House of Dragons (Royal Houses 1)

“You’ve risked much in doing so,” Kerrigan said gently. Though her insides were squirming.

What could be the purpose in doing this to poor Ellerby? And why would they want her humiliated like that? Could it be that all of this was somehow related?

Fordham must have come to the same conclusion as Kerrigan. “We have been attacked since you left. An assassin was sent out for Kerrigan. Do you think this person would want her dead as well?”

Ellerby’s eyes rounded in horror. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”

She waved him off. Words stuck in her throat. They didn’t have time to beat around the bush. She needed answers. “Who was the man?”

Ellerby shook his head. “I dare not say. If he found out…”

“My life is on the line, Ellerby,” she hissed. “He sent someone to kill me. I flew all the way out here based on your letter. Please, we must know the person’s name.”

“I can’t,” Ellerby said, trembling as he rose to his feet and moved toward one of the windows. “Ever is still in trouble. They’re watching my house.”

Fordham stepped forward and put his hand on Ellerby’s shoulder. “You have suffered greatly. But the only way that we can help, that we can get Ever back, is for you to trust us. We want this to end. We do not want you to continue to live in fear.”

Ellerby looked to Kerrigan. “I truly wanted to select you.”

Kerrigan’s throat constricted. She hadn’t let herself think too much about that fact. Because it was plain now that he couldn’t do it. Not while Ever was still absent. “Please,” she whispered. “We are running out of time. We must return to the city. Help us stop him.”

Ellerby shuddered. “Nix.”

“Nix?” Fordham asked in confusion.

But Kerrigan wasn’t confused. Her body froze in place. Her thoughts unclouded. Suddenly, everything made sense. Everything made perfect sense.

“Basem Nix,” Kerrigan said softly.

“Yes,” Ellerby said, latching on to the name. “The one.”

“Who is Basem Nix?” Fordham asked.

Kerrigan said nothing. She was still reeling from the new information. The bruiser that she had humiliated at the Wastes fight, who had called her a leatha and sent three of his thugs to ambush her. She hadn’t thought of him since that night. But she had seen the way he looked at her when he called her a leatha bitch. He was racist to his core, and he believed that she was beneath him, that she didn’t even deserve life. She had seen the same look in the Fae who attempted to kill her that night five years ago.

Hatred didn’t make sense. It simply was.

“He’s a…” Ellerby stumbled on the word.

“Gangster,” Kerrigan finished for him.

“Yes. He does not come from money,” Ellerby explained, “but due to trade he facilitated through from the south, he quickly rose through the ranks. He made a fortune, but he’s not landed money. Row society won’t accept him. He has a home in Riverfront, where he has been keeping Ever.”

“It’s where the new rich live in Kinkadia,” Kerrigan said. “They can’t get houses on the Row.”

“But why would he want to kill you?” Fordham asked.

“He’s racist,” Kerrigan said simply.

And that was the truth of it. He didn’t need another reason to want her dead. Her humiliating him was just icing on the cake.

“He hates half-Fae, and I beat him in a fight the night before the opening ceremonies. Which is likely why he went to you, Ellerby. I’m so sorry.”

Fordham frowned. “That explains a lot, but I think I’m still missing a piece. What was he trading?”

Kerrigan shrugged. “I don’t know. I never asked about that.”

Ellerby sighed heavily and looked like he was going to run. “Magical artifacts.”

“What do you mean? What kind of artifacts?” Fordham asked.

“Elsiande is known for the creation of magical artifacts. They’re used for any number of sources but primarily to contain magic. The older generations have always wanted to be rid of their magic. As you know, we were founded by tribe members who believed that magic was flawed. It could do wonderful things, but ultimately, it could do terrible things as well. The use of magic brought the world out of balance. So, they created objects to house their magic, as they no longer wanted it.”

“Does that work?” Fordham asked.

“Not really. Not to the extent that most of them wanted it to,” Ellerby told them. “And anyway, most of those objects were destroyed in the Great Purge, but over the last several years, the trade of them… has become very lucrative.”

“Because they’re illegal,” Kerrigan snapped.

“Yes. Some of them are. It’s not uncommon for people to have gemstones filled with an Elsiande honeycomb. A small burst of magic can be filtered into it to be used at a later time, especially during fighting. Those are perfectly legal and rather common. But there are many other kinds of artifacts that can work very powerful magic. Things that no one should get their hands on,” Ellerby said faintly. “The Society deemed them too much of a risk and has been slowly collecting and destroying the lot.”