Page 53 of Brimstone

His eyes went wide. “What?”

“I thought you were trying to break some horrific news to me. I thought someone wasdead.”

“So, youdon’tmind, then? About being disavowed?”

“No, of course I don’t mind. I agree with you on all fronts. And I’ve got to be honest, being able to sense you sometimes is pretty confusing. It doesn’t seem right that I have a front row seat to your emotions. But!” I cut him off before he could speak. “If you want this thing of me, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask for something in return.”

A wary tightness formed at the corners of his storm-gray eyes. “Which is?”

“Presiding over this place is beyond me. I have no experience of ruling over a court and no desire to learn, either. I need someone to cover for me and act on my behalf when I’m in Cahlish. In general, really. I need that to be you.”

Taladaius was already shaking his head. “The optics—”

“I don’t give a fuck about optics. You were Malcolm’s second in command.Hetrusted you with the position, so the court can hardly criticizemefor doing the same.”

He couldn’t really argue with that. No one could, which was specifically why I’d made the decision. Taladaius groped for something to say but then gave up, shaking his head. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Yes.”

“All right, then. So be it. I’ll go ahead and make the arrangements on both counts, then. As far as the disavowment goes, it’s a simple rite, but we should make a spectacle out of it. I’m sorry,” he said. “I know you’re not one for grand scenes. Believe me, I’m not, either. But we have to sell it to make the high bloods believe it, and that will unfortunately require some . . .theatrics.”

Great. Just what I needed. Even so, I said, “If you think it’s important, then I trust you.” And I realized that I did. There were long years of history between the vampire sitting opposite me and the members of the Lupo Proelia. The air was thick with tension whenever anyone even mentioned his name back at Cahlish. There was so much I didn’t know when it came to their relationship with Taladaius, but at the end of the day, I could only go by my own experiences with him.

I knew that he had saved my life.

I knew that he was sad.

I knew that I believed him when he said this disavowment was for the best, and honestly, I had hated the idea of sharing such an intimate connection with anyone other than my mate since the second I had woken up. What Taladaius was offering me was a kindness.

I stood up and held out my hand to him. “All right, then. Disavowed it is. No more maker and made bullshit for us.”

The tide of Taladaius’s sadness broke for a moment, and I felt his relief rushing in. He accepted my hand and shook it. “No more maker and made bullshit,” he agreed. “But how about . . . friends?”

I grinned, because the vampire who had saved me, who was at least fifteen hundred years older than me and had half of Ammontraíeth pissing in their pants whenever he walked lest he turn their blood to smoke, actually seemed nervous. “I think I’d like that.”

At that, he returned my grin. “In that case, you’d better call me Tal.”

13

SILVER CITY

KINGFISHER

I WAS READYfor the bloodshed.

Carrion Swift was not.

Scores of iron-tipped arrowstinged off the heavy shield I held in front of us as we emerged from the quicksilver. The sliver of metal that still clung to the rim of my iris cackled with delight as Swift let out a panicked yelp and grabbed hold of my leather backplate, almost unbalancing both of us and sending us back into the pool.

The Smart Mouth is not so smart now, it purred.The Smart Mouth sounds stupid.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit! We aredefinitelygoing to die.”

“You’re choking me, Carrion. Letgoso I can move!”

The smuggler relinquished his hold on my armor. He staggered to the left, taking up position where I’d told him I would need him to stand earlier. We hadn’t had much time to make plans, so I’d made it very simple:“Stand right there, behind me, on my left. Follow me no matter what.”

This had been much, much easier the last time. Madra’s guardians hadn’t expected anyone to come bursting out of the quicksilver then. There had been only eight or so archers, andwhile that had been annoying, I’d overcome them quickly. Now, there was a wholeunitof archers firing on us. And just to round things out soverynicely, I was also babysitting a jackass who was struggling not to trip over his own fucking feet.