Danil’s Mate(72)

A completely naked Amos stood over the top of someone, his foot crushing the man’s windpipe. It was the blonde man she’d often seen in the King’s chambers. He’d joined them for part of the day.

“Dude,” the blonde man choked out. “I can see your junk.”

Amos seemed to press harder on his neck. “What the fuck are you doing here, Oracle.”

Ah. So that’s who that was. Zara had mentioned something about an oracle here and there, but Lucy would never in a million years have thought this guy was it. He had wavy blonde hair and a kind of surfer vibe about him. He was the only one who hadn’t treated the King with complete reverence. He usually seemed as bored by all the proceedings as she was.

The Oracle made a strangled little noise. His face was turning red.

“Amos, you’re gonna kill him!” Lucy called from the bed, reaching over to get her robe. She slid it on and came to stand beside him, picking up Amos’s pants along the way.

Amos removed his foot from the Oracle’s neck and took the pants from Lucy, tugging them on.

“Answer me,” Amos bit out. “What the fuck are you doing here.”

The Oracle was coughing and holding his throat, but he came to stand. He gestured toward the tousled bed where Amos and Lucy had made love twice more the night before. “I see you’ve really made your choice then, huh?”

“That’s none of your goddamn business,” Amos growled, pushing Lucy a little bit behind him.

The Oracle rolled his eyes. “I’m an Oracle, Amos. Everything is my business.” He went and flopped down in the armchair on the corner. “Whether I like it or not.”

“You mean you can see the future? Our future?” Lucy asked, and stepped forward. Amos reached out and grabbed the back of her robe, tugging her back to his front.

“Not exactly. There isn’t one future.” The Oracle examined his fingernails as he spoke. “There’s lots of possibilities, depending on the decisions people make. But I gotta say you two have really made your decision.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lucy snapped. Something about the Oracle was kind of annoying. Amos stroked a hand over her shoulder as if he were saying, just ