Page 19 of Kill the Queens

Reed was hovering on the edge of consciousness but his silver-gray eyes remained fixed on her in challenge. She couldn’t let him win. He wouldn’t.

The guard flooded Reed with strike after strike. Farah didn’t stop him even when Bethra whispered a warning that Reed could very well die. Only when his shoulders slumped, and his head lulled to the side did Farah call out to the guard.

Turning to the Bethra, Farah tried to hide the way she smiled much like the small statue with the woman holding the ox did. “He is not fit for the guard or army. When he wakes up, dismiss him.”

With that one command and the sense of her ultimate victory swelling inside her, Farah escorted herself inside for brunch.

SEVEN

Ace

Ace and Shelby made it to the outskirts of Queen Farah’s territory, a small town named Padoka—or something like that. Ace figured that if the man she’d seen at the castle was traveling with the Fae then he too would be on to the next queen. They’d left Shelby’s grandma’s house with little more than the swift kiss she’d swiped across his cheek and the glare that Ace felt between her shoulder blades for miles after.

They traded the worn dirt road for the cobblestone streets that looked like they needed repair. There was little else for them to do other than let their eyes wander the small town. A modest hotel, a little café where people were already filling the seats, a bookstore that advertised that they also sold grimoires, and so many other delightful stores that Ace had the urge to explore.

She’d stayed in Maipeg too long. That much was apparent to her. Past Maipeg and the other surrounding cities Sienna had claimed as her own, were the other queens’ territories. Each of them darker and crueler than the last. Since Ace had liked Sienna best—if you could even say that—she’d chosen to stay there. Plus, it was farthest away from Marlux where Queen Idalia ruled. She was the worst of the queens.

Now as she took in her surroundings, actually took it all in since Shelby was still stubbornly giving her the silent treatment, she was surprised to say that she actually found the little town quaint and charming. While it didn’t smell like spunsugar and bread like Maipeg the air was still fresh with the scent of blooming floral arrangements. Several of the shops’ windows sported large bouquets or wooden boxes overflowing with colorful blooms.

There were fewer prayers here too. Only the occasional murmuring of requests reached Ace’s thoughts and they were quiet enough it was easy for her to ignore. Did that mean these people were happy?

Or they’re not faithful, Greshta sighed.

Ace paused outside of a shoe shop. A pair of sparkling silver heels that looked more like glass than actual footwear was proudly propped on a red cushion. She looked down at the boots that Shelby had magically placed on her feet and chewed on her lip. She’d never been given the opportunity to buy herself something pretty. First, she’d been too poor, then she’d been too dead, and now she had no place to wear them.

When the shop owner looked up to find Ace’s glowing eyes in his front window, he cocked his head and stood up from the stool he was sitting on. By the time he’d made it to the front door to invite her in or to get a better look at her, Ace had hurried away back to Shelby’s side.

With her thoughts drifting back to that pair of heels, Ace became aware of the ache of her feet from all their walking. “How long of a walk do we have till we get to Saylor?” She was thankful that Pasia was a rather small country compared to many others. She remembered a map she’d seen once in her studies of the other countries that surrounded them, several were small like Pasia but a few were nearly triple or quadruple the size.

“We won’t be there till tomorrow night. If we walk all day.” He paused. “And all night.”

Damn it.The Fae would probably already have blown through Queen Farah and moved on to the next queen at thatrate they’d miss their chance at finding the orange eyed man. Ace’s feet couldn’t take the walking any longer either. How was she supposed to kill Farah and demand answers from the strange man if her feet had turned into one big blister?

“No.” She shook her head. “We aren’t walking all that way.”

Shelby stopped altogether and planted his hands on his hips. “Then what do you suggest?”

The two could perhaps purchase a horse.Sylik was chucking.Oh perhaps not since you’re poor.

Ace didn’t need a reminder that she was in poverty. She doubted Shelby wanted that reminder either as he waited for her response.

Averting her gaze, she tried to look past him as she scrounged for an answer. They could already see the end of the town where the dirt road that connected them to other cities started up again. A single wagon rolled through the town on its way out, the direction Ace and Shelby were traveling.

“There.” She pointed to the wagon as it went on by. “We can hitch a ride.”

Lucky you.Bedesh grinned. The gods were always meddling in her life but when it was Bedesh it was usually a good thing.

Ace sprinted forward, one hand holding her hood against her head the other waving at the driver. “Hey! Wait!”

The slightest bit of dust kicked up under the wagon, dragged into town by the coming and going of travelers no doubt. The driver turned as Ace shouted again and pulled the reins. With just a few clomping steps the horse came to a stop and the wagon rocked behind it.

When the driver turned to face her, Ace quickly looked down. Shelby reached her side with an annoyed huff of breath.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he grumbled next toher.

“Getting us a ride.” Ace put a hand on his lower back and shoved Shelby toward the wagon. “Ask for a ride!” she whispered.

Shelby staggered to a stop and looked up at the driver. Ace couldn’t see his face as she watched his feet but she could sense the awkward smile he gave before he started speaking. “My friend and I are traveling out of town. It looks like you might be heading the same direction and we wondered if we could maybe…”