“The bane of my existence? Yes. Now, fuck off.”
“Listen,” Altair said, “the feeling is fucking mutual. If I didn’t absolutely need your assistance, I wouldn’t be here.”
Emmeric scoffed, taking another gulp of his mead, trying to get the fuzziness back, only to find the star had transformed it into water. “Fucker,” he mumbled. “I want nothing to do with you.”
“Then tell me that I’ve read you completely wrong, and you don’t give two shits about Iyana,” Altair said, his voice becoming more irate as he talked. “Tell me that, and I’ll walk out right now.”
Emmeric couldn’t let that stand. “And what about you? What have you done to show she’s anything to you other than a tool, someone to be used for whatever ulterior motives you might have?” He poked Altair’s chest. Godsdamn, the man was solid as a rock. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Why didn’t you come for her after Huton? She put her faith in you.”
Altair’s anger leaked out of him, slouching forward slightly. “I…I couldn’t.”
“Why?” Emmeric asked, pissed on Iyana’s behalf.
“The why isn’t important,” Altair snarled. “But every second she’s been away from me has been pure agony. You think I don’t know what’s being done to her right now, while you’re heredrinking?”
“Phaedros take you, Altair. At least I’ve done something to actually help her.”
Altair inhaled deeply, and Emmeric welcomed his tirade. It felt good to be mad at someone he could actually yell at. Talon interrupted, “As much fun as it is watching this dick measuring contest—which I’ll happily judge if you want to drop your pants—I believe you came here for a purpose.” He nodded at Altair. “And every minute you two spend arguing is another minute she’s cold and alone.” Looking Altair in the eyes, he said, “Whatever you have in mind, I want in.”
Altair squinted at Talon. “Do you trust him?”
“With my life,” was Emmeric’s immediate answer. Altair nodded, accepting Talon into the crazy scheme he was hatching.Oh, now he wants my opinion.
“There’s just under a week until the autumnal equinox,” Altair began. “It’s my understanding there’s a large festival?”
Talon nodded. “It lasts all day and through the night, typically until dawn.”
“That will be our best option, then.”
“For what?” Emmeric asked.
Altair looked at him like he was stupid. “To get Iyana out.”
Emmeric shook his head. “There’s absolutely no way we can get her out of there. One,” he started counting on his fingers, “it’s crawling with armed guards. Two, she’s locked in the dungeon. Behind iron bars. Three, even if we do sneak in and free her from the castle, how do we transport a naked woman, who has obviously been abused, out of the city without anyone noticing?”
Altair’s eyes darkened and swirled back into his normal golden color. The hair on Emmeric’s arms raised as small sparks surrounded them. Talon touched the star’s arm gently, Altair whipping his head towards him. Emmeric was halfway out of his chair, ready to defend his friend, but Altair calmed at the sympathy in Talon’s gaze.
“We know,” Talon said gently. “We don’t like it either. But you need to hold it together. If you’re captured, you won’t be any good to Iyana.”
Gold eyes melted back to brown, the electricity in the air cooling. Several people at tables next to them looked around in confusion. An old man muttered something about lightning; a storm was coming, his knees always knew when a storm was coming.
“You can’t kill the man hurting her,” Altair told Emmeric.
“Why not?” Emmeric asked, brow furrowed. He’d fucking strap Azazel to his own table and see how he liked to be on the receiving end of his tools.
“Because I’m going to kill him,” Altair said matter-of-factly.
“Whoever gets to him first gets to kill him,” Emmeric conceded. “On the condition that he hurts before he’s sent directly to Phaedros’s pit.” Altair didn’t even know who was responsible, and Emmeric wasn’t going to tell him, so he already had a leg up.
“Deal.”
“Altea save me,” Talon said, breathless. “That was intense. And scary. And kind of hot?” He frowned in thought, then nodded. “Definitely hot.”
Emmeric rolled his eyes. “What’s the plan?”
“I can deal with any guards we come across,” Altair said, “but I need your help with the layout of the castle.”
“Fine,” Emmeric said.
