He waved a hand dismissively, slopping the contents of his mug on the bar. “Summat like that. Don’t know, really.” He took a long drink. “When I came to this town, he was off in Riche, spendin’ his coin on all sorts of unkingly things. Like gamblin’. And women.”
He winked over his mug, and I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly. “Didn’t you just mention you were born and raised here?”
“Oh, I uhh…”
“And if you were not, which I assume is the actual truth, doesn’t that mean that you have very little claim on any of the land in Heartstone Wood, Mister Brough?” I paused for emphasis, allowing the truth of my ruse to settle in. “And assuming you have not stolen half your herd from farmers of the Brackish Wood, which I suspect you have, do you not have evenlessclaim on the land of the Ravenfae? Where you have taken your herd without the permission of the Ravenfae Goddess Reshina?”
The time for pleading and begging at my knees was then, but the idiot had not yet caught on to just who he was talking to. “I-I don’t know what y-you’re talking ab?—”
I dropped my cloak, revealing my black feathered wings tipped in silver. He gasped in awe, likely never having seen aGoddess before. I grabbed the collar of his jacket in one quick swipe, smiling in true humor, watching the man peel himself off his barstool and begin begging with cries of mercy.
It turned out to be quite the spectacle in the single tavern of Heartstone—whimsically namedThe Withering Rose. For in sudden shock and fear, the man understood he was speaking tome, Reshina, Goddess of the Veil and Goddess of the Ravenfae—former Cursebringer of Revelry and current protector of my people.
“Let this be a lesson to you, Mister Brough,” I began, allowing my voice to rise, in the sudden silence. “Let this be a lesson for all of you. The Brackish Wood is not unoccupied, nor is it rulerless like this desolate place you call a kingdom.” I threw him across the room where he crashed into a table, knocking it and its occupants to the ground. “Now,” I said with a mocking grin. “As you all know, even a Goddess of the Veil cannot burn this tavern down to the ground without dire consequences.” I pulled up the hem of my black silken skirts, kicking a chair out of my way as I took my time walking toward the thief I’d been seeking for the better part of a week.
“You can thank your ancestors for that treaty between the fae and human kingdoms. You are lucky, my friends, that it is I whom you have scorned with your thievery and not another Goddess of the Veil who would take a more…destructive interest in your little tavern, treaty or no.” I stood in front of the man as he cowered on the floor, attempting to shield his face from my sight. I dug into my pocket, searching by feel alone for the correct glass vial. “Alas, I have no love for the scent of burning flesh, but I do have a penchant for delivering a curse to a soul in need of repentance.”
“No!” he shouted, shaking below me. “Please! Have mercy!”
“Mercy?” I laughed from deep within my chest. “Mercy comes from the hands of the Goddessblessed, notthe Goddesscursed.” I uncorked the vial, spilling the deep emerald smoke and sand over his boots. “Come now,” I soothed as he began to sob. “Join me, Mister Brough, in the timeless dance of living a cursed life.”
CHAPTER 3
The Beast
Get back underground,you mongrel. You’ll give us frostbite. Your time is almost up anyway.
HUNGER.
Still? Get on with the hunt, then.
SMELL CREATURE.
Goddess save me.
NOT DEER.
A cow again? Much preferable than the rotten sheep you found last week. I couldn’t move the rest of the day, and?—
WOMAN.
…Stop.
HUNGER.
Turn around.
HUNGER.
Get undergroundnow!
HUNGER FOR WOMAN.
Goddess fucking dammit. BEAST. HEAR THIS. TURN AROUND NOW AND I WILL GRANT YOU ANOTHER FULL DAY AND NIGHT ABOVE.
LET ME OUT?
YES. ONLY IF YOU GET BELOWRIGHT NOW.
