Courts and Cabals by G.S. D'Moore (best e reader for academics txt) 📕

“If you won’t stand up on your own two feet, I will take it out on everyone you love,” the smug look on her face as she rattled on told me this bitch was pure evil. “Your adoptive father, who likes to tinker in the shed behind the house until late at night. Your adoptive mother, who tends her small garden at the edge of the woods. Jerome Whitepaw, who degrades himself and his tribe by bowing to human supply and demand. Brad . . . I don’t care what his last name is . . . who has his head buried in his computer all the time. Even social justice warrior Makaylah. She’s a vegetarian and wouldn’t put up much of a fight. It would be easy for them all them to have . . . accidents.”

Aveena held up a finger for each one of my friends and family she was planning to murder if I didn’t fight my own battles.

I knew it was a stupid thing to say, and I knew it was going to cost me my life. I was very attached to my life, and generally a pretty selfish person, but there was no way in hell I was going to offer up all my friends and family to this pointy-eared bitch.

“Fuck you,” I accompanied the curse by spitting at her. “I’ll fight.”

Lilith’s hand clamped down hard on mine, her face showing fear for the first time tonight; but it was too late.

Thankfully, it helped to have the judge in your back pocket. “You will have to choose a champion,” he ordered Aveena, wiping the smirk right off her face. “He is below your station.”

That didn’t sound like much of an excuse to me, but it meant everything to the stick-up-their-ass Fae.

“Ser Frederick will fight in my place,” she clapped the mountain of a man sitting next to her on the shoulder. “He is of the same station as the woman Cam murdered.”

Joe only had so much power and leverage. “Agreed,” he sounded like he was sealing my fate.

“Shall we adjourn to the killing field?” the expression on Aveena’s face made the Cheshire Cat look tame.

“Point of order,” Lilith called. I could see her mind churn as she tried to figure out how to get me out of the grave I’d dug myself into. “As a mortal, we request time to train him accordingly. Ser Frederick is clearly a knight of House Foxbelle’s court, and for a true challenge, the mortal must be armed and taught the ancient rites.”

“An . . . appropriate amount of time is reasonable,” Joe agreed.

“We will do it on Yule,” Aveena declared. “The mortal may choose the weapon as is the weaker creature’s right.”

“I doubt anyone will let me bring a gun to this knife fight,” I whispered to Lilith, and she shook her head.

“Blades it is then,” I shrugged, because I was sure I’d just break my hands trying to punch that thing.

“It is settled,” Joe stood to tower over them all. “A trial by combat is approved by all parties. Cameron Dupree will duel Ser Fredrick of the Court of Lady Foxbelle, on Yule, with blades of their choice.” The gavel smashed onto the table, and it was over.

Aveena gave me a truly evil smile, and vanished along with the knight. The changelings hurried for the door as if we were going to rip them to pieces now that their liege was gone.

“Way to colossally fuck that up, Cam,” Dani smacked me on the shoulder.

“He bought himself a few months to live,” Lilith waved for everyone to be silent. “Aveena wasn’t going to let this go without blood, and we walked right into is,” she smashed her fist into the table and shattered it.

I jumped back as slivers embedded themselves in my hands and face.

“You mean she wanted this to happen?” I asked.

“She played it up big, but she knew she couldn’t get your head without losing hers under the covenant,” Lilith was still steaming. Her frustration literally pushed everyone away with pulses of raw energy. “She was waiting to ask for a trial by combat, and had that big troll ready.

I realized she wasn’t dissing the fat Fae. The big guy was actually a troll.

“Threatening everyone you love was just the cherry on top for her,” the fight went out of Lilith, and she dropped into the chair. “I’m sorry, Cam,” she put her head in her hands and started to sob.

My heart shattered into a million pieces, and I was at her side immediately. “It’s fine,” I hugged and comforted her. “I’ll be fine. Dani is going to train me up good, and Xamira . . .” both women were shaking their heads back and forth, “. . . Xamira has been fighting since she was a kid. She’ll teach me a thing or two.”

It was the best I could do to reassure Lilith. Dani and Xamira would train me for the next few months, and then I’d take my chances against the honest-to-gods troll.

“I’ve faced worse odds,” I gulped, and started to stroke Lilith’s hair. “Maybe I can pull one more win out of my ass.”

Chapter 21

“Defend yourself!” Xamira’s voice was laced with frustration.

“What the fuck do you think I’m trying to do,” I snarled as I blocked her fist with my skull.

At least I didn’t pass out. I did fall . . . hard, onto the padded mats laid out in the private training room in the gym. It was Friday evening, the day after the trial, and Xamira was already putting the screws to me.

I’d barely finished shaking off the punch to my dome, when she crashed into me. Before I knew it, she twirled on top of me like a