The Reckless Reign (Book 3, The Culled Crown Series)

Chapter 55

The Needle's Edge.
Gazda, Erydia.
Evening.

Birk was able to send the city guards away without too much trouble. He let them search the shop and they found nothing. By the time we'd been given the all clear to return, Em was still pretty upset. Afraid for herself and her aunt's shop if they were caught aiding us—but I think mostly she was afraid for Birk.

They argued for what felt like hours. And she cried. And while I didn't want her to report us to the city guard or alert Caine to our presence, I knew exactly how it felt to be lied to by someone you care about. I knew how that betrayal stung and how it changed everything. Listening to their muffled argument, I was faced with the mountains of things I wanted to say to Kai.

And there was plenty to say, I was still incredibly mad at him. And it would take time for him to regain my trust. And...And he was married now. The realization of that kept hitting me in waves. I'd had my mind and heart set on him for months and now...now he was bound to someone else.

To Kinsley. Which changed so many things. I hadn't believed myself brave enough to dream of my future, but finding out that Kai was married to someone else had made me realize that I had started to plan a life for us. A future that went beyond this fight and the Culling. And I'd never really done that before. And now I wished I hadn't.

So, I knew how Em felt. She thought Birk was putting his life at risk; he thought overthrowing the current monarchy was working risking his life for. They'd now found themselves on opposite sides of a rebellion.

I sat with Cohen, Nadia, and Heidi—the four of us curled into one corner of the room as we listened to their quiet battle. Mim had come down twice since we'd returned—once to deliver warm beef stew and bread, and then again to tell us that Madame Leroux would be returning to the shop that evening and we'd best be quiet.

Em would be the least of our concerns if she found us here. Birk wouldn't be able to silence her, wouldn't be able to send the guards away a second time. We'd be dead. The games of cards and quiet teasing had ceased at that warning.

Now we all just listened and waited.

With nothing to do but worry, most everyone in our party had decided to turn in early. The cots and bunks were filled, the overheard light doused. The room was lit by the small heater and the flickering of one candle. The lone flame sat in the middle of the small circle of us, casting shadows on our faces.

Slowly, over a course of hours, the muffled sound of Birk and Emilie arguing subsided. The shop above us turned quiet. I fiddled with the candle, pulling the fire to me until it was nearly gone and then pushing it back onto the wick—it fluttered and sputtered and twisted under my influence.

Next to me, Heidi pursed her lips. Nadia must have caught the expression too because she muttered a quiet, "Don't start anything."

I smiled and glanced at Heidi, still fiddling with the flame as I said, "Tell me something, Heidi. In a fight, who would win, you or me?"

Her brows rose and she slung her strawberry blonde braid over her shoulder. "Me, clearly. You wouldn't last ten seconds, Benson."

Cohen made a little sound at the back of his throat, almost a laugh.

Naida glanced his way and then shook her head, bemused. "The benefit of the Culling being over is that we don't have to think about that anymore. Let's—Let's just talk about something else."

"Fine," Heidi said, turning to the healer. "Let's talk about you in the arena then. In a fight who would win, you or Benson?"

Nadia's shoulders slumped in resignation, as if she'd known what Heidi would say. She shook her head. "Monroe, obviously."