Page 89 of The Fury She Holds
Hurried footsteps echoed through the tunnel, and Egan burst into the common area out of breath. “They know,” he panted. “They know you have fury!”
“What?!” Terror gripped Tal’s heart. Her fury pounded against its walls, frantic and warning.
Faron’s eyes grew wide with panic. Carrick pushed off the wall, fists clenched at his sides. Rainier’s back straightened, and Sybil rested her food on the ground.
“Badger received a letter.” Egan gasped, hands gripping a stitch in his side. “He knows why the mages are after you. Gully didn’t return home last night, and he’s spooked. He’s going to demand more payment or find someone who will pay him more.”
“Demon’s snare, what else will the gods throw at me?!” Tal gritted her teeth against the fire threatening to overpower her.
Faron stepped toward her. “We’ll figure this out. We’ll find out who told—”
“Dammit, I don’t want to figure this shit out!” She stepped back. “I don’t give a damn who told him. I don’t care who sent the fucking mages. I don’t care about the godsdamned Fury Rings. I’m done sitting around. His time is up,” Tal ground out the last part, her voice hoarse with the effort of containing her fury.
Egan stopped her with a hand. “Apparitions are everywhere. One watches the house day and night. One hides in the alley behind the tavern they frequent. And one trails him around the docks. Others hide in the shadows along the streets.”
Tal crossed her arms. “I’ll take out the one by the house.”
Faron paced the small space. “And risk the others noticing?”
“We need to take the mage out first. It cannot wait.” Carrick cracked his knuckles.
Tal should have been worried. When Carrick suggested action, the situation was dire, but she only felt relieved anticipation.
The king stopped pacing. “None of you should go after him. This is a problem for the whole kingdom. I’ll lead the Guard to the incinerator, and we’ll handle him while you go after Badger. I’ll have Eddard search for Gully and secure him for you.”
Tal nodded. He would save the kill for her. She gritted her teeth. The king sure made it difficult for her to keep her resolve.
Everyone else stared at Faron in shock, except Sybil, who remained unaffected. Carrick shook his head. The Guard rarely deployed within the docks. “You’ll be putting all of them in danger. They’re no match for a mage.”
Tal may have killed one with a dagger, but the soldiers were trained in a different form of combat. They’d never met an enemy like this.
“It’s what they’re trained to do. Protect the kingdom. I cannot ask any of you to put yourselves in harm’s way when I have the resources to handle it myself.”
“Why now?” Impressively, reticent Egan questioned the king, a man he always seemed to admire.
“The council controls our armed forces. They won’t deploy the men within the kingdom without clear proof of a threat. It’s too dangerous for our people. Until now, I haven’t been able to provide that proof.”
Tal’s mind blanked at this new bit of information. She assumed the king to be all powerful, and the council simply offered advice.
“What proof do you have?” Egan continued.
“I have a witness.” For what felt like the hundredth time that night, Faron shocked Tal. He locked eyes with her when he continued, “The sheriff has met with a mage on several occasions, and he’s more than happy to relay that fact to the council.”
Tal had shared with Faron her dislike for the sheriff. She once revealed how the man essentially told her to learn her placewhen she asked him to intervene with a client’s abusive father. It came as no surprise that the sheriff had met with the mages, and an unlikely coincidence that Faron had singled him out to find the evidence he needed. Tal wondered whether Faron went after the sheriff for neglecting his duties or for what he had said to her.
“What happens if the council still chooses not to send the Guard? Is a witness enough to convince them of the threat?”
“I’m a fan of asking for forgiveness.”
Tal snorted and Faron’s signature smirk returned for the briefest of moments. “Doesn’t mean you’ll get it,” she countered. An awkward silence fell on the room, and Faron’s smile fell.
“I’ve already spoken with Daire. He’s ready to go at my command.”
Tal ground her teeth at the mention of the captain. “Fine.” She took in the eager expressions around the room. “How soon can we move against Badger? Do we risk attacking at his house?”
“Actually,” Egan chimed in, “he still visits the brothel nightly. Oona says the apparitions aren’t allowed inside. The headmistress only allows her girls, her guards, and her clients. It’s fairly secure, but we’ll need to be wary of the guards. They monitor every hall.”
Sybil picked at something in her teeth with one of her daggers. “So, we send one of us into his room.”
