Warsinger by James Baldwin (most important books of all time txt) 📕

and all the people who care about you!” There was no room to move in the carriage, and I was starting to feel claustrophobic. “These guys aren’t like Andrik, Suri. They know this world in ways neither of us do, and they come back to life if you kill them. You need backup-”

“What I NEED is for you to stop telling me what I 'need' and fucking listen to me and what I want!”

“Fine then. Rush into this. Go get yourself killed and respawn in Al-Asad, then go crazy like Baldr.” I threw my hands in the air. “We'll pull you out of there as many times as we need to, even if we have to dig you out.”

“Hector, in case you didn't notice, I was about to pull myself and my men out of there when you and Karalti arrived.” Her voice had taken a sugary, venomous tone now. “Don't get me wrong - I'm really grateful you came as soon as you could. I'm grateful you helped me break into the Warden's burrow. But don't assume for one fucking moment that you 'saved' me. I found my own way out of that fucking place once, and if I end up there again, I'll grab a fucking shovel, hold my breath, and do it again.”

I was so shocked that I just fell shut down, fuming the rest of the way to the castle. When we got there, Suri didn't look at me. She hitched up her skirt and pushed out of the carriage, flipped the valet a coin, and stalked off into Vulkan Keep without me.

Chapter 16

I didn’t calm down until I reached the Parade Ground and saw Karalti sitting upright. She rested on the pad formed by her pubic bone and the base of her tail, looking down at Masha. The tiny old woman was standing on an upturned box, waving her hands like a conductor as the dragon opened and closed her wings, drew them in and rolled her wingshoulders, stretched them forward and back.

“And open them once more!” I heard Masha call out, sing-song. “There we go! How does that feel now, your Holiness?”

“It feels okay.” Karalti huffed, broadcasting to me as I boiled across the plaza toward them. “My chest is still a bit achy.”

“Ach, well, that will pass with time. Now! It's important you not fly tonight, you hear? You must rest while the potion does its work.” Masha turned her head as I stalked up. “Ah, if it isn't the Demon Slayer of Taltos! You look like a fly bit you on the huadiv, Tuun.”

“Uhn.” I went to Karalti's side and rested my hands on her scales. As soon as I did, she flinched.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”she rumbled in her throat, bending her neck down until the tip of her snout rested in my hair. “What happened? I've never felt you this... this angry before.”

“Suri and I had an argument. Don't worry about it.” I looked back to Masha. “Did I hear right? She can't fly until morning?”

“No. After some trial and error and the help of a Quazi keeper, we discovered that three of her ventral ribs had separated from her sternum,” Masha replied. “The Bonefuse potion worked splendidly, but that cartilage takes time to heal. She must rest tonight. No flying, no exertion of her wings or forearms. Definitely no magic.”

“You can feed me tidbits from a pillow! Like a real Queen!” Karalti said, reaching out with her tongue to lick the back of my head.

“Sounds good to me.” I put my forehead against her knee and breathed in deeply. Karalti had a unique, sweet smell, like lotus flowers and ozone and earthy soil. She smelled like the jungle at night. It centered me like nothing else in the world could.

“Thanks for helping her,” I said, looking back at Masha. “Sorry to ask, but I need to catch up with her about some stuff. Mind leaving us alone for a while?”

“But of course. You know where to find me if you need me, Count Tuun.” Masha sketched a courtly bow, then hopped off her box and swaggered off toward the Keep.

“Something happened with Suri?” Karalti asked, once she'd left.

“Yeah.” I looked around the parade ground, searching for somewhere Karalti could bed down. It was built on a leveled volcanic plateau facing a large cavern, a natural hangar where the Volod's fleet of airships rested on huge stone drydocks. “Let's walk, and see if they can make some hangar space for us.”

“Us?” She carefully rolled forward onto her feet and shook herself out. Archemian dragons walked on their back feet only, standing on their toes and holding their shorter, weaker forearms up against their chests. Her arm on the injured side was sagging.

“Yeah. I promised you I would, remember?”

“You did! But hey… Do you want to talk about Suri?”

I shook my head, jogging to keep up with Karalti as she padded alongside me. Each of her thunderous steps counted for about five of my human ones. “Not really.”

“You feel really mad, though. And worried. It's not good to bottle it up.” The dragon swished her tail, holding it high and arched, like a balancing pole. “I never thought I'd see you mad at Suri.”

“She got some damn quest to go running after those wardens she wants revenge on,” I said. “There's no time limit on it, but she threw a tantrum because I asked her to come to Myszno and take care of things there first. She just wanted to run off back to the fucking desert after we spent five days tracking her down. I don't get it, Tidbit.”

“I dunno. Maybe she's hungry? I always want to kill stuff when I'm hungry. Maybe take her some venison?”

I sighed. Dragon logic.

“I wish I could take you hunting, or do some training with you,” she continued. “You always feel so happy when we're flying or working out together.”

“I'm always happy with you, even when you're hungry. Which, I have to say, has been