I frown.“Shrooms?”
Karl nodslike his life dependson it.And I guess, it kind ofdoes.
“That’s it?Dancing, dinner, and shrooms?”
His frantic noddingmakesme want to punch him in the face.Forcing myself to relax, I smile nicely.“Breathe, Karl.”
He sucksin ragged gulps.One after another until he finallydevelopsa sense of calm about him.
“Now tell me everything.”
He shudders, holding on to what little strength he has.Or rather, what little survival instinct he has.The words ‘Karl’ and‘strength’don’tbelong in the same sentence.
“She was easy,” hesaysshakily.“Icould’ve had her after the dance, but Fabia was there.She’s a real cockblocker, you know?”
I shouldget her some shrooms.I smile.Make that a knife set.“Go on.”
“Well, she’s a bit desperate to please, so you just have to string her along.Insult her while complimenting her…” He trailsoff on a hard swallow, no doubt seeing the fury in my eyes.
“What kind of shrooms does she like?”I ask slowly.If Idon’tchange the subject, forget the fairy ring, I’mgoing to kill him in the tub.
“I don’t know.Marson gave them to me to throw away.They were a bit wilted, so he couldn’tput them in his shop.”
“You.Gave.Her.Rubbish?”
His face pales.Sweatbreaksout on his brow.“N-no, it wasn’t like that.”
I stare at him, daring him to continue.
“They were g-going t-to g-get… thrown… thrown away any…way a-a-and she –” He yelpsas I pull him up by the neck and slam him against the tiled wall.A knifeisin my hand, pressed against his dick.He whimpersas he closeshis eyes.The bladedigsinto his pathetic flesh.
“Do you accept my challenge to enter the fairy ring?”When piss dribblesacross my hand, I smile coldly.“Say no, Karl,” I whisper.
Tears flow down his cheeks.“N-no.”
“Good.”My knife slicesacross his penis.He screams like a little bitchas his manhood drops to the floor.Releasing his neck, Icover his mouth with my palm.“To refuse to accept a challenge means you accept the alternative punishment: a thousand cuts.That was one.”
Forcing his mouth open, Itakehis tongue.“Two.”
I hope he tastesthe piss on my hand.
The door opensbehind me, and Idon’thave to turn to know it’sJace.He neverhasthe courtesy to knock.And despite how weleft things earlier, his sense of duty – his loyalty to his friendsand Aurelia’s memorywillnever let him walk away completely.
“You know,”Jacesays, a bite of a smile in his voice, “I don’t think this is what Arienna had in mind when she asked you not to kill him.”
Freezing with my blade on Karl’s ear, Isay,“She asked me not to challenge him in the ring.I accepted her request.”
The ‘man’ whimpers.
“She asked you for mercy.To not be a monster, if I heard correctly.”
“You didn’t.”
Chuckling,hestopsbehind me.“You think I don’t know why you challenged me earlier?We’ve been friends for overfortyyears.I watched you learn how to walk.”
I glance at him over my shoulder.“I learned how to walk before you did.”
“And sitting on my little baby ass, I watched you.”
