Arc 1: Chapter 25: Executioners
When Catrin and I were alone in a room within the elven manor, she whirled on me.
“What the fuck was all that?”
I met her glare, bemused. “What was what?”
The dhampir lifted a hand, gesturing in the direction of the dining terrace and the Sidhe lord. “That. These bastards took us prisoner, shot me, forced you into a fight for your life in front of an audience, then sent you on your merry way to fight their enemy. And you just… just…” She made a clawing motion with her hands, baring her teeth in frustration. “You just nodded and thanked the scarred bastard like he was the blessed emperor of Urn!”
I turned and walked toward the single window in the room. It was more spacious than the one I’d used at the Falconer castle, all blue stone walls and faerie lights, a narrow window without glass cut into the far wall. There was a bed, a small fountain, and an armoire.
“Well?” Catrin asked at my back, when I pressed an eye to the little window and didn’t reply.
I sighed. “They’re immortals. There’s no point getting mad about anything they do — it won’t sway them, and won’t get us what we need.” Also, I thought tiredly, they had good reason to treat me like they did.
“It just doesn’t seem right,” Catrin groused.
“Yeah, well…” I turned to the armoire and checked it. No wisps or wraiths. I knocked on the inside in several places. No illusions. “If you want quick justice from the elves, you’re going to be disappointed. You want to call in a debt with them, do it, but I’m not going to sit around waiting for the oradyn to balance the scales. We’re lucky I won that duel.”
“Lucky?” Catrin propped a fist on her hip, watching me search the room. “Looked like you thumped him good from where I was sitting, big man.”
“He wanted me to win,” I said. “I think. Not real clear on that point. Anyway, if he was truly trying to kill me I don’t think I’d have made it out of that intact.” I turned a hard look on the dhampir. “And you need to be careful how you talk to the Sidhe. They’re quick to forget trivial things, but not slights. Irn Bale was giving you slack because his people shot you with banemetal, but his indulgence will only go so far.”