The Promise of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book 3 (Complete - Editing)

Chapter Eight - Luis

The hairs on my arm lifted, and I knew Joseph was coming. 

"Hide," I commanded Agony, then pushed her further into my tent.

I exited it from the entranceway once Joseph grew nearer with Zovria trailing behind him. After hastily pulling the flaps closed behind me, I met him halfway and stood next to him by the flaming funeral pyre. Joseph waved his hand, and a privacy spell encased the three of us. When the world around us grew silent, Joseph took Zovria's hand and kissed it.

"Zovria has told me that we should attack the comfort house that Madeline acquired. It would be a grand way to not only upset her but some important men in her court. It seems Dominic is quite attached to the men in that place."

I looked back at the lavender goblin and nodded my acceptance of her plan, and within me, I flinched. Attacking that place would gut Matt. No one knew better than I what a bleeding heart she was.

Was that what I wanted to do? Did I wish to gut her?

I struggled with my guilt.  No. 

I thought of the reasons why I had to, and none of them absolved me. 

 But if I wanted to end things quickly, I had to go for the vulnerable spots. 

That dagger in my heart when I thought of how she'd hate me twisted.  She wouldn't understand. 

  I'd thought the war would be enough, but Elsie was killed, and the loss of her friend created a tighter bond.  It hadn't been my desire to kill any of her court at the time. My command was to attack buildings and the wall to create a weakness in the city, but not to take out civilians or hurt Madeline in any way. But the monsters we used were not easily led away from their bloodlust.

There was also the matter of losing Nian. Not only did he turn his back on us, but we'd all agreed that he would use Ciaran for his sacrifice. That didn't happen.  In fact, the hag we had sent to capture Ciaran during the battle had been killed by Nian, I learned later. Having Nian against us was going to hurt us. 

"I think we should kidnap this Dominic of hers, don't you? A little birdie sent word he was going to visit the sad little prostitutes. And he's not taking Matt-Matt with him." 

Joseph's smirking tone pulled me from my thoughts. I thought of Dominic and my jealousy mounted. I had never thought of him as a threat. I never thought someone like him could steal her from me. 

I was wrong. 

"Taking Dominic might be difficult if he's bringing guards," I said at last. Though it pained me to admit, Madeline was highly attached to him, and finding him alone would be difficult. "But striking the comfort home directly is foolish."

Joseph stared at me with an ever-widening grin. " It won't be hard at all. They won't know what hit them. Plus, Zovria did me another favor by finding this." He held up an orb filled with swirling, glittering magic.

I stared at him and the orb, waiting. He wanted me to ask, but it was a small rebellion to refuse to do so. 

His grin disappeared and he narrowed his eyes. "It's Matt-Matt's mother. Zovria found out where Iodha had been hiding her in the underworld and took her."

At the mention of Iodha, my body grew cold. "She didn't..."

"Kill her?" Joseph laughed, pleased to get a reaction from me. The only person ever kind to me while I lived in the underworld had been Iodha. Then Joseph's face became sour once more. "No. With Straif knowing about her now, killing her would be a mistake. She knocked her out and bound her in Tartarus."