Page 153 of Of Bargains & Betrayal

Its lone occupant was Gallan, pacing back and forth across the space.

His attention snapped over, and I almost backed myself right out into the rain again because of the displeasure that settled over his features, making his moon-silver eyes blaze.

“Where the fuck have you been?” he seethed, all sharp, bared teeth, as he stalked over. “Council called the next event.”

A shiver trembled through me. “What? What do you mean? It’s only been a day⁠—”

“The fuck if I know, princess!” Gallan’s hands went flying out to either side, and I flinched back from him. “All I do know is because you were off doing Mina only knows what, I had to be here, waiting for you, and do you know what that means?”

“No,” came out of me like a croak.

He scrubbed his palms over his face and took a deep breath.

A little more calmly, he said, “It means I couldn’t be at the arena with everyone else to influence who you’ll be matched up with today. So I’m going to suggest you say a few carefully worded prayers to whichever of those tarnished gold gods you pray to.”

“Matched?” I still hadn’t found my voice. “Do you mean…?”

“You’ll be sparring in a tournament. Light weaponry. I know little more than that. The others left an hour ago, and I think the first matches will start soon.” He let out another slow breath as I tried to digest those—only slightly terrifying—facts. “Do I need to ask you again where the hell you were that was so much more important?”

It was my turn to sigh as I pushed some damp hair back from my face. “Someone vandalized my room. Not how I planned on starting my day.”

“They vandalized—” He fixed me with a confused look. “While you were in it?”

Oh, here we went.

“No, I wasn’t in it.” I sighed and added, “I haven’t been back in it since we went to Embervale.”

Gallan’s eyebrows climbed, and he drew his lips into a tight line.

“Well then, princess.” He let out a huff before a thought seemed to strike him, and he patted his pockets in a hurry. “Fuck. Where are—oh, thank Mina.”

Four thimble-sized vials came out, clutched in his hand.

“You need to drink these, fast,” he said without looking at me as he sorted through the murky contents, arranging them in a clearly particular order. “This one first.”

I took the vial with hesitation. “What is it?”

His moon-silver stare sliced me down in place. “Your only sliver of a chance of making it through this day somewhat intact, princess. Now, drink.”

“Aren’t you convincing,” I scoffed.

Somehow, each mixture tasted worse than the last, from stagnant swamp water to smoldering tar pits, a rotting carcass, and something awfully reminiscent of a dirty stable.

I shot each of the vials back in the order Gallan handed them to me.

I was still fighting back a gag after the last one when he extended his hand to me and said, “Let’s get you off to what hopefully won’t be your demise, shall we? I hope your time with the mage was well worth it.”

34

BETWEEN A MAGE AND HIS BEST FRIEND

Jasper

Even though I usually relished the opportunity to bring anything back to an orderly state, I fucking despised the task I had of restoring Enora’s room to what it used to be. But I, as a goddess-damned fool, told her to trust me. And, even worse, I saw it written all over her face just how little she did.

That stung my ego like no other and left me with little option.

I’d been scrubbing for goddess-damned hours.