But I firmly believe Nerian’s pride and desire to boast his wealth and power will get in the way of that for quite some time. His entertainment is the reason I’m here, and I don’t think he’s close to done playing with his new toy.
I steady my breath and straighten my shoulders against the onslaught of nerves.
The stairwell dumps onto a ledge, with an arena below us so massive I’m unsure how the ground above hasn’t collapsed in on itself. And then the roar of warriors greets their king at such a volume, the pebbles rattle at our feet.
This is why our scouts never found his army. They’re under the fucking ground.
“Gentlemen,” the king calls out over thousands of males, and I try not to scoff. Some of my best fighters are females. And don’t get me started on the assassins. Nerian has no idea what he’s missing out on.
The feral response from his males fires a chill down my spine, piercing like a needle through each vertebra. Snapping and hissing becomes a frenzy below, like an untamed monsterthrashing at the edges of the endless cavern, held back only by the walls that trap it.
Nerian turns to me. “We never let them out,” he says like it’s an explanation.
“Impressive,” I tell him through a forced smile.
“When I do release them, they execute what I demand and are rewarded before returning to their shelter.”
“What is their reward?” I ask loudly, voice screaming out of my chest over the roar of souls below.
I don’t want the answer, but I need to know.
Nerian’s eyes flash red, and his fangs elongate. “Anything they want, really. Most choose a visit to the farm.”
My eyes flick to Del. His thick lips press together slightly before his features settle into a blank mask.
Clearly, he and I need a private conversation. It’s obvious Del doesn’t share the king’s proclivities, but somehow he’s the second of Goreon. And that just doesn’t make any fucking sense. What is this game he’s playing? Because it’s a dangerous one.
“Is the farm our next stop?” I ask.
Nerian chuckles. “It can be. But given last night, you may want some champagne first.”
I step closer to the king, gown snagging on the ground, but I rip myself from it without pause. “My beliefs don’t make me weak, Nerian. Show me what you have to show me.”
He bows. “As you wish, my queen.”
Nerian makes for the stairwell, and Del nods for us to follow. I watch him grip the railing, his short, dark hair falling in front of his eyes, surveying the mob below.
“This is so fucked,” Charlotte whispers in my ear, clutching two fistfuls of my gown to get close to me.
Her blue eyes find mine, and I drop my voice, tone determined: “Let’s convince Nerian to show us everything. Weneedto know.”
She nods and points her chin forward, holding it high, and struts her ass up the stairwell behind the king. “King Nerian, I didlovethe beautiful estates we saw on our journey through the city,” she croons.
“Ah, thank you for noticing, my dear,” Nerian drawls, voice echoing up the stairwell. “I built those for my nobles. They owe me their lives, really.” He drones on about his wealth and the army as we climb and trail through the snow toward the castle.
Del whispers behind me, “You need to prepare yourself.”
That’s all he says, and my mind churns with how this could get worse.
Torches and tended fires guide our way as Nerian leads us east of the castle. The half-frozen bay glistens in moonlight beyond a series of immaculate gardens still clinging to the land despite the winter chill. The king stops at a set of tall iron gates flanked by twenty-foot hedges for as far as I can see on either side.
He bows his head before he flicks the gates open and ambles into the private garden, which I’m certain is stunning in the spring and summer. A grand fountain stands in the center of the meticulously curated horticulture.
“What a lovely garden,” Charlotte says, walking beside Nerian.
My wine-red gown drags along freshly fallen snow as we follow the king to the fountain he’s paused in front of.
“Not much farmland in a sitting garden, though,” Charlotte says as I glance around, wondering what we’re doing here and where the farm is.
