Fire - Kristin Cashore [101]
She wrapped her hands around her warm cup and blinked wearily into its steam; and found, once she’d started talking, that confession was a comfort to her small and ragged heart. ‘I killed Cansrel to stop him from killing Brigan. And to stop Brigan from killing Cansrel, because that would have damaged his chance for any alliance with Cansrel’s friends. And, oh, for other reasons. I doubt I need to explain to any of you why it was best for him to die.’
Tess stopped her work, her hands resting on the pile in her lap, and watched Fire closely. Her lips moved as Fire talked, as if she were testing the words in her own mouth.
‘I tricked him into thinking his leopard monster was a baby,’ Fire said. ‘His own human monster baby. I stood outside the fence and watched him open the door of the cage, cooing to it, as if it were helpless, and harmless. The leopard was hungry. He always kept them hungry. It—it happened very fast.’
Fire went silent for a moment, struggling against the picture that haunted her dreams. She spoke with her eyes closed. ‘Once I was sure he was dead, I shot the cat. Then I shot the rest of his monsters, because I hated them, I’d always hated them, and I couldn’t stand them screaming for his blood. And then I called the servants, and told them he’d killed himself and I hadn’t been able to stop him. I entered their minds and made full sure they believed me, which wasn’t difficult. He’d been unhappy since Nax’s death, and they all knew he was capable of mad things.’
The rest of the story, she kept to herself. Archer had come and found her kneeling in Cansrel’s blood, staring at Cansrel, tearless. When he’d tried to pull her away she’d fought against him desperately, screamed at him to leave her alone. For several days she’d been savage to Archer, and Brocker, too, vicious, out of her mind and her body; and they’d stayed with her and taken care of her until she’d come back into herself. Then had followed weeks of listlessness and tears. They’d stayed with her through that as well.
She sat numbly on the sofa. She wanted Archer’s company, suddenly, so that she could forgive him for telling the truth. It was time other people knew. It was time everyone knew what she was, and what she was capable of.
She didn’t notice herself nodding off to sleep, even when Musa jumped forward to stop her drink from spilling.
SHE WOKE HOURS later to find herself stretched out on the sofa, covered in blankets, kittens sleeping in the tangle of her hair. Tess was absent, but Musa, Mila, and Neel had not moved from their seats.
Archer stood before the fireplace, his back to her.
Fire half sat up and tugged her hair out from under the kittens. ‘Mila,’ she said. ‘You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.’
Mila’s voice was stubborn. ‘I want to stay and guard you, Lady.’
‘Very well,’ Fire said, studying Archer, who’d swung around at the sound of her voice. His left cheekbone was bruised purple, which alarmed her at first, and then struck her as intensely interesting.
‘Who hit you?’ she asked.
‘Clara.’
‘Clara!’
‘She whaled me one in return for upsetting you. Well,’ he added, his voice dropping low. ‘At least, that was the main reason. I suppose Clara has several to choose from.’ He glanced at Mila, who’d suddenly taken on the look of a boxer who’d been punched in the stomach one too many times. ‘This is awkward.’
By your own doing, Fire thought to him furiously, and your careless words only make it worse. They don’t know about each other yet, and it’s not yours to reveal their secrets.
‘Fire,’ he said, his eyes low and dismal. ‘It’s been some time since