Serpent's Traitor (Four Kingdoms #2)

15. raging hellhole (part 2)

Ren let out a small chuckle, prompting one from Alethia.

Aydin glared at them as he dusted his hands over his hair repeatedly. "Stop laughing at me and make sure it's not laying eggs in my hair."

"I hope it does," Sephirah snickered. "Stand still, and I'll get the little spider, scaredy-cat."

"By the goddess's lovely bones, these atrocious, disgusting rodents shouldn't be allowed to defile my beauty with their twisted existence," Aydin spoke in a breathless, rushed manner. He lowered his head, allowing Sephirah to push aside strands of his hair to grasp the spider.

"I never knew you could be so poetic," Sephirah laughed out the words as she held the insect in her palm. She shoved it toward him, and Aydin leaped back, letting loose a winded sentence filled with impressively vulgar terms.

"Sephirah," Aydin sobered. "Kill it so we can get on this damn boat."

The Nixian princess looked offended by the demand. "I'm not killing it. I'll let it loose outside."

"Well, keep it away from me." Aydin stormed out of the room, his jaw tightened enough to crack a walnut. Ren smirked.

Now, he knew how to ruffle the golden prince's feathers. Ren was going to have a jolly time with this newfound information.

The rest of the group followed Aydin's departure, stepping back into the small quarters of the main room. The harbormaster had pounded away late at night to secure the broken door, keeping Ren up for hours. At least the room was warm, providing much-needed heat to his chilled bones.

Ren paused as he took in the drastic difference in the space. Loitering in front of him were five grumpy older men with dark gold eyes and burgundy hair chopped to their scalps. Each carried their open weapons, and their muscles bulged out of their shirts, straining them across broad chests and shoulders.

For skies sake, is a peaceful morning too much to ask for?

"Gentleman." Aydin stepped forward. "Thank you for coming today. Surely, you know why you have been assembled?"

"To pay for our alleged crimes, I'm guessing," one man grumbled, turning his head to glare at the harbormaster who sat at his desk.

"I'm just the messenger," the old man said with a shrug. "And you boys ain't have no business doing what you did, no way. We've got bigger problems to worry about, and y'all just want to flash your balls."

Ren blinked at the harbormaster's tone and choice of words. That was a pleasant surprise, especially given the man's reluctance last night. Have the clouds finally parted and granted people the common sense they were severely lacking?

It was a cold, shitty day in hell if that was the case.

"We came to tell Her Highness," another man spoke up, spitting the words out with evident disgust, "We deserve to fight in the army. This is our rightful home, and we don't deserve to be diminished by women." He was the tallest of the group, and an enormous spear was strapped to his back. He cracked his knuckles as he sent a piercing glare at Sephirah.

Sephirah's posture tightened, and a chirp came from the window where Nova perched. Aydin held out a hand.

"Then we are in agreement," Aydin stated, his hazel eyes jumping from each man in the group, staring long enough that some of them began to shift on their feet. "Princess Wendelin has come to you with a request."

The Nixian princess cut Aydin a sideways glance that would've sent a wild wolf looking for new territory with its tail between its legs.

"A request?" the same man questioned with a deep frown.