how truthful to be. I supposed it couldn’t do her any harm to know what I meant. ‘There is a clear path for anyone to tread should they want to dispose of me.’
‘And what path is that?’
‘Well, consider this. I spend an inordinate amount of time alone in bedrooms with women I’ve never met.’
Quillane’s eyes flashed aubergine with alarm. ‘You think one of the girls you bed is going to assassinate you?’
I laughed. ‘It’s how I’d attack me. Anyone with half a brain should see the opportunity in it. I can hardly imagine the Sparrow failing to spot it. And given I have no chance of defending myself …’
‘Then why do you continue to meet with them?’ she exclaimed.
I winked at her. ‘Because, Quillane, I really, really love women.’
She shook her head slowly. ‘There’s something terrifying about how foolish you are, Falco.’
‘Oh, come now –’
‘If you were killed, how do you think I would manage?’
I closed my mouth, good mood fading. Antagonising her wasn’t all that fun when she actually started to get upset.
‘Do you think I can do this on my own?’ she pressed.
‘I know you can,’ I replied honestly.
‘I shouldn’t have to. You should care about me, Falco, and your people, and your country more than you care about bedding whores.’
I didn’t know what to say. The truth was easy: I cared about nothing more than I cared about my country and my people and my Empress. I’d die for any one of the three, a thousand times over. I hated fucking faceless women every night.
But the truth had no place in the life I’d built for myself.
I wondered, not for the first time, if Quillane would love me were she to meet the man behind the mask.
‘All I have to say to that,’ I said bluntly, ‘is that I’d stop seeing every single one of them if you would come to my bed instead.’
Her gaze shifted russet with disgust and she turned angrily to climb down from the obstacle. In that moment I saw her foot slip.
I was moving before she’d even started to fall, no thought for the consequences. Her long limbs collided with me and I twisted myself beneath her, taking the weight of her fall and sparing her the impact that would have broken several bones, if it had not killed her. I hit the sand awkwardly and felt ribs splinter. Air left my lungs in a great rush and stars shimmered in the inky sky, woozy and dancing across my vision.
‘Falco!’ I heard her cry, scrambling to get off me. Her face swam above me; her eyes looked a brilliant aquamarine.
‘By Gods I love you,’ I heard myself say, and then I quite promptly passed out.
It must have been only moments before I opened my eyes again, as no one had yet arrived to help.
‘Fal?’
‘Yes, darling?’
‘Gods. I thought I’d lost you for a moment there.’
‘Please. You are heavier than you look, but you’re still not heavy enough to kill me.’
‘You’re a delicate flower,’ she pointed out. ‘Who knows what could be the end of you.’
‘I’ll try not to take offence to that.’ Slowly I sat up, pain slicing through my chest and side. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine. Thankful that you were clumsy enough to get in my way. Can you walk?’
I could have, but instead played it up. ‘The pain is terrible.’
‘Wait here then. I’ll get help.’
I watched her dash across the sand towards where our guards would be waiting at the entrance of the stadium, and then I allowed myself to lie back down and wallow in emasculation.
When the Sparrow is dead , I promised myself. When the Sparrow is dead, you can be everything she needs you to be. You can win her heart.
Quillane
After securing Falco comfortably in his bed with a warder’s magic healing his ribs, I snuck down the lonely stone tunnel to Radha.
She was curled on her bed and she looked very pale.
‘Are you all right?’ I asked quickly, sinking down beside her.
Her inky eyes opened wearily and she nodded.
‘You don’t look well,
‘And what path is that?’
‘Well, consider this. I spend an inordinate amount of time alone in bedrooms with women I’ve never met.’
Quillane’s eyes flashed aubergine with alarm. ‘You think one of the girls you bed is going to assassinate you?’
I laughed. ‘It’s how I’d attack me. Anyone with half a brain should see the opportunity in it. I can hardly imagine the Sparrow failing to spot it. And given I have no chance of defending myself …’
‘Then why do you continue to meet with them?’ she exclaimed.
I winked at her. ‘Because, Quillane, I really, really love women.’
She shook her head slowly. ‘There’s something terrifying about how foolish you are, Falco.’
‘Oh, come now –’
‘If you were killed, how do you think I would manage?’
I closed my mouth, good mood fading. Antagonising her wasn’t all that fun when she actually started to get upset.
‘Do you think I can do this on my own?’ she pressed.
‘I know you can,’ I replied honestly.
‘I shouldn’t have to. You should care about me, Falco, and your people, and your country more than you care about bedding whores.’
I didn’t know what to say. The truth was easy: I cared about nothing more than I cared about my country and my people and my Empress. I’d die for any one of the three, a thousand times over. I hated fucking faceless women every night.
But the truth had no place in the life I’d built for myself.
I wondered, not for the first time, if Quillane would love me were she to meet the man behind the mask.
‘All I have to say to that,’ I said bluntly, ‘is that I’d stop seeing every single one of them if you would come to my bed instead.’
Her gaze shifted russet with disgust and she turned angrily to climb down from the obstacle. In that moment I saw her foot slip.
I was moving before she’d even started to fall, no thought for the consequences. Her long limbs collided with me and I twisted myself beneath her, taking the weight of her fall and sparing her the impact that would have broken several bones, if it had not killed her. I hit the sand awkwardly and felt ribs splinter. Air left my lungs in a great rush and stars shimmered in the inky sky, woozy and dancing across my vision.
‘Falco!’ I heard her cry, scrambling to get off me. Her face swam above me; her eyes looked a brilliant aquamarine.
‘By Gods I love you,’ I heard myself say, and then I quite promptly passed out.
It must have been only moments before I opened my eyes again, as no one had yet arrived to help.
‘Fal?’
‘Yes, darling?’
‘Gods. I thought I’d lost you for a moment there.’
‘Please. You are heavier than you look, but you’re still not heavy enough to kill me.’
‘You’re a delicate flower,’ she pointed out. ‘Who knows what could be the end of you.’
‘I’ll try not to take offence to that.’ Slowly I sat up, pain slicing through my chest and side. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine. Thankful that you were clumsy enough to get in my way. Can you walk?’
I could have, but instead played it up. ‘The pain is terrible.’
‘Wait here then. I’ll get help.’
I watched her dash across the sand towards where our guards would be waiting at the entrance of the stadium, and then I allowed myself to lie back down and wallow in emasculation.
When the Sparrow is dead , I promised myself. When the Sparrow is dead, you can be everything she needs you to be. You can win her heart.
Quillane
After securing Falco comfortably in his bed with a warder’s magic healing his ribs, I snuck down the lonely stone tunnel to Radha.
She was curled on her bed and she looked very pale.
‘Are you all right?’ I asked quickly, sinking down beside her.
Her inky eyes opened wearily and she nodded.
‘You don’t look well,
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