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My gaze did not so much as flicker away and his was just as steady until, with a sigh, he bent his head to watch his steps once more, as though dismissing me.
I did not admire the human, but now, more than ever, I appreciated a good servant, and the human emperor had one in Batu Sun.
“How is it that you are the only person who knows the location of the moonstone?” Clem asked as they walked.
As though I was still the specter that hung above them, I listened without taking part in their conversations. For some time now, I had been fully aware, simply watching and listening. It suited me for now, so my lips remained sealed.
“Years ago, when I first became the only first-ranked fighter of the human army, my great emperor Gaulu summoned me to his chambers,” Sun began. “There, he gave me my most important mission to date; to hide Tsuki’s stone.”
Clem gasped.
“So, he gave it to you?” he asked in wonder. “You once possessed the stone?”
“Imagine if we had found it then,” Bracken said. “We would have fought you for it.”
“I’m glad we didn’t know where it was,” Clem said. “Then we would never have gotten to know you.”
“You assume you would have defeated me,” Sun said, laughing while I seethed. If only we had found the stone back then, while it had been guarded by only one measly human.
“You forget that I am known as the noc killer for a reason. Two nocs would be nothing for me.” He winked at Bracken and then Kiar as though it was an inside joke.
Disgusting.
Worst of all, neither of them seemed to mind. They indulged in his ridiculous stories. Yes, he had killed countless of our kind, but he relied on tricks, like all humans did.
It was ridiculous and insulting for him to pretend he was a match for any of us.
“You were not so confident when you were trapped in my web,” I couldn’t help but mutter.
Sun glanced up at me then and smirked.
He knew his comment had bothered me.
My fury nearly boiled over.
Without thinking, I dropped from the tree, landing with a loud thump on all eight of my feet, onto the ground behind the group. As one, they all turned to face me.
At least Clem looked worried, but the other three simply stood there, their gazes hard as they awaited my actions.
I had to stop myself from moving forward and ending the human as he should have been ended so many years ago. Only self-preservation kept me where I was.
Clenching my fists at my side, I stood there, towering over all but Bracken who was nearly my height unless I stretched up on my legs. I was tempted to posture. Normally, no one would dare face off against me, let alone the very nocs who had served me for all of our existence, and now they did it with ease.
Because I was no longer their king.
It hit me like a physical blow.
I had been born into the position. Even before I’d rallied the nocs and taken their human capital, I had known. It was meant for me and me alone and now it was gone. The life I knew was gone. I had only two choices; accept it and move on or fight to get it back. My choice was obvious. I would not rest until I was on a throne once more. And the only way to get there was by working with these backstabbing fools.
Slowly, I crossed my arms.
“I don’t believe we will ever get to Yin Valley if you plan to stand there and stare at me all day,” I said curtly.
A surprised silence hung in the air. They had been expecting a face off, but I wouldn’t give them one. For all I knew, when the tether was broken, their loyalties would shift back to me. Even if it didn’t, I would find a way to regain my power without their help.
Finally, all four of them turned around, as one and began to walk again.
This time, the silence dragged on. There was a thickness in the air between us all, tension across all of their shoulders because now I walked behind them.
