Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms 3)

“I did work for the king. I did a lot of bad things for the king, actually, and got paid well for all of them. Ever since I was only eleven years old, I’ve killed for him. I was a cute kid. I could get into a lot of places his other assassins couldn’t. Kept Limeros running nice and tight, no problems. But things have changed since the war. I’ve changed.”

Jonas stared up with disappointment—almost heartbreak—at the boy he’d come to consider a friend. “Really.”

“I told you how I grew up, just not where or who my boss was. I never had friends. I was raised not to trust anyone unless they were part of my clan. I came to hate those people.” Felix’s expression grew haunted. “Got my latest assignment from the king, which was to track you down and infiltrate your little group of rebels. Lo and behold, when I found you, you had no group. You were as alone as I was. Call me crazy, but I decided to make a change right then and there. Felt like the right time for me to start down my path of redemption.”

Jonas frowned, uncertain what to believe.

“That’s right. I wasn’t planning to betray you or kill you.” Felix voice was thick with conviction. “But the moment you hear something you don’t like, you betray me, you decide to kill me. Without a second damn thought. Doesn’t sound like a real friend to me.”

Jonas shot a glance over to Lysandra, and was dismayed to see that she was lying unconscious on the floor. Felix followed his line of sight. “I didn’t mean to shove her that hard. But sometimes we hurt the people we love. Life’s like that.”

Then he plunged his dagger through Jonas’s shoulder, pinning him to the floor. Jonas screamed.

“Don’t worry, it won’t kill you. It just feels like it will.” Felix ripped the leather pouch off its ties around Jonas’s wrist and pulled out the crystals. He held them as if weighing them to determine their value in gold before curling his fingers around the moonstone.

“My blood, my crystal. It’s only fair.” He tossed the orb of obsidian at Jonas; it landed heavily on his chest and rolled off to the side. “We’re done here.”

Jonas watched through a curtain of pain as Felix turned and walked out of the tavern without a backward glance.

Lysandra groaned and began to stir. Galyn emerged from behind the bar and ran over to help her up to her feet.

Jonas lay still, literally pinned to the floor, until Lysandra helped him remove Felix’s dagger and patch his wound.

“It’s all right,” she told him, her expression one of anguish. “We’re better off without him.”

o;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.