Mark of the Witch by Sebastian Priest

Author:Sebastian Priest [Priest, Sebastian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-16T04:00:00+00:00

Nikolas pointed at him. 'You are significantly closer to those crossbowmen than thirty metres, and during the entirety of the travesty that was the Graceland Wars, I never issued more than two warning shots.

'This isn't a habit I plan to change, so if you don't want to find yourself looking like a pin cushion, I'd suggest you stop behaving like a stray troglodyte off the street.'

'No. I demand satisfaction from this beast.' Lym gestured at Viktor disparagingly with his sword. 'If you shoot me, my men will simply turn this entire keep into a bloodbath. I have more waiting outside.'

Viktor hadn't seen them, but the fog had been thick enough that he couldn't rebuke that.

'They might make the attempt, yes.' Nikolas glared, then turned to look at Viktor without a softening of his features. 'Executioner, did I not just give you an order to get out of my sight?'

Viktor sorely considered testing Nikolas by needling the Erolo man. Truly he did. But a look from Heun told him that now wasn't the time to weigh on Lauter's last nerve.

'I apologise. I had something urgent I needed to speak to you about, but Heun said he would relay it to you when the timing is less...unfortunate.'

'I'm sure he will do so. Right now, you're needed for the scheduled inspection on the dungeons.'

There was no scheduled inspection, but Viktor saw the out for what it was. Lym was in that rare place between caution and blind fury, and it was probably best that he leave now before his presence tilted him back towards the latter.

He put the crate down, gestured to it vaguely, then turned on his heel and started to walk away, feeling a disgusting taste in his mouth for what felt like retreat.

He had to pointedly ignore the harsh globules of spit that landed on his shoulder as he was leaving. Viktor felt himself shiver with something, and it wasn't cold.

'Viktor, don't,' Heun said.

Lym spat at his back several more times as he moved away. Viktor made to stop.

'Viktor, don't,' Ordo said.

'Enough! Damn it, man, control yourself or you'll feel the back of my gauntlet!' Nikolas shouted. 'You're supposed to be of nobility. Stop th—'

'"Heun"?' Lym mocked after him. 'He addresses your squire by his first name. So informally. And you speak to me of decorum? My own son doesn't call me anything other than "sir" during training and "Father" in any situation other than. Is the capital so lax that you let the murderous dregs debase you this way? I'd beat a servant that called my son by his name. I'd beat my son if he called me by my name.'

Charming.

Clearly the old fool was entering into that place where he was both full of blind rage and without any means to do anything about it, so he was settling for being as petty as he could manage. He sank deep into the frustrating and pathetic depths of an anger that couldn't be exercised and a vendetta that couldn't be acted upon.

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