Steel Butterfly

11

Kalia's POV

We finally reached the town where Lord Meryll was waiting for us with a bald man and a young man dressed in Nahuweri garb.

"Ah, you're returned. The problem has been dealt with, I imagine?" Lord Meryll asked us.

"It has. We killed the whole coven of them. And the leader's head is in the burlap bag." Ronan handed off the bag to Lord Meryll.

"Ugh, well then," He opens the bag and looks. "That's all the evidence we need. I told you they'd get the job done." He nudged the older bald man.

"Well, I can't argue with you on that one." He cracks a grin.

"Well done. This messenger came from your local Guild with a message to deliver to you." The bald man spoke.

"And here's your payment. Just as promised." Lord Meryll handed off two bags of gold to each of us. Wow. That's good pay.

"Thank you." Ronan says.

"May I ask why you're here?" I asked the messenger in Nahuweri.

"Kutsi (Lady) Xochitlizin requested your presence as well as that of Achati (Lord) Stoneblood." He responded in Nahuweri.

"Fair enough. Tell her we'll be there by sunset." I told him. He nodded and I paid him a few gold coins.

"Thank you." He says in the common tongue before running off.

"Those messengers are quick." Lord Meryll spoke. "Mine takes a fortnight to return a message."

"Well, you should hire someone who's Nahuweri." The bald man chuckles.

"We should get going." I told Ronan.

"Agreed, Evermeadow is a bit of a ride." Ronan and I wave goodbye to them. Once we're a safe distance away, Ronan speaks.

"Huh, I guess it wasn't that bad. Except those Harpies did put up a fight." Ronan sighed.

"I'm still confused about what they meant. About you and I being part of a court?" I raised my brow.

"I wish I knew, Kalia. I don't." Ronan sighed. He sounded slightly annoyed.

"Well, I don't either. I don't like that." I sighed and took a deep breath.

"I know you don't." Ronan shook his head.

"What are you hiding Ronan?" I asked nervously. Oh my fricking Ikikunari gods. On Huitzilopochtli, on Kurikaweri, on Xaratanga, on fricking Tezcatlipoca himself! I definitely am one stupid bitch.

"Well, I forgot to brush my teeth this morning." Ronan said with a smirk on his face.

"Ewww." I wrinkled my nose and shook my head laughing. I'm going to have to sleep with one eye open. "Is that all?"

"For now." He chuckled. "I wonder what Lizin found."

"No idea. But do you think it's the Beast King causing all of this?" I asked, raising a brow.

"I suppose so. I guess he isn't done with his conquest of Britanna." Ronan sighed. "I'm guessing you might have heard of him when you were young?"

"Not really. I spent my childhood back with my people." I smiled, thinking of my life back in my village. My grandparents used to take me to the market so my grandmother could buy ingredients for her dish. Dried red and black peppers, peanuts, a butcher selling fresh cuts of deer, peccary, rabbit, and dog were always there. Sometimes a fishmonger from Lake Tonantzin with his carp and bass, sometimes a seller from our kin in the northern areas, selling jewelry of turquoise and silver.