The Puppeteer and The Poisoned Pawn (The Pawn and The Puppet series Book 3)

“I’m sweating in weird places.” Niles catches up to my left, jogging like he’s moments away from dropping dead.

Dessin was gone by the time I woke up, meeting with the war strategists to plan how we’re going to save DaiSzek. Leaving me to fester in my disappointment, my solitude, my silent wrath.

Warrose got the rest of us dressed, fed, and out of the mountain to train. Chekiss was sent to the library; his lungs, after years of drowning, could never withstand physical conditioning. He’d rather read about war strategy. Sharpen his mind with whatever Demechnef could offer.

Warrose leads us on a slow jog through rocky terrain. We’re equipped with hiking boots, loose moss-green tunics, and soft black pants.

“Same,” I tell Niles. I’m covered head to toe in sticky sweat, panting like I’m about to cough up a lung, and we’ve only been running for seven minutes.

“Pick up the pace, Ruthie,” Niles hollers over his shoulder.

I glance back at Ruth to see her descend into a fast walk, shaking her head. I slow down, waiting for her to catch up. “I’m done.” She waves her hand, shooing us away.

Niles and I both come to a stop.

“Are you hurt?” Warrose is suddenly cutting between us, trudging up to Ruth as she plants herself firmly on the ground, completely out of breath.

“No.” She shakes her head. “But women aren’t made for exercising, which is why we fast and control our meal intake.”

Ah, we need to take her to the Stormsage Keep. That’ll teach her.

Warrose scoffs, a low raspy sound. “That’s horse shit.”

“Pardon me?”

“Horse. Shit.” He emphasizes each word as if he’s trying to speak to an alien species. “A woman can do anything a man can do. More, actually.”

Ruth straightens her back, avoiding his deadly gaze.

“I’m not going any farther. I’ll meet you all back at our rooms.” She crosses her glistening arms, firm on not leaving her position in the dirt.

Warrose is still for three seconds, watching her like a vulture, jaw rolling at the sight of her dainty stubbornness.

“Ruth…” I warn.

“I wasn’t aware I was in the presence of a queen.” The words leave his mouth like venom spewing from the fangs of a snake.

“I’m not interested in—oh, hey! What are you doing?!” Ruth squeals as he tosses her petite body over his shoulder. “You’re all sweaty!” She swats at his back.

Niles and I exchange a look with raised eyebrows, then burst out laughing.

“Let’s go, we have half a mile left,” Warrose orders as he begins to run.

“Wowwww!” Niles chokes, attempting a slow clap. “I’m practically recharging with testosterone just being in his presence!”

He’s running with a one hundred and fifteen-pound woman slung over his shoulder like a rag doll. And Niles and I are gaping, unable to move, unable to rip our eyes away from Ruth’s screaming, bobbing head.

“Now!” Warrose barks.

Niles gives me a playful shove as we jog to catch up.

“So, you unknowingly were living in the lair of Demechnef’s secret leader.”

“I really, really don’t want to talk about that.” The sting is still fresh. The running helps, but every time Dessin or Aurick pop into my head, I want to scream.

“I never liked him,” he huffs.

“You never met him.”

“I have a sense about people.”

I laugh through my heavy breaths. “Are we back to Cupid?”

“He’s probably not that bad of a guy. He lost his betrothed. Losing your soul mate to the grim reaper can do horrible things to someone’s mind.”

I remember the brief moments he spoke about Red. How his father hurt her. How she told him everything. Maybe Niles has a good point.

We stop in front of a canal, rich turquoise water with the gentle sounds of a babbling brook. Warrose turns to us. “We’ll swim across, and then we’re done for the day.”

No. Nope.

“I’ll sooner drown,” Niles says what I’m thinking.

“No, you won’t.”

Ruth wiggles until he sets her down. “I’ll swim,” she agrees, not wanting to be thrown over his shoulder again.

I sigh. “Fine. But there better be a lot of food to eat when we get back.”

Niles nods in agreement.

Niles and Warrose remove their damp tunics, tossing them to the ground.

I look over at Ruth, who is mirroring my open-mouthed expression, staring at them like she’s never seen shirtless men before.

Niles is lean and toned, probably from doing his best to keep a strong physique in the asylum. But Warrose is another breed entirely. With his abdomen cut into bulging squares, arms, and chest like swollen hills. He’s about the same height as Niles, only an inch or two shorter than Dessin.

Although Niles is radiant in his golden skin, Warrose’s darker complexion is another beautiful sight entirely. He’s a light shade of brown with hazel eyes that match the water sloshing by our feet. They turn to the lake, glimmering with drops of sweat. And Ruth and I are gawking like two mindless toddlers.

