Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
In shock, I get to my feet. I can’t believe what I just saw. “Oh my god. Did you just kill him, Kalos?”
He wipes his dirty hand on his clothing. “He was already sick with rot inside. I just accelerated it.” He flexes his hand and seems rather proud of himself. “Didn’t know I could do that.”
Unbelievable. “You can’t kill people just because you’re having a disagreement.”
“Why not? He was going to rob us for that swill.” He flicks a hand at the bowl in my hands. “And you’re very fond of your goat.”
“That was wrong!”
“So what? Like I said, he was already sick inside. He only had a few more months. I just found it and teased it a little.” He studies my face suspiciously. “You’re very flushed, too. Are you well?”
“I’m going to throw up.”
“Do it outside. I don’t want to step over vomit all night.” He sits down on the bucket again and gestures at me. “We’ll eat and clean up and stay here tonight and continue on to Balsingra in the morning as planned.”
“You just killed a man,” I hiss at him. How is he not taking this seriously? “I don’t think you’re supposed to do that!”
“Then the All-Father will punish me.” He shrugs, the bored expression on his face once more. “Either way, it’s not your concern. You want to stay alive for as long as possible, yes? If you refused to give him your jewels, you think he would have let you walk away from here? This world is probably better off without someone like him in it.”
I just stare at him, disgusted.
Kalos points a finger at me. “And you are far too innocent. You need to harden up, or we’re never going to make it past Balsingra.”
A small, horrified part of me worries he might be right.
Chapter
Eleven
Ifind a stack of blankets in an old trunk at the foot of the bed and cover the body with a long, worn length of linen. I should probably drag it outside, but someone is bound to notice. I’ve no idea where I’d put it, anyhow. So…covering up the problem it is. Once his accusing, vacant stare is covered up, I turn to Kalos.
“You want to explain yourself?”
He pets Dingle’s head, stroking the goat’s brow just above his horn buds. “About what?”
I gesture at the dead man. “I thought you couldn’t use your powers while you were in the mortal realm. I thought that was the point?”
Kalos’s expression grows thoughtful. “I’m not supposed to, no. But I reached out, and I was able to pull…something.” He shrugs. “Not much, though.”
“When you do, it makes me sick.” I rub my tickling nose. “I’m afraid of what’s going to happen if you pull too hard.”
He just shrugs again.
Okay, I’m not getting anywhere with him. I try something different. “We’re trying to keep a low profile, and going around slaughtering people isn’t the way to proceed.”
He gives me an affronted look. “You seriously cannot feel bad that this cretin is dead? He was going to steal all of our funds. He was going to eat the goat!”
“I wouldn’t let him,” I say defensively.
“Do you think he was going to stop there? He was just going to keep demanding to see what we’d pay. Now we get to keep it all and Dingle is safe.” He scratches the goat’s chin affectionately. “I’ve grown rather fond of this one.”
“I’m glad about that, but…still! It’s wrong to kill someone because they’re trying to rip us off.”
Kalos doesn’t seem bothered by this. His expression tells me he doesn’t care about this dead man in the slightest. “People die in Anticipations. People die around gods. You’re just going to have to get used to it. Your job is to serve me, is it not?”
I hate that this is sounding so practical. “I… guess so?”
“As long as I’m happy, what does it matter?”
It matters. People matter, even if they’re shitty, manipulative fishermen. I’m trying to stay mad at the situation, but I’m getting awfully distracted by the fact that Kalos is downright chatty at the moment. It’s like the more fatigued and worn-down I become, the cheerier he becomes. “And are you happy right now?”
He shrugs. “I’m not even certain I know what happiness looks like.”
What a morose thing to say. “You could try smiling. See if you like it.”
The god gives me a look of vague reproach and bares his teeth in the most constipated-looking smile I’ve ever seen.
I burst into laughter.
Kalos straightens, an expression of surprise on his face as he studies me. He scratches at the goat’s horn buds thoughtfully. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh, Elvie.”
“Elsie.” Jesus. How long have we been together and he still doesn’t know my name? It reminds me just how little I matter to him, and my good mood sours. “And that’s because there’s not a lot to laugh about. We’re still on the run from an army that wants you dead, and now we’ve killed the first person we’ve met outside of your temple. This is not how we should be handling things, Kalos.”