Courts and Cabals 2 by G.S. D'Moore (warren buffett book recommendations TXT) 📗

Despite an urge to tell her to sit on it and rotate, I kept my ego in check. Opportunity was knocking. “Is it me, or is she laughing at Aveena?” I wondered.

As far as leverage, I had jackshit, but if I could drive a wedge between them . . . maybe, just maybe . . .

“I know, right,” I gave the big woman my best smile. “Who would have thought plain, human me could have outwitted, outfoxed, outmaneuvered, and outgunned this one for over a week?” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder at Aveena. “Hell, if she hadn’t surprised me in the Big Apple, you’d just have to settle for that dude’s head today.”

I could hear Aveena grinding her teeth behind me, and that just made me smile bigger. It faltered when the Lady of Winter started laughing. It boomed out of her like a thunderclap, and despite the bravado I was putting on, it made me jump.

“It mocks you,” the woman slapped her knee, which sent shockwaves radiating outward that almost knocked me on my ass.

Of course, when the queen laughs, everyone sure as shit laughs with her; especially after she’d gone all Henry the Eighth on some poor bastard. I expected the yank, and braced for it; not that it did me any good. I wound up on my ass; my cheeks sticking to the floor, and it looked like I was auditioning for Flick in A Christmas Story after all. I didn’t try to sit up, the floor did that for me. A wave of sentient marble pushed me forward until I was in a kneeling position similar to the bark guy. The metal rod that had kept me subjugated disintegrated, along with my shackles. It had been a glamour all along. My legs, knees, and even my hands up to the wrist sunk into the floor, which hardened around me. I gave it an experimental yank, putting all my strength into it, but it didn’t do any good.

“Can I kill him now, mother?” Aveena asked, walking to stand next to me. A glamour sword gleamed in her hand, and it looked more than sharp enough to get the job done.

“Not yet,” the larger woman’s messy black bangs had fallen over her eyes as she laughed at her much prettier daughter. “I have a few questions that need to be answered.”

“I can’t guarantee you’ll like the answers,” I replied.

“Shut up!” I screamed at myself. Every second I tried to stall them was another second I was alive. Every second I was alive was a chance to break free, and I was sabotaging my own chances of getting out of this with my head still attached to my shoulders.

The Lady of Winter’s smile turned into a hard line, but she didn’t cut my head off on the spot; so that was a win.

“How did you take my knight’s powers? Upon the death of my subject the power returns to their lord or lady. In the Bleeding Grounds, the victor gets the spoils, but not a human. What are you?” she asked.

I surprised myself by barking out a laugh. “Ain’t that the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question?” I knew it wasn’t buying me any time, but something about the woman told me I wasn’t going to be able to feed her my usual line of bullshit.

“I have no idea, and no one I’ve talked to knows either,” I answered sincerely. “Well, actually, that’s not completely true. Lark told me he knew what I was, but couldn’t tell me,” I tried to shrug, but the floor holding me in place didn’t allow it.

I don’t know what I said, but the woman’s eyes zeroed in on me like I’d just become the most interesting man in the world. The intensity of her look told me Dos Equis should think about sponsoring me. It took me a second to realize the hall was deathly silent all around us.

“The Usurper knows how you were capable of this?” the way she spat out Lark’s title said there was little lost love between them.

Still, I sensed something beneath the hostility; uncertainty, and maybe even a bit of fear. This woman might be a badass bitch, but Lark’s name still held some sway. I decided to capitalize on that.

“Sure,” I smiled like nothing was the matter. “He trained me how to use these gifts. We sparred, took long walks on the beach, moonlit dinners, the whole shebang.” Most of that went over the Lady of Winter’s head, but I felt people take a step away from me. It felt good.

“Mother, don’t listen to his lies and posturing,” Aveena snarled, and kicked me for good measure.

Pain lanced through me, and almost made me pass out. She broke at least a rib or two to prove her point. Whatever I said about my time with Lark, I was still powerless at the moment. I felt the people who’d backed away take a step closer; like sharks that smelled blood in the water.

Despite Aveena’s show of dominance, her mother’s penetrating gaze never left me. She looked like she was searching my soul for something, anything, to give her a little more information.

“Did he tell you how you were able to accomplish this?” she asked.

“Nope,” I shook my head with a pain-laced grin. “He said he was bound by court, covenant, and a dozen oaths that would literally tear him apart if he revealed it to me,” I grimaced.

The Lady of Winter’s face transformed from intense speculation to shock, and definitely a good dose of fear.

“I know. Tell me about it,” I continued. “It’s frustrating as fuck to be so close to what you want, but not able to get it. Am I right, Aveena?” I laughed, which brought on a round of coughing.

The coughs