“Scream if you need help,” Warrose says, slicking his long, dark hair back.

“Solid pep talk.” Niles deadpans.

And the boys go first, stepping into the crystal clear water, sinking into its slow stream.

Ruth puts a hand on my shoulder. “These clothes will slow us down.”

I look back at her, catching the mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes, the shy shrug of her pointed shoulder. “I knew I’ve always liked you.” I smile back. I can’t think of a better way to subtly get back at Dessin and Kane.

While Niles and Warrose have their backs turned, Ruth and I scramble to remove our clothes. I peek over at Ruth’s undergarments. She’s wearing pink silk panties and a matching bra. Her ribs are prominent, sticking out like she hasn’t had a decent meal in years. Sharp hip bones, sunken stomach, flat chest. I look away quickly, sick at what that city has done to her but also hopeful that we can reintroduce her to a healthy perspective of food.

She glances over at mine. A matching black lace set that Runa stashed in my pack, along with a few others. I’ll have to thank her if I ever see her again.

We descend into the cool water.

“Absolutely the fuck not.” Warrose stops, only looking at our faces to avoid our unclothed bodies.

“They’ll slow us down,” Ruth says.

“Put them back on.” His expression is unreadable. Hazel eyes like the glittering sea in the morning sun. “I won’t ask again.”

“Good, then don’t.” Damn, Ruth.

Niles makes an O shape with his lips.

Warrose turns to me, jaw clenching down. “Dessin would cut out my spleen if he knew I saw you… indecent.”

“Dessin doesn’t have a say in what I do anymore,” I say, holding hands with Ruth as we drop ourselves deeper into the canal. We hiss, huff, and groan at the icy stream rushing over our skin. But as I adjust, it’s nice, like a cold drink on a hot day.

Warrose glares at me for a moment, running his wet hand through his shiny hair.

“If anyone tells him I saw Skylenna half-naked, you’ll sleep out in the cold. Understood?”

Everyone nods. Niles does so with a smile, delight reddening his cheeks.

We start swimming, kicking our legs, paddling our arms through the body of water leading into the massive Emerald Lake. I’ve never told anyone this, but I’ve been a remarkably strong swimmer my entire life. The times I went to the Red Oaks with my father, the afternoons we’d spend floating in the lagoon, I would swim as fast as I could from one side to the other.

And even though I’m sore and weak from the run, I glide with each stroke, taking deep breaths through my nose as I push the stream past me, catching up to Warrose.

“Don’t look at me,” he says, only slightly out of breath.

“I wasn’t.”

“I’m not speaking to you.”

Water splashes in my eyes, and I fall behind by a couple of inches to shake it away.

“It’s nothing personal,” I pant.

“Say that again when my balls are no longer attached to my body.”

I wince.

“He does that, y’know? Makes the punishment fit the crime. Decides what body parts would wound your ego the most.” Warrose huffs out a laugh.

I do know. An unwanted visual of Albatross’s face pops into my head. The thick pink scars that spelled Dessin. The marks where his mouth was sewn shut. He is rather creative; I’ll give him that.

“He’s not going to hurt you because he knows that’ll only upset me more.” It’s getting harder to form a sentence from my labored breaths. I’m practically wheezing.

“What he did wasn’t vindictive, Skylenna. You don’t have a clue about the weight he carries while he keeps you in the dark. It guts him. But he has to do it. And honestly, you’ll feel like an asshole when you realize why he had to do it.”

“Hey! Aquatic bastards! I’m stuck!” Niles shouts. Warrose and I turn around, treading in place.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

Niles is also treading in place but struggling to keep his head above water.

“My foot! It’s caught on a root or something.”

Warrose growls under his breath. “I’m coming.”

“Take your time. I’m only drowning.”

Ruth floats beside me, trying to keep her breathing under control. She glances at me with red-rimmed eyes and mouths, “I hate this.” I snort. Me too.

Before Warrose reaches Niles, a golden object emerges to their right, slow and daunting. Niles yelps with a mouthful of water. It’s a head, a beautiful face, brown skin, and wide eyes. Forest boy. The man from the Naiadales. The Emerald Lake colony.

“Oh shit!” Niles wails, flapping his arms away from the man.

“It’s okay!” I shout as I thrust my arms through the water to get closer. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

“He tried to kill me!”

The Naiadales man lifts a thick curly root from the water, chopped unevenly on either end. He cut Niles loose. “Free,” he says, a soothing whisper.

Niles stares at him, pink lips parted, wet hair falling across his forehead.

“I am Rydran.” And he’s gone, sinking back into the water, feet flushing him away from our circle of exhaustion.