like his father before him. No one had even suspected the darkness inside Lord Eris until the Dark Reign came to pass."
I took a step back and sank onto the couch, my mind reeling.
No.
Eris was Thad's…father?
I felt Myez watching me, waiting for the realization to hit. And, oh, did it hit. It kept hitting and slugging and punching me. I'd watched him do it. I'd watched him stand there while Eris killed my father. I'd watched him threaten Fleck, a boy he'd stood up for countless times. So often I'd wondered why. What could've propelled him to turn on me for that monster? But if Eris really was his father, then I could make the tie. Sort of.
And that fact also made him my…
Cousin .
Alex still gripped his sword, but it had dropped a little, like his arm suddenly felt too heavy, and his eyes looked through Myez rather than at him.
It was Vera who finally broke the silence. "Idiot."
I wasn't sure who she was calling the idiot, but right then I felt like one. "We've got to get going." It was my voice, but it was like someone else was using it. "Vera, I believe you know where the shortcut is."
The half-giants burst into the room, and this time there were more than just two. There were five. Vera's eyes darted back and forth, and she growled, "What is this?"
Now that Alex's sword had pointed in a new direction, Myez stood, his palms outstretched. "I told you: I am a businessman."
"Business be damned!" Vera said. "Mercedes won't stand for—"
"I'm afraid what Mercedes will and will not stand for does not matter. Lord Eris simply made a better offer."
"The king has more!" I said. "Tell me what you want and you will have it!" I hated using a man I despised as collateral, but I was desperate.
Myez absently touched the golden hoop at his ear. "Unfortunately for you, you cannot give me what I want. All the gold in this world isn't worth what Lord Eris has promised."
The half-giants pressed in and attacked. We fought back, and to my acute disappointment, they were faster than the full-blooded giant. Their blows knocked me easily off balance, and there wasn't much space to move in this cramped room. Somewhere I heard Myez say we were to be kept alive, but I was too focused on staying alive that I didn't hear all of it exactly.
I was the first to be caught with my arms twisted behind my back, and my bad arm throbbed like someone was trying to dismember it. I struggled against my captor's grip, but chains had more give. Vera's arms had met the same fate, and it was Alex who continued fighting. He was amazing to watch, really. So fast and fluid, so unpredictable with perfect control. The three remaining half-giants stood around him, unable to get near.
Myez watched, impressed, but when Alex started downing his half-giants, "impressed" quickly transformed to "irritation." More half-giants entered the room, and Alex was moving to attack when Myez held a knife at my neck. "Stop or she'll be wishing for death."
Alex saw me, and his sword stilled mid-sweep. Fury swept over his features, but in the end he dropped his sword on the ground with a clatter, resigned. The two nearest giants grabbed his arms and secured them behind his back.
"There, you see?" Myez lowered his blade, and then he lashed out across my cheek fast as a whip. My cheek burned and I cried out as warmth dripped down my jaw and neck.
Alex jerked against his guards, furious.
"If you try anything," Myez continued, "she will pay for it. Do we understand each other?"
I'd never seen such hatred cross Alex's face, and still I felt none of it.
Myez looked at the fallen half-giants near Alex's feet. "Perhaps I should've sent the girls," he mused. "Take them below, and see that they stay put until Master Thaddeus Mendax arrives."
Chapter 6
Heart of Darkness
A fter Myez Rader had stripped us of all our possessions, Alex, Vera, and I were escorted out of his office by the half-giants. Myez, in his infinite wisdom, spared five giants for Alex alone. They led
I took a step back and sank onto the couch, my mind reeling.
No.
Eris was Thad's…father?
I felt Myez watching me, waiting for the realization to hit. And, oh, did it hit. It kept hitting and slugging and punching me. I'd watched him do it. I'd watched him stand there while Eris killed my father. I'd watched him threaten Fleck, a boy he'd stood up for countless times. So often I'd wondered why. What could've propelled him to turn on me for that monster? But if Eris really was his father, then I could make the tie. Sort of.
And that fact also made him my…
Cousin .
Alex still gripped his sword, but it had dropped a little, like his arm suddenly felt too heavy, and his eyes looked through Myez rather than at him.
It was Vera who finally broke the silence. "Idiot."
I wasn't sure who she was calling the idiot, but right then I felt like one. "We've got to get going." It was my voice, but it was like someone else was using it. "Vera, I believe you know where the shortcut is."
The half-giants burst into the room, and this time there were more than just two. There were five. Vera's eyes darted back and forth, and she growled, "What is this?"
Now that Alex's sword had pointed in a new direction, Myez stood, his palms outstretched. "I told you: I am a businessman."
"Business be damned!" Vera said. "Mercedes won't stand for—"
"I'm afraid what Mercedes will and will not stand for does not matter. Lord Eris simply made a better offer."
"The king has more!" I said. "Tell me what you want and you will have it!" I hated using a man I despised as collateral, but I was desperate.
Myez absently touched the golden hoop at his ear. "Unfortunately for you, you cannot give me what I want. All the gold in this world isn't worth what Lord Eris has promised."
The half-giants pressed in and attacked. We fought back, and to my acute disappointment, they were faster than the full-blooded giant. Their blows knocked me easily off balance, and there wasn't much space to move in this cramped room. Somewhere I heard Myez say we were to be kept alive, but I was too focused on staying alive that I didn't hear all of it exactly.
I was the first to be caught with my arms twisted behind my back, and my bad arm throbbed like someone was trying to dismember it. I struggled against my captor's grip, but chains had more give. Vera's arms had met the same fate, and it was Alex who continued fighting. He was amazing to watch, really. So fast and fluid, so unpredictable with perfect control. The three remaining half-giants stood around him, unable to get near.
Myez watched, impressed, but when Alex started downing his half-giants, "impressed" quickly transformed to "irritation." More half-giants entered the room, and Alex was moving to attack when Myez held a knife at my neck. "Stop or she'll be wishing for death."
Alex saw me, and his sword stilled mid-sweep. Fury swept over his features, but in the end he dropped his sword on the ground with a clatter, resigned. The two nearest giants grabbed his arms and secured them behind his back.
"There, you see?" Myez lowered his blade, and then he lashed out across my cheek fast as a whip. My cheek burned and I cried out as warmth dripped down my jaw and neck.
Alex jerked against his guards, furious.
"If you try anything," Myez continued, "she will pay for it. Do we understand each other?"
I'd never seen such hatred cross Alex's face, and still I felt none of it.
Myez looked at the fallen half-giants near Alex's feet. "Perhaps I should've sent the girls," he mused. "Take them below, and see that they stay put until Master Thaddeus Mendax arrives."
Chapter 6
Heart of Darkness
A fter Myez Rader had stripped us of all our possessions, Alex, Vera, and I were escorted out of his office by the half-giants. Myez, in his infinite wisdom, spared five giants for Alex alone. They led
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