Mask of Poison (Fall of Under Book 1) by Kathryn Kingsley (great novels to read txt) 📕

“That’s it?” She raised her eyebrow at the man in black.

“What did you expect?” Aon straightened. “Torture? Wherever would you have come to that impression?” The man in black turned to the one in white. “Really, my reputation is wholly unearned.”

“No,” Lyon replied dryly. “It isn’t.”

Ember stood from the chair and threw on her new leather coat. “If I can be of any more help, let me know.”

Aon only grunted in response. The man was already fiddling with equipment. It was clear that they were dismissed. Lyon gestured for her to go first, and they made their way out of the room and back upstairs.

Halfway to her rooms, she shook her head and chuckled.

“What’s so amusing?” the tall blood-drinker asked.

“Both of you. Ancient, powerful creatures…playing games like that. It’s nice to see.”

“Nice?”

“It means you aren’t gods. It means you’re just people.”

“Some might find that dismaying.”

“I don’t.” She smiled. “I find it oddly comforting. Sure, any one of you could still squish me like a bug. But it means you aren’t like these stone statues. Even if you do resemble them.”

Lyon sighed. “I suppose that is what I get for wearing white. It is the color of my house, and I am not in control of my pale countenance, which—”

She laughed and playfully nudged his elbow. “It wasn’t an insult. I hope I look half as good as you do at twenty-three hundred years old. Trust me, I won’t.”

Lyon smiled gently down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You are an odd soul, to shine so bright in so much death and darkness.”

“Live for every second. It’s a survival technique, but…it’s also an outlook. If I can enjoy the second I’m in—every one of them—then I will have appreciated the gift of life that was given to me. It’s easy to take things for granted. Clothes, food, shelter…” She ran her hand down the main zipper of her leather coat. “You gave me a knife. Aon gave me clothes. You both have fed me and given me somewhere warm to sleep. Maverick gave me a pocket watch. I don’t know that you understand how much that means to me. How little I’ve been given in my life and how much has been taken away. I’ve been shown more kindness in the past two days on Under than I have in the past two and a half years on Gioll.”

“It doesn’t mean you should accept your death as inevitable. It does not mean you shouldn’t strive to continue.”

She shook her head. “I don’t plan on dying. I plan on doing everything I can to make sure I don’t. But see my previous comment about ‘squished like a bug.’” She laughed again. “One of you could sneeze wrong and wipe me off the face of this world, I’m sure.”

“Not I. Dtu, perhaps.” He chuckled. He came to a stop in front of a door she vaguely recognized as one that led to her room. “Get some rest. I will check on the other survivors and ensure their needs are being met. Although, for all his crass words, it is not like Aon to neglect his duties as host. I expect they are fine.”

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him. “Really. Thank you. Also…for looking out for me.” She reached out and put her hand on the man’s elbow. “If I had you around my whole life, maybe I wouldn’t have needed to pray to the Grandfather so much.”

He bowed his head. “Anytime, Miss Ember. Those of us who dedicate our lives to pursuits of the spirit must look out for each other.”

She stifled a yawn.

He chuckled. “Get some rest, my friend.”

Friend.

“I will. Thank you.” She opened the door and stepped inside. “I’ll see you later.”

He bowed at the waist.

She shut the door and, this time, didn’t fight the yawn. Stripping down to her underwear and undoing the bandages she used to flatten her breasts, she climbed under the covers with a groan.

All right, maybe the bed wasn’t too puffy after all.

Friend. Been a long time since I’ve had one of those.

Too bad it won’t last.

23

Jakob woke up to the sound of a hushed but angry conversation. He blinked, rubbed his hand across his eyes, and realized he was no longer resting against Dtu’s side, but instead lying on the ground atop a fur coat he didn’t recognize. It smelled wonderful, and it was warm.

“I will not abandon—”

“You are not abandoning anyone or anything, you impenetrable simpleton. For once in your life, I beg you to listen to the words coming out of my mouth.”

He sat up, yawned, and searched for the voices. It didn’t take long. Twenty feet away from him stood Dtu in human form, with his wolfen wooden mask, and a man dressed in black from head to toe. The man had long, black hair, and a full black metal mask hid his face.

“You do not get to bark orders at me like I am one of your servants,” Dtu growled at the other man. They were about of equal height, but the man in black seemed leaner than the shifter. “I am not yours to command.”

“And do not bark at me as though you know what is about to transpire here. What I am saying to you is the command of someone with the desire to survive the war, not the battle. Your kind never think much past the moment.”

“Hello, good morning,” Jakob chimed as he stood, brushing himself off. “Or night. Can’t much tell here. It always seems to be dark.” He chuckled and picked up the fur coat he had been sleeping on. He hugged it to his chest and strolled up to the two of them and struck his hand out to the man in black. “I’m Jakob. Nice to meet you. Who’re you?”

The black metal mask turned to face him. There was a single hole over where the man’s eye must be,