Filed to story: The Knight and the Moth Book PDF Free by Rachel Gillig
I disagreed. Heartily. “I say we pummel him.”
“Absolutely. He was very mean to Six. Let’s flatten him.” Five pressed a reproachful hand to her chest. “But not me, mind. We all know my hands are my greatest beauty.”
“He was mean to you, Six?” One popped her knuckles. “I’ll take a shot at him. My blood’s up from dancing besides.”
“We don’t even know him,” Two complained. “Not very generous to knock him over.”
“Hey,” Four bit back, “don’t get sweet. You remember our pact? Knights are strictly for fun. Give ’em nothing-especially generosity. We swore it under the sacred smoke of idleweed!”
Provided by this particular knight, I noted.
“Fine,” Two muttered. “Go ahead and thrash him.”
Three chuckled. “I don’t think we’ve ever agreed on anything so fast without a short straw. One, Four, Six-you’re volunteering?”
We looked at one another. Nodded. “Let’s flatten him.”
Our circle broke, and the knighthood hollered their approval as One, Four, and I stepped closer. They beat their cups upon the tables again and again, a steady bang, bang, bang
-a new drum, goading us forward.
Rory looked us up and down, then faced King Castor’s devilish grin. “Who first?”
The king leveled a finger. “The tallest.”
One rolled her shoulders.
“He’s got an injury,” I whispered into her ear. “Left ribs.”
“How on earth do you know that?”
“Trust me,” I murmured. “Left ribs. Hit him.
Hard.”
She stepped away from the fire and into the field.
The knights hailed her with more animated banging. Rory straightened his back, black eyes narrowing. “Don’t hurt yourself, Diviner-“
One slammed her foot into the left side of his armor.
The resulting noise from the knights and their cups made it impossible to know if Rory cried out. His face twisted, eyes screwed shut, muscles in his jaw jumping.
But his feet stayed firmly on the ground.
“A hit,” the king called above the noise. “And what a hit it was! You got two more in you, Rory?”
He sucked in a breath. Shot it out his nose. “Hardly felt a thing.”
One shrugged and skipped back to my side. “That felt shockingly good.”
King Castor’s finger, slightly wobbly, pointed once more. “The pretty one.”
Rory’s eyes flitted to me. But the King’s finger, the knighthood’s collective gaze, was trained on Four.
She grinned. “Let’s try a new tactic.” Four walked up to Rory. Put both hands on his face.
And kissed him full on the mouth.
Breath lodged in my throat.
The knights had been raucous. Now, their noise was cataclysmic. Four deepened the kiss, pressing into Rory, who stood so still I wondered if he was even breathing.
He didn’t falter a step.
It took too long for Four to pull away. “Huh,” she said, patting her lips. “That usually works. You’re going to wish it had.” She turned with a knowing smile. “She’s next.”
Rory’s gaze shot up. Crashed into my shroud. The effect was like ale, like idleweed. A low, hazy hum through my body.
Bang, bang, bang, went the cups. Four stepped back, and King Castor’s finger was aimed once more, a pointed beckoning that landed straight over me. “My Diviner,” he slurred. “You’re up.”
The Diviners pushed me forward. When I stepped into the field, the knights whooped in delight.
Rory watched me, his bottom lip still wet from Four’s mouth. “You look nervous, Number Six.”
I said nothing, squaring off with him. His shoulders looked even wider with his hands tied behind his back. But just like last night, he did not wield his width, his height. Indeed, he stood a little hunched over, lazy and indifferent but for his eyes-narrowed and menacing and trained acutely on me.
“Good of you, by the way, telling her where to kick me.” He sucked his teeth. “My adoration for Diviners grows by the moment.”
“Thrash him!” King Castor called from the sideline, smacked over the head a moment later by Maude’s retributing palm.
Rory leaned forward. “Go ahead,” he murmured. “Hit my side. Hit me where I’m weak. Hit me as hard as you can.”
“If I let you win,” I said, a little breathless, “you won’t come to Aisling for a Divination. I’ll never have to see you again. That’s a victory in itself.”
“Let… me… win.” His lips curled at the corners. “You are nervous. Why’s that, Diviner? Thinking of kissing me, too?”
“I’d rather put you on your back.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good ti-“
I sprang forward.
He was indeed a wall. A wall that had humiliated me. Mocked and belittled me. But even without hammer, without chisel-
I knew how to mind a stone wall.
Bending at the knees, I wrapped my arms around Rory’s waist. My thighs trembled and I shut my eyes. The asshole was heavy.
Teeth gritted, muscles shuddering, I pressed up. Lifted Rodrick Myndacious off his feet. Took a full step forward.