Shadebound by Estes David & Penman G. D

Author:Estes, David & Penman, G. D. [Estes, David & Penman, G. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Amazon: B0BFT1G6W9
Goodreads: 62807307
Publisher: Wraithmarked Creative, LLC
Published: 2022-09-27T07:00:00+00:00

20 - Songs of Silk and Sin

Gemmazione, Regola Dei Cerva 112

Madrigal Cerva lived, and the one who had ensured that was neither doctor, guardsman, or noble. It had required no small part of fast talking on Artemio’s part to ensure that Orsina was not dragged along into the ensuing madness of recriminations and terror, making her excuses for her and claiming she was overwrought by the awful thing she had borne witness to. She had been almost entirely speechless by the time he had recovered her from the throne room and shuttled her out to a carriage, but from others he had managed to extract the fullness of the tale.

He had scarcely needed their contributions when every step of the battle was still laid out before him. The scent of stagnant water from Orsina’s now familiar shade hung in the air, some pattering down from the ceiling above in droplets.

Nobody had known that Arazi themselves could breathe fire. Artemio himself had been in the presence of one mere days before and never even considered the possibility. Moreover, he’d been in such a position with the dungeon-bound Arazi that if that man had been capable of spitting fire in his face, he had no doubt that the prisoner would have done so. The fact that the king had come within an inch of death seemed to have rattled the hornet’s nest of the palace up quite nicely. The fact that it was only blind luck and some untrained girl of no importance who had saved him from his fate was considered to be less a matter for celebration than a damning indictment of the security measures in place.

They’d found the other twin sitting placidly in the solarium after his brother had been fussed over to the limits of his patience, and then all the doctors had been sent away, all the servants, everybody except for Artemio. It was just the three of them now, stewing in a sudden and unexpected silence.

While the injured twin nursed his injured pride with a glass of pale blue wine, the other spoke. “Is it fair to assume that this attempt on the royal self is related to our previous assassinations?”

“No.” Artemio sighed. “It would be so much simpler if it were, but I cannot see any connection between the Arazi and our existing troubles.”

The wounded king snapped, “Assassination seems a rather clear connection.”

Artemio didn’t really want to argue with a man who was in a foul mood and capable of having him decapitated with a nod, so he went gently. “The methodology is different.”

“We thank you for the presence of your agent in our moment of need, though it would be best in future to work with us rather than independently.”

“She… I…” He didn’t know how to respond, so he reached for a platitude. “I am glad that she was there.”

The wounded king let out a wet little simper of laughter. “As are we all.”

Artemio glanced between the two men, still entirely unsure as to why he was there, but almost too worried what the answer might be to pose a question.

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