Page 94 of The Fury She Holds
Faron swore and muttered that he must be crazy. His hurried footsteps echoed down the tunnel. He grabbed her arm and turned her around, and she didn’t fight him. “It was never a game. How can you not see that?”
“How? How can you expect me to believe anything you say when you lied about being the blazingking! How am I supposed to trust anything after that?”
“I was going to tell you, okay?! That day! When did you expect me to bring it up? When we fought the mages? Or maybe while we hid under that window listening to the apparition talk to those thugs? I’m sure they would have loved to overhear us then. When Tal? When do you think I should have told you that the king snuck around at night to try to take back control of the kingdom that he lost power over? The kingdom I should never have ruled in the first place?” He ran his hands through his hair and his head fell back.
“I don’t know, maybe before you kissed me? Before you tricked me into believing a noble liked me?” she yelled in his face, but he didn’t flinch.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that! I didn’t mean for it to go that far before—”
“Before what?” she pushed him in the chest. “Before you left? Before you disappeared back into your palace once you’d had enough of playing pretend?”
“Before I fell for you!” He swore before gripping her shoulders. “It wasn’t supposed to go that far before I fell for you! Okay? I tried to find a way to tell you. I tried to take you somewhere that day to tell you and ask for your forgiveness, but Daire showed up and ruined the whole damned thing.”
“Don’t blame him for your carelessness,” she spat.
“Carelessness? You think I don’t care? Do you not see how much I’ve risked being here to protect you?”
“Then don’t. Go back to your palace. I don’t need your protection, and I didn’t ask for it.” She lit a flame in her hand to remind him of the power she had at her disposal. “Leave before I set fire to your beloved trousers.” She stared at him with such hatred, willing him to see the seriousness of her threat.
His face turned from frustration to confusion, and finally… hurt. He released her and took a step back, but didn’t say a word. When she continued to hold the flame, her stare unwavering, he huffed and continued backwards, giving her the space she demanded. Before he’d walked five paces from her, she turned and walked off, pretending not to listen for his retreating footsteps, even though the sound never reached her ears.
25
Footsteps thudded on the cobblestones. Tal ignored her permanent shadows. They had followed her since she’d left the tunnels, now dressed, and in search of a drink. She was glad to see Waylon unharmed, though she didn’t say as much.
“For someone who wants nothing to do with high society, you sure have moved up quickly.” Daire’s voice slithered out from an alley and her fury flared in answer.
One godsdamned thing after another. Alright you cursed gods. What else have you got?Tal sighed in exasperation.
Daire pushed off from the house he leaned against and approached her. “I thought you weren’t interested in marriage.”
“You have impeccable timing.” She tried to walk past him, but the captain stepped into her path.
He splayed his arms wide. “And yet here you are, bedding thefuckingking of all people. Youareaware that he’s looking for a wife, yes? Or perhaps you prefer to be his mistress.”
Tal swung at the captain, but her arm stopped. Waylon stood beside her, her forearm in his fist. He pushed Tal behind him without a word.
“Respectfully, my lord, thi—”CRACK! Waylon’s fist collided with his nose. Daire stumbled backwards, clutching his face.
Immediately, Eddard stepped in to distract his captain. “Oh dear, you’re bleeding all over! Here! I have something to clean that up!” He waved Waylon and Tal away.
Tal ignored Ed and tried to take her own swing, but the noble gripped her around the middle and threw her over his shoulder. “Hells, Waylon! Put me down!”
“Sorry, Tal. I’m saving you from yourself.” He jogged down the street until Daire’s angry insults were drowned out by the sounds of nearby taverns.
When he put her down, Tal rounded on him. “Why did you stop me?!”
“For Faron. He would have killed me if I let you handle that bastard.”
Tal scowled. “That's what you think.” She stomped toward the taverns, but not before yelling over her shoulder, “Don’t follow me.”
Gale’s proved to be exceptionally boisterous that night, and exactly what Tal needed. Nothing but ale, testosterone, and blood to distract her. After two pints, she started to feel guilty for leaving on her own. Her friends should be in the tunnels by now and would be worried.
Gale returned behind the bar after knocking out a rowdy customer’s front tooth for smacking her ass. “Another?” the burly woman asked. She placed a hand on her hip. The knuckles shown red in the dim light.
“How about a swig of something stronger? Then I’m off.” A quick glance at the door confirmed Eddard stood guard, hismiddle finger once again tapping the handle of his sword. At her attention, he suddenly found a very interesting spiderweb above his head. Tal rolled her eyes and turned back to the bar. Waylon was nowhere in sight, likely still searching the surrounding buildings.
Gale nodded and pulled a bottle of dark amber liquid from under the bar. She uncorked the infamous Mud Water and poured barely two gulps into a small glass. Before it reached Tal’s lips, the smell accosted her senses and sent her into a coughing fit.
