Page 70 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury (House of Embers #1)

The next day, I was relieved things weren’t awkward or tense between us. It wasn’t that Kieran acted like nothing happened, but he didn’t pressure me. It made warmth flare in my chest, though I knew Kieran’s patience had more to do with how fucking sure he was that I’d fold. That cocky prick.

I wished I could fold. The potential consequences were the only thing stopping me.

I snuck a glance at Kieran as he loaded our supplies.

I had no idea how Kieran planned to prove his dedication and yet…

yet I wanted to see it. It was a dangerous game we played, and I couldn’t help but want to go along with his whims. Seeing the desire in his eyes…

I shifted and tried to ignore the heat swelling in my core.

This trip didn’t make it easy to resist him, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep it up much longer.

Another ten hour flight later, my legs were dead, and my thoughts weren’t any clearer.

The capital of the Caddel Province, Elidad, was a little more isolated than I pictured.

There was a huge lake nestled behind the woods that surrounded the capital.

My heart stuttered when I spotted the huge stone wall that separated the land from Ethava, the eastern kingdom ravaged by dragons until nothing remained.

The stone wall was so high, it seemed to reach the skies.

If I had to guess, it might’ve been ten stories high.

The air tingled around me. Shit. I had no desire to get any closer from here.

One look at Kieran, and he was similarly tense, though that probably had to do with the fact that he might see his family.

What was it like to live with the wall towering over the land, to constantly see the warning of what happened to those who rebelled?

“What’s the plan?” I asked once we landed deep in the woods.

It was best to give our dragons the chance to hunt.

Something Umara was clearly eager to do.

She snarled at Hesperos, shouldering past him so hard he staggered sideways.

I grinned when Kieran glanced my way. Not my fault my dragon’s badder than yours, my grin practically said.

He rolled his eyes. “We’re going to stay at the edges of the capital and more toward the forest. That’s where the gryphons will be, after all.

But first, we’ll go to the post office and send a raven to Caddel Castle to announce our arrival.

Then it’s in their hands if they want to make a big deal about it.

After that’s settled, we’ll explore the town and gather information. ”

Coward. But I kind of liked seeing this side to him.

It humanized him. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Like I said, Andova just tried to kill me.” And this time, they weren’t playing around.

They weren’t just trying to rattle me. They wanted me well and truly dead.

Was it Raven who sent them, or someone directly from Andova?

Either way, it didn’t matter. If they succeeded, the result would be the same .

Kieran leveled me with a look. “We can’t give them more power, and we still have a job to do. Stick with me, and I’ll keep you safe. I made a vow to you. I don’t take that lightly, Selena. Trust me.”

I swallowed. For so long, I never allowed myself to trust anyone. Not even Brynn. But I wanted to trust fully. “Okay.”

The capital was bigger than I expected. We could easily spend an entire day walking around.

We passed by a lot of stores on our way to the post office.

So many of them were two stories and bustling with life.

People smiled and greeted Kieran as we passed.

This time, there was no obvious reverence like there’d been at our last stop. Instead, it was more of a quiet pride.

After Kieran delivered his raven, we walked past the nicer area of town and into an area I was more familiar with—where the lower classes dwelled.

Most of the places were small, but still nicely maintained.

However, Kieran strode past them and led me to a brothel of all places on the corner of the street.

From the outside, it looked pretty nice.

The two-story brick building was well-maintained and even had fresh flowers decorating the outside.

Not only that, but there was a guard stationed outside.

That eased some of my nerves. So many women were often treated poorly at brothels, either by clients or the owner.

A guard was a good sign. It meant that the workers were treated with at least some dignity and that their safety was somewhat prioritized.

I arched a brow. “A brothel? ”

“They’re the best source of information. Clients spill their guts and with the right amount of coin, that information is ours.”

I fought a smirk. Brothels were something so many highborns overlooked, thinking themselves too good to talk to prostitutes.

“Kieran,” a warm voice said. A shapely older woman stood in the doorway.

Her dark brown skin contrasted nicely with the cobalt blue of her dress and dainty gray shawl.

Her entire image was perfectly crafted. Weak but powerful.

