━━━ ❝ I pity the fool who wants to be a God. ❞
&
━━━ There is enough fire inside you to put
all of Hell to shame, but you are
pretending to be water, for someone
who is too afrai...
Previously, on Jester—The Crows successfully infiltrated the Ice Court, only for their plans to fall through and leave Leia stranded with new players. Turns out, Fjerda unknowingly housed a Grisha Amplifier and spy, Karina—who was working on behalf of Selma Valentine and The Darkling's orders. In the shadows, Leia discovered the world's first Mind Controller, Erik. If that wasn't enough for a day, she revisited her parents' death only to realise Pekka Rollins had robbed her parents' grave and trafficked it to a bidder in Fjerda—but did Kaz really have nothing to do with that?
So far, that woman has managed to unearth everything except for the true reason why Kaz Brekker was forced to lock her in Hellgate, shame. On a plan to smuggle Karina out of Fjerda, Erik and Leia attend the Ball. Partnering with the world's first ever Mind Controller, it's Leia's turn to figure out if Erik is truly a friend or foe.
And that's what you missed on Jester.
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CHAPTER XVII. i think about 'maybes' a lot
Things always had a way of falling into the wrong puzzle pieces in Erik's life.
Dating wasn't even his cup of tea. But he'd mastered the art of pretending. Being Fjerdan-born, a druskelle and a Grisha who can control minds? This was an absurd spin of the wheel.
"I've been through gang parleys and heists far less gruesome than that." Leia grunted, sending a clear message that she no longer wanted to socialise with delegates anymore. She whipped around to face him, "You know, it'd be nice to get a heads up that you are the son of the Minister of Trade of Fjerda."
Her irritation flew right past him. Erik was laser-focused on manoeuvring through the crowd of diplomats to reach the table piled with lavish foods. "It'd be nice indeed. What can I say, my cunningness is inherited."
"Of course. Your mother is a politician, and a female one at that." Rare respect slipped between Leia's words. "That's harder to come by than a Feyre painting—and even those are only rumours."
Erik countered, "Ah, I might have one of her Courts paintings in my dining room."
At that, Leia gasped uncharacteristically. "I hate you. Which one?"
"Can't remember. Maybe the one with the mountains and the shooting stars."
"Starfall?" Leia's dark eyes narrowed. She pinched him hard enough to bruise. "Politics is lucrative."
Maybe he could think about giving the Council a shot, Erik heard Leia's mental thoughts. Whoever he—Kaz Brekker—was, Leia definitely had too many pieces of him in her mind.
"The money doesn't come without sacrifice," Erik continued, still haunted by the haggard image and thoughts of his mother when they bumped into her earlier. His mother did her best to hide the fatigue, but her mind was no match for Erik.
