Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4)(18)
Lucia glanced down at Kyan’s hand.
His wound had healed so perfectly, it was as if it had never been there in the first place.
CHAPTER 5
FELIX
AURANOS
It was fun being one of the bad guys again.
No remorse, no conscience. Free to be cruel and uncaring. Creating chaos and instilling fear wherever he went with a song in his heart.
Good times.
Felix had just spent three very enjoyable days in shiny and extravagant Hawk’s Brow, the largest city in Auranos. First, he’d beaten up a man for no particular reason and then stolen his clothes, only to find that his fine leather shoes were disappointingly tight. He’d bedded two gorgeous blondes—identical twins, in fact—and hadn’t even bothered to learn their names. And then he’d robbed a busy tavern of nearly two hundred centimos while the barkeep had his back turned.
Felix Graebas, a highly valued assassin for the Clan of the Cobra before his short leave of absence, had returned to the life he was meant for.
He tossed his Kindred crystal up into the air and caught it, enjoying the familiar weight of it in his grip.
“Where to?” he asked the air magic swirling inside the orb of moonstone, then held it to his ear. “To the City of Gold, you say? What an excellent idea. Let’s you and I pay a visit to the king.”
The last time he’d seen the king, he’d been given a very special assignment: find Jonas Agallon and infiltrate his band of rebels, learn as much as he could about their plans, kill Jonas, and then swiftly return to report his findings to the king.
Instead, Felix had decided that this would be the perfect time to redeem himself for his past wrongdoings and become a good, upstanding citizen rather than a cold-blooded killer working for the King of Blood.
What a laugh.
Hopefully, despite the unexpected delay in his travels, the king would welcome him back into the fold with open arms. He’d be back to cutting throats and burning villages by the following week.
Felix was passing through a small village nestled in a forest when he heard someone call out to him.
“Young man! Young man! Please, I need your help!”
Ignore her, Felix told himself. You don’t help people, you kill them. Even helpless old ladies if they’re foolish enough to get in your way.
“Young man!” The old woman scurried up to him and grabbed hold of his shirt sleeve. “Goodness, child, didn’t you hear me? Where are you off to in such a hurry?”
He pocketed the air Kindred. “First of all, lady, I am not a child. And, secondly, where I’m going is none of your concern.”
She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him. “Well, never mind then. All I know is I need help, and you’re tall and you look strong enough.”
“Strong enough for what?”
She pointed at a nearby tree. “Up there!”
Felix frowned and peered up into the thick tree, heavy with leaves. Perched precariously on a branch high above their heads was a small gray-and-white kitten.
“Somehow my darling little kitty got herself up there,” the old woman explained, wringing her hands, “and now she can’t get back down. She’s so very frightened, can’t you see? And so am I. She’s going to fall or get snatched up by a hawk!”
“You really do have to be watchful for hawks,” he said, then snorted. The woman stared at him blankly. “Watchful. Hawks. Get it?”
She pointed again, more frantically this time. “You must climb up the tree and save my kitty before it’s too late!” The kitten let out a tiny but plaintive mew, as if to emphasize the dilemma.
It was rather unfortunate for this woman that Felix had happened along in her time of need. Had he been Jonas Agallon, he’d likely have already rescued the cat, and would now be busy milking a goat for its dinner.
Even just that brief thought of the failed rebel leader had managed to darken Felix’s mood.
“I don’t save kittens, lady,” he growled.
Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Oh, please. There’s no one else around to help right now. Please do this, in Goddess Cleiona’s name. She loved animals—all animals, big and small.”
“Yeah, well, I’m Limerian and our Goddess Valoria only liked animals if they ate kittens for breakfast.”
A hawk passed overhead, its shadow crossing Felix’s path. The woman shielded her eyes from the bright sun as she looked up at it with panic.
Felix wasn’t sure if it was a real hawk or a Watcher, but it did look rather hungry for small felines.
Cruel and uncaring, remember?
He glanced at the woman who looked up with him with such hope that he might help her.
Damn it.
It didn’t take very long at all to climb the tree, grab the cat, and return to the ground.
“Take it,” he said gruffly, shoving the furry handful away.
“Oh, thank you!” She gratefully took the kitten into her arms and kissed it multiple times. Then she grabbed Felix’s face and noisily kissed both his cheeks. “You are a hero!”
He just glared at her. “I am most definitely not a hero. Now, do me a favor and forget you ever saw me.”
Without another word, he began walking away from the old woman, her cat, and the stupid tree of shame.
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