Unassuming but in charge. The woman oozed gracefulness with every step she took, even when she pulled him into a hug.

“It’s been too long since I’ve seen you.

You should be ashamed.” She pulled away to give me a calculating onceover. “You may call me Madame Bareea.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Selena.”

The softness in Kieran’s eyes immediately had me curious. It was the same look he had when he looked at Finn. Kieran didn’t just know this woman. He was close to her. “I would have visited sooner, but the king has been running me ragged. You know how it is.”

Madame Bareea folded her arms. “I do. You executed one of my biggest spenders. I should bill you for that.”

“I can get away with a business charge.” Kieran flashed a grin. “I already plan on it, since we need some information.”

“I do love how that mind of yours works,” she purred before turning to me and smiling.. “The boy likes to act tough, but he’s a huge softie. ”

I snorted. “I know.”

Her smile widened. “The first time we met, I found him crying over a bird with an injured wing.”

“To be fair, I was five,” Kieran deadpanned. “I would’ve been a psychopath not to get upset over it.”

“You’d be surprised.” I fought a frown. Not many cared for wild animals, poor or rich. It spoke to his character that he cared deeply over an animal, even when young.

Bareea studied us, delight shining in her eyes. It was a look I knew spelled trouble.

“We don’t have time to reminisce,” Kieran said. “Bareea?”

“Of course.”

Bareea led us inside an office tucked into the far corner of the room. Unlike the rest of the brothel, there were no extravagant decorations. Plain would be an apt word to describe the space. The cramped quarters were only big enough to house a desk, a bookshelf and two chairs.

Bareea took a seat and placed her hand under her chin.

“I assume you want to talk about the gryphons, correct? About a week ago, a traveling acting troop passed through here and said they heard sounds from the woods. It gave them a proper fright. Some dismissed it, but these actors are experienced travelers. I don’t doubt their words.

And one of them is known for their… delicate senses.

They’ve never been wrong when they’ve sensed danger. ”

I thought she was being superstitious until I saw Kieran’s expression.

It wasn’t one of doubt. When we locked gazes, he shot me a warning look.

Oh. Some areas believed the idea we were descendants from fae, and that everyone—or almost everyone depending on who you talked to—had Gifts.

This town must’ve been equally superstitious.

Kieran inclined his head. “Thank you for the information. We’ll try to visit tomorrow, but for now, we have everything we need.”

Madame Bareea patted his hand. “You don’t need to have business to visit. The girls and I miss you. You’ve grown so strong and terrifying. We couldn’t be prouder. Just be careful out there. Those gryphons have no mercy. Don’t get overconfident.”

My mind raced as we left the brothel and meandered through the streets. For such a solitary place, it bustled with life. The scent of fresh bread filled my senses, and I had half a mind to go hunt down the bakery.

I glanced sideways at him. “How did you manage to befriend a brothel? There’s no way your family approved of that.”

He snorted. “I would’ve been flayed if they caught me.

But I was discreet, and since Adelaide preferred I stay out of the castle as long as possible, I spent most of my days outside.

The townspeople saw me more than my father did.

” A soft smile formed on his lips. “They’ve shown me so much kindness. That’s why I want to repay them.”

I smiled. As we walked through the streets, I spotted a handful of kids, no older than eight, playing out in the streets.

Strange. Aesva, the capital back home, wasn’t like that.

Only the richest could afford to be carefree.

Even though these children clearly weren’t rich, they looked alright.

Now that I thought about it, even when we wandered to the brothel, I saw no homeless elders or children.

“Despite all my reservations, we take care of our own here, especially Wes,” Kieran said, following my gaze.

“Not many places do.” Maybe Wes wasn’t totally terrible for my sister if a lot of this was his doing.

But if he hurt her, I’d kick his ass. I studied the children.

Some of them had wooden swords on them and taped pointed ears.

Guess the rumors were true. The Caddel Province believes in fairytales and really are that superstitious.

“Someone get the gryphon!” a small boy shouted. “The great evil has awoken them!”

“The great evil didn’t wake them up,” a girl argued, wrinkling her nose. “They found the gryphons, and they befriended them.”