunderlord was looking disinterested as he sipped from his wine glass. His gaze met mine, and I inclined my head in acknowledgment, refusing to be intimidated by his clear desire to turn me into a piece of burnt toast. Was all the fear Cardian produced due to his association with Varamede? Or was there another reason?
No, there wasn’t.
He used others to instill fear in his subjects, which was why he wanted me.
“Did you see the prestidigitator?” he asked as we continued walking.
“Prestidigitator?” I asked, feigning a mixture of ignorance and confusion. Hearing the word here surprised me. I wasn’t aware that such charades existed in Elf-hame.
“Yes, it’s a human thing really. Manual dexterity, sleight of hand to fool the eye.”
“Seems like a waste of time when so many things are possible with magic.”
His expression tightened. “It requires more agility than you may think.”
“Really?”
Why did he sound offended by my comment? Maybe because prestidigitation was very similar to what he was doing here… pretending to be something he was not.
“Really,” he replied dryly.
“Then I would love to see this trickery,” I put in, filling my voice with excitement.
Cardian’s expression grew satisfied again, and he whirled back the way we’d come. “This way.”
A female had just risen from a nearby chair, and unfortunately for her, she found herself in Cardian’s path. They crashed. Her glass of wine flew from her hand and spilled its contents all over Cardian’s cream-colored jacket.
He let out a frustrated growl and threw his hands to the sides, shaking wine off his sleeves.
The female’s face disfigured in horror, and she immediately started apologizing. She was left with an empty glass in one hand and an odd little creature in the other. The animal was small and furry with what appeared to be the body of a dog and the tail and ears of a squirrel. It had a friendly demeanor and soulful eyes like a golden retriever. It was adorable.
She repeated her apologies effusively. “I am so sorry. I am so sorry. I am so clumsy. This is all my fault.”
“Of course, it is your fault, you vacuous trollop,” he shouted, his face growing red with rage.
Before I could even begin to process what he planned to do, he reached out and grabbed the little creature by the scruff of his neck.
“Lord Snuffles, no!” The female’s eyes went so wide I thought they would pop out of their sockets. She reached a trembling hand toward her little pet, fright disfiguring her face.
In an instant, the poor animal flew across the room and smashed into a nearby wall with a shriek and a stomach-turning crunch. It slid and hit the floor, where it collapsed in a heap and didn’t move.
The female pressed a trembling hand to her mouth as she stared at what I suspected was now a corpse.
“Lord Snuffles,” she whispered.
As if responding to her voice, the animal twitched. Its owner let out a squeak of relief. When Cardian noticed the slight movement, he started moving toward the discarded mound of bones to finish the job.
“What a bore!” I exclaimed, looping my arm through his and trying to sound like an unfeeling, spoiled brat. “Where is this prestidigitator you were telling me about?”
Cardian blinked at me as if he’d completely forgotten about me. He composed himself with some effort. He appeared slightly chagrined, but I doubted it was due to his actions. I suspected he was only bothered by the fact that I’d been a witness to his outburst.
“Perhaps you can find him by yourself,” he answered in a controlled tone. “I’m afraid I have to go.” He looked down at his jacket and then at the female, who hadn’t dared move despite the repeated twitching of her pet’s little legs and tail.
“What a shame,” I said. “But of course, I understand, you can’t go around looking like that.”
His upper lip twitched. He hadn’t liked that comment. He was clearly one of those people who liked to pretend nothing could ever be wrong with them—not even an accidental wine spill.
After inclining his head, he took a step toward the female and said, “I don’t ever want to see you here again.” And with that, he made his exit, guards, and his dear friend Varamede quick on his heels. For a moment, I thought that perhaps I should follow too, but I’d had enough of Cardian for one night. Besides, I wanted to talk to Naesala and find out what sort of help she could provide us.
