And then my heart beat with fury.
His back was to us. He’d lost his shirt, but still had on his jeans and boots. They’d forced him to kneel. Shackles around his wrists, connected by chains that ran to heavy iron loops in the marble platform, trapped him in place.
His head was bowed, his hair a sweaty mess. I could see the muscles of his back shift and bunch as he moved his weight slightly.
He’d been on his knees for a long time, but not willingly. I could tell by the slight tremor in his arms, from the dried blood on his wrists and hands. I could tell he was furious.
Good. So was I.
Cold washed over me like endless fog. The same cold that had gripped me when he’d been kidnapped. I could taste the salt of the ocean on my lips, could smell the clean green of kelp and sea life.
Ordinary was with me, in my blood. And we were going to take back what belonged to us.
“Mithra?” Xtelle blew raspberries through her flappy unicorn lips. “What’s that lowlife god doing here? Sucking up to the king?” She shoved a leafy branch into her mouth and chomped loudly.
“They’re negotiating for Ryder,” Bathin said.
“Who?”
“The human we’re here to save, my Queen,” Avnas said, as he tried to kick away a small pile of branches that looked like the one Xtelle was chewing.
“An…an…and,” Xtelle enunciated. “Why is Vychoro negotiating with the god? Are they dating? Getting the boom boom on? Can I sell tickets to watch?” She swayed forward. Avnas caught her by the mane and tugged her back into the cover of jungle around us.
I didn’t know how the demon king and Mithra hadn’t heard her yet, but at the same moment, I realized we couldn’t hear the king and god either.
Someone, probably Bathin or Avnas, had cast a silencing spell.
“They’re not dating,” Jean whispered. “Ryder’s bound to Mithra. He signed a contract. Now Mithra thinks he owns him.”
“Wha?” Xtelle asked. “What? A contract? Avvy, darl-ling. I am outta nibs-nibbles. Fetch me more.”
“You’ve had enough, Mother,” Bathin said.
She spun in place. Avnas countered the spin to keep her on her feet. He looked up at Bathin, a twinkle in his eyes. He nodded.
As if this was about to get good.
As if maybe this was all a plan between the demons I hadn’t been in on.
Bathin crossed his arms over his chest, looking stern.
“You can tell me…wait.Can’t,” she corrected. “Can’t?” she asked Avnas.
“As you say, my Queen. He can’t tell you what to do. You still have the appearance of power.”
“Appearance?”
“Even if they did give you the smallest part in the murder mystery: Unnamed Livestock,” Avnas added.
“Unnamed?”
“Yes.”
“Livestock?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“But I am the star. You know. I am so much staaar.”
