Page 108 of The Only Way Out Is Up

“It’s none of your business.”

“She’s not fucking you, then!” he says, sounding delighted. “Poor boy. She really has you on a string, doesn’t she? It’s just like her. Even as a child she always knew how to get exactly what she wanted. I’m guessing that she wants you to win the Ascent for her, and then she’ll make all your dreams come true, eh?” His eyebrows waggle.

I can feel myself getting angry, and I try to keep it under control. There are eyes on us, I’m sure. “It’s nothing like that.”

“Of course it isn’t.” He shakes his head. “You are so far out of your depth you might as well be out among the stars. Let’s say you do win, and she’s as good as her word. How long, exactly, do you think you’ll last up here? Do you have the first idea about how anything works? The other Council families will start tearing Ky to pieces at once, and if you’re her man, that means you as well. I doubt it’ll be even a year before the Trantos are dead and buried for good.” He gives a theatrical sigh. “Hod is no place for the weak.”

“I don’t think you can call Ky weak.”

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong.” He holds up a finger. “I’ve known her a lot longer than you have, you know. She looks strong, but she’s shot through with flaws. Give her just a tap in the wrong place and she goes all to pieces. Poor girl. She always needed a firm hand, but after her mother died her father could never bring himself to provide it. No, she’ll never last, and when she falls you’ll go with her. Back down to the undercity, if you’re lucky.”

The match in the arena is over. Bitey has torn huge chunks out of Cnista, and now stands atop the motionless crab in triumph. Niami, ecstatic, clambers up the tiger’s hindquarters to take a seat on its rear end, waving to the crowd.

“You have a better idea, I take it?” I ask Gestian.

He spreads his hands. “Join the winning side. The Dreikins will guarantee your position, win or lose. We’ll match what she’s giving you. We can even encourage Quech to… take it easy on you, if you like. Another fighting runic on the payroll is always useful.”

There’s a pause.

“I’m curious,” I say slowly, “how much Devon Dreikin offered you.”

Gestian blinks. “I’m sorry?”

“Honorable man like you, it can’t be just money. Is he paying you in promises? Or more than promises?” I lean close to him. “Is that it? Is he fucking you?”

His face has gone very cold. “You,” he grates, “have no idea—”

“Don’t need the details,” I interrupt. “Doesn’t matter. I’m going to win this tournament. And then I’m going Above. It’s the Ascent, that’s what winning gets you, isn’t it?”

“Above?” Gestian gives a startled laugh. “You’re mad. Nobody goes Above.”

“Nobody comes up from the undercity to Hod, either.”

“There’s nothing up there but death. Everyone knows that.”

I give a theatrical shrug. “Then I’ll die having seen the stars. Unlike you.”

“What the fuck does that matter?” Gestian stands, fuming. “Not that you’ll ever get that far. I’ll let Quech know to take good care of you.”

“Tell him I owe him one from the first round,” I say with a lazy smile.

Gestian snorts and stalks away.

Star and I rejoin Ky at the carriage, and I can immediately see that something’s wrong. She climbs aboard in a barely contained fury and slams the door behind her. I get in the other side, and we ride away from the arena in silence for a while. Star skitters behind on his six remaining legs, while Ky’s foot taps in a staccato rhythm.

“They’ve written me off,” she snaps, in response to nothing in particular.

“Sorry?”

“They’ve written me off,” she says again. Tap tap tap. “My so-called friends and allies. They think I’m past saving.”

“They don’t think we can win the tournament?”

She scoffs. “It’s not that, everyone was very impressed with you today. And we’re all happy to take the du Freis down a peg. But Devon Dreikin has been making the rounds and telling everybody he’s not just going to roll over and let me take my father’s place, even if you win. And everyone I talked to is betting that he’ll come out on top in the end, so they don’t dare help me.”

Ky stomps on her tapping foot with her other boot and grits her teeth. I fight the urge to chuckle, since I value my life.

“Gestian dropped by,” I volunteer. “Tried to get me to switch sides.”