Page 107 of Beneath a Shattered Sky
I blink again, this time focusing on the dryad herself while making sure I have a glamour in place, just in case.
Last time, she started lecturing me about being discreet when I visited her. Something about her technically being a prisoner.
Eh, our definitions of prison are different. Mine has more spikes and torture and fun stuff. Definitely less cushions and silk sheets.
When I reappear, I’m in a temple courtyard. For a second, the chimes distract me as they always do, and I have to shake offtheir effects and dart behind a fancy bush in one corner to watch as Kitarni carefully cleans off a blade on the sleeve of her robe.
They’ve set up the courtyard for the challenge, and around her five dead bodies are splattered with the remnants of colourful potions and bright shiny blood.
Damn. I’m late to the party. Why does everyone always do the fun stuff without me?
“Is that all?” she demands of the gathered priests across the opposite wall.
It seems like every single priest and all of the Temple Guard is gathered there, but it’s the five with fancy robes in the front whom the dryad is addressing.
“We will convene.” The high fae at the front is visibly sweating.
“No. You will not.” Kitarni’s doing that thing again, the calm-but-angry voice that makes me want to grin. “The laws of the Temple are clear, and I have humoured you by allowing you to stretch them to their furthest extent for long enough. I have wonsixchallenges since the one I lost. I’ve endured your endless stalling with grace, and now neither Danu nor I shall suffer your impertinence a second longer.”
The dryad pulls herself up to her full height, the bushy green leaves of her hair vibrating.
“I am the High Priestess of Danu. Queen Rhoswyn and her Guard have been proclaimed as the Goddess’s chosen by the Goddess herself in front of hundreds of witnesses at her coronation. If anyone doubts that, they’re either a fool or a traitor to the fae and certainly not worthy of office in this sacred institution. If you wish to challenge me again, do it yourselves. I will enjoy meting the Goddess’s justice on a bunch of elitist heretics, but I will face no more of your challengers.”
Then she drops the best blow of all. “I hereby declare all of you—including the Grand Clerics who are absent—apostates.Your ranks and titles are stripped, and your positions will be filled in the coming days by elected servants of Danu.”
“Boom!” I blink into place beside her with a grin. “Does that mean I can stab them now?”
“You can’t do that!” the high fae splutters. “Temple Guard, I order you to—” A pixie in armour flies forward, her arms crossed over her chest. “The Temple Guard sides with the High Priestess. The Goddess’s will in this has been clear from the moment she won the first challenge. Leave the grounds immediately, or we will make you.”
Ooh, I love pixies. Maybe she’ll eat him if he argues.
I really, really hope he tries.
The rest of the Grand Clerics bow stiffly, removing their shiny bronze badges of office. Two throw them to the ground in anger, but the majority seem resigned to their fate, handing off their badges to other priests instead.
Still, I mark the two angry ones, shooting them grins filled with just the right amount of teeth before miming kicking them on their lazy asses.
“Lorcan.” Kitarni’s censure is familiar as it is annoying. “What news?”
Blowing out a bored breath—because I am not a messenger—I shrug. “Rose misses you, so I came to fetch you. She got pissed off with Cressidick, and now she’s determined to start lots of bloody battles across the northern?—”
“Pissed off with Cressida, how?” Kitarni’s eyes sharpen as she grabs my arm. “You didn’t mention anything about your history with her, did you? Rose’s training is crucial…”
I can’t help it. I roll my eyes.
“I didn’t bore her with a long recital of how poor Cressidick’s cock-sucking is, or how fun her methods of breaking-in new assassins are. The autumn bitch-queen angered Rose all byherself! She made her nephew force-mate Praedra, probably so he wouldn’t wither any more of her legs, if I had to guess.”
Not that Cressidick has any more legs to wither. Maybe he’d shrivel an arm next? A tit?
That stupid kid is always withering the wrong people. First his parents, then his aunt when she took him in. If I hadn’t knocked the little fucker out, he would probably have killed her in a toddler tantrum.
Being on babysitting duty for a decade after that was so not worth it. I should’ve just let him kill her.
“Anyway, Rose got deadly.” My hat pops up again, giving away the fact that my cock has turned rock hard at the memory. “But unfortunately no one died, well, except a whole camp of Fomorians when Caed got pissy waiting for us to rescue him.”
Kitarni’s lichen-covered brows draw closer and closer together as I speak. I’ve got to wrap this up since it’s clearly too complex for her after the long and bloody day she’s enjoyed.
“Now Rose wants to know if she can send me to kill Mervyn. So… come back with me and tell her I can kill him?” I offer her my best, and most fearsome grin.
