Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms 3)

“That makes two of us.”

“Well, it doesn’t change a thing. I’m not leaving you.”

“Fine.” He slid his fingers through her long dark hair, his mind spinning. “We’ll confront Felix together. Two against one, better odds.”

“Will you, now?”

The words cut through their shared moment like a knife. Lysandra stiffened against Jonas and they both looked toward the entrance. Leaning against the frame in the now open doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, was Felix.

“So confront me,” he said, without a trace of humor in his voice or eyes. “What are you waiting for?”

Rage returned, bright as fire before Jonas’s eyes. “Where should I begin?”

“You can save the recap. I heard everything through the door. Realized that both of my friends had suddenly disappeared into thin air, so I went searching for them. And here you are.”

Jonas stepped away from Lysandra, cursing himself for letting his guard down. The walls here were paper thin; he should have been more careful.

“You lied to me,” Jonas growled.

“I never lied. Withheld the truth? Maybe a little.”

The smug look in Felix’s eyes was enough to incite Jonas. He attacked, grabbing hold of the boy’s arms and shoving him backward out of the room and into the hallway.

Felix broke loose easily and smashed his fist into Jonas’s face. Jonas stumbled, falling to the ground, but Felix grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him back up to his feet.

“I’m going to kill you,” Jonas snarled.

“I’d like to see you try. For all those rumors about you, I’ve never been too impressed by your combat skills. Me, on the other hand? Professional level.”

“I guess that’s why the king keeps you in his back pocket.”

“Yeah, I suppose it is.”

“Stop it,” Lysandra snarled. “Both of you.”

“No,” Felix said, flicking a cold glance at her. “Jonas started this and I’ll finish it. Couldn’t be any other way. I’m surprised it took this long, really.”

The smugness was gone, replaced now by what Jonas saw as pained disappointment.

Without another word, Felix shoved Jonas down the stairwell. He stumbled and fell, unable to right himself until he landed with a crash on his back on the floor. He pushed up and staggered into the tavern, with Felix right behind him.

Jonas grabbed for his dagger, but Felix was there first. He knocked it out of his grip and backhanded Jonas across his face as he tried to get to his feet, then punched him hard in the gut. Jonas spit out a mouthful of blood and found he could barely breathe; the air had been completely knocked out of his lungs.

Lysandra ran down the stairs, a knife in her hand, but Felix turned, grabbed her by her throat, and shoved her backward, sending her crashing into a table.

Jonas tried to get up, but found Felix’s knee pressed to his chest and his blade to Jonas’s throat.

“So here we are,” Felix said. “My little secret’s now out. Too bad, I like to keep my secrets secret.”

“I trusted you.” Jonas growled.

“Trust goes both ways, friend.”

“So kill me already.”

“Did you consider, for one damn moment, that I’m not as bad as you suddenly think I am?”

“You work for the king.”