The Cage King by Danielle Monsch

Author:Danielle Monsch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Romance
ISBN: 9781938593154
Publisher: Romantic Geek Publishing
Published: 2014-08-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

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The party to celebrate the end of the first round of fighting took place in Beylor’s home. The décor of the huge pile of bricks was loud, ostentatious, obnoxious – in short, exactly what Nalah had expected.

Of the sixteen fighters left, one was Rorth. The huge half-orc stood in the corner. He was quiet, watchful, not disrupting the party but not part of it either. Esh might have dismissed him as a threat, but she still couldn’t shake the unease.

Yet Esh was Esh, and he went straight for that corner, calling out, “You’re still alive.”

“Not surprised to see you either,” the not-literally-but-almost-a-giant replied, giving a smile that showcased teeth with a slight tuskish quality to them.

“Wasn’t going to get beaten and lose the opportunity to fight you.”

Something in Rorth’s eyes shifted, and his smile went from genial to almost approving. “So, you’re that.”

Damned if Nalah could make out the meaning, but Esh only smiled a rare smile, his tone conspiratorial as he replied, “Hells yeah.”

“Well then, you and I, we’ll give them a show.”

“Would have it no other way.”

With a half nod to Rorth, Esh grabbed her hand and left the half orc to his corner. The moment they were out of earshot, Nalah asked, “What was that about?”

“Finding common ground.”

“Don’t be cryptic. What did you two mean?”

A man gave Nalah a once-over, and Esh scowled at him, pulling Nalah close and putting his arm around her shoulder. “It means he’s like me, even if you don’t see it. That’s why I’m not worried about him. The reason he fights is the reason I fight.”

The reason Esh fights? She always thought it was something he fell into and was the only thing he could make money from that was at least a little aboveboard.

Esh’s statement crystallized something in her, a back-of-the-head musing that started with their reunion. She didn’t know Esh, not really. Yes, in some ways she knew him better than anyone alive – meeting at seven and ten and then spending the next decade in constant proximity assured that.

Still, because of that, she became lazy and assumed so many things about him, assumptions this re-meet challenged on a daily basis.

Tiffany bounded up, breaking into her musings, her smile wide and white and directed at Esh. “I heard all about what you did today! For the first time I actually wished I was at a fight! I’m Tiffany. Me and Nalah have been hanging while you boys do your fighting thing!”

In other times Esh’s dumbfounded expression upon being confronted with Tiffany would have Nalah doubled over, but her attention was focused on the ring on Tiffany’s finger, bright red, the color looking foreign and wrong against the paleness of Tiffany’s skin versus the warm brown tones of her mother.

Tiffany must have noticed her focus, because she asked, “You like the ring, Nalah?”

“It’s stunning,” she said, at least she thought she said it. The ring held her enraptured. She shouldn’t stare, shouldn’t give so much info away.

“I’ve never seen you wear jewelry! You totally should.

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