Heir Apparent

Chapter 29 - Crypteia

Eryx

"Maybe if you entered rooms via doors, this would not happen to you," I say, hitting Nikolai in the face with a fire poker. Don't worry, it's not on fire. At the moment. Yet.

He ducks the worst of the blow, easily tripping me and tugging me over. We roll on the floor, his sliver blades inches from my throat as he cackles in anticipation of slicing me open.

We struggle, I might have been a match for him at one point, but not with only half a leg. We're better off on the floor since it would take me a while to stand. He knows that and stands, dragging me up with him, still fighting to get his knives to flesh.

He does get one against my throat but as he does I get my hand on top of his head, breaking open a flask of oil. Special oil. All right fine, it's just butane. Needless to say I have my tinder and flint rings on my fingers.

Well aware I'm about to set his pretty face on fire, he kisses me, fiercely, driving us both back onto the bed for the kiss. I have no qualms about getting butane on my face and mouth, and let him kiss me, rolling on top of him, enjoying the kiss tainted deliciously with the sharp fuel.

"You know I have no qualms about setting my own face on fire," I mumble, past his lips.

"Damned pyromaniac," kissing me back, hands forgetting the knives and sliding under my tunic.

"I would be setting both our faces a light, but I happen to know this is a social call," I say, finishing kissing him and stopping so I can get my breath.

"Oh. You found out," he sits up, putting a hand through his ash blond hair, an ever present smile on his cocky mouth. I kiss the mouth again.

"Uhuh, you sent your little grey-eyed smart-mouthed tiny knife hell child here in place of a blue eyed tan skinned gentle boy who liked flowers? And you thought we wouldn't notice?" I ask, sitting up and wiping him from my mouth.

Nikolai shrugs innocently, straightening his blue and black robes with some disdain.

"So, how goes it being Crypteia?" I ask, sitting on Lex's bed still. I'm not up standing just yet, not when he loves knocking people over as much as he does.

"Lovely, how goes it being a pyromaniac?"

"Oh just fine. What the hell?"

"I felt like it, all right?" he asks, shrugging.

"Where's our Lex?" I ask.

"Dead."

"Damn it to hell—" I growl. Dead? That precious sweet faced child who wanted nothing more than to pick flowers for people? Dead.

"I didn't kill him, I just switched them," he holds up his hands, "It was somebody else's hit. I just tossed my boy in. It's honestly better this way you know, nobody knows they've lost a child."

"Where's the boy's mother?" I ask.

He shrugs like that's not something he should be expected to know.

"Nik," I sigh.

"She was happy the boy would be a solider."

"I didn't know slave women were your fancy, Nik," I say, rubbing my face again where he kissed it so fiercely.

"She was special," he says, sort of quietly.

"Our little Lex is dead then?" I ask, tensely. Sweet little Lex who begged to not go off to Agoge.  Poor child. Better off I suppose, the babe wasn't suited to such violence. Even so.

"Why? You're sentimental just because the witch told you he's yours?" Nikolai scoffs.

I glare at him. I'm not even surprised he was haunting the palace what with his boy here. He can be any place and not be seen if he chooses.