“Cethin wasn’t the king yet, but regardless, it was addressed, yes. There were already laws in place, but King Tethys imposed harsher consequences. But laws and potential consequences aren’t enough to deter some, especially if they’ve been running black market operations far longer than anyone realized,” Razik explained.
“Was it ever discovered who had started it or how it went undiscovered for so long?” she asked, signaling for another mug of ale.
Razik eyed her, but he said nothing about the alcohol. “No,” he answered. “It’s something that is still being investigated as far as I know, but efforts have shifted to figuring out what’s killing off the Fae. Anyway, Wren was part of that black market ring. Her parents had sold her off in exchange for their own freedom. She was discovered during a raid.”
“By you?”
He nodded. “We’d been given a tip on a holding house, and the Cadre was sent to look into it. We ended up having to infiltrate an entire auction. The Fae were being put up to purchase for Source purposes. I had to bid on her to keep up appearances until we had adequate proof of everything. When all was said and done, we rescued thirteen Fae that day. Everyone else had someone. Either with their family or at least a sibling or cousin, but she—” He cleared his throat, taking a drink of his ale.
“She had no one,” Kailia finished.
He nodded. “I offered her the money I’d used to bid on her. She refused, too shaken by the whole thing, so instead, I offeredher protection. I didn’t want her pressured to be a Source for anyone else, and I think she would have been. Being alone is dangerous for a Fae. I proposed the Source bond solely as a means to free her from that danger. It wasn’t supposed to be anything more. I never intended to ever draw from her, but if she had the title, others would leave her alone. Long story short, we ended up in a battle another night nearly a year later with the same black market ring. I had to use a lot of magic and was wounded. She insisted I draw from her, and that was how it was discovered.”
“How were you wounded? You can shift into a dragon, and you have dragon fire. There are few powers stronger than dragon fire,” she mused, and he didn’t miss the way her words rolled into one another as she drained her second mug of ale. He also didn’t miss when she ordered another.
“Maybe we should go back to the castle,” Razik ventured.
She waved him off. “Cethin’s busy anyway.”
“No one enjoys pissing off Cethin more than I do, but the queen getting drunk in a tavern by the docks isn’t good for anyone, Lia.”
“I’m not drunk,” she admonished with a glare. “Besides, if he wanted a say in how I spend my days, he should try spending some of them with me.”
“I should have guessed your pissy mood stemmed from Cethin. Mine usually do too,” he said, drinking the last of his ale.
He waved off the server when he approached holding Kailia’s third mug. He didn’t need more ale if the queen was determined to drink her weight today. She was impulsive enough without alcohol. When she said nothing in response, he figured he could at least try to reason with her.
“There’s a lot going on right now, especially with more Fae discovered dead last week so close to Aimonway,” Razik offered.
“I’m aware,” she ground out, picking up her mug.
“And you think he should forgo those responsibilities to spend time with you?” he asked flatly.
“I’m not a child, Razik,” she retorted. “I understand his duties and responsibilities, but if he bothered to see my usefulness beyond my arrows, I could help.”
“I doubt he’s intentionally excluding you, Lia. He’s protecting you.” When she scoffed, he added, “And you are queen in title only. Why would he put such a burden on you? You are usually far more logical than this.”
“I know,” she muttered. “I’m just…frustrated about several things. Anyway, you never answered how you were wounded if dragon fire is all but unstoppable.”
“You answered your own question. It’s powerful and nearly unbeatable, but it’s not invincible.”
She leaned forward, peering at him. The smoke in her eyes was slower, languid. The alcohol impacting her magic as much as it was affecting her physical body. “Cethin’s magic isn’t affected.”
“I’m aware,” he deadpanned.
“He’s stronger than you.”
“In terms of magic, yes.”
She nodded. “Is he the only thing stronger than you in Avonleya?”
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s a very specific question, Lia.”
“Do you think if one of those phantom things stabbed you with their sword, it would affect you?”
Her words were definitely slurring together now.
“I don’t think I want to find out, but considering dragon fire kills them, I’m going to guess it wouldn’t kill me,” he answered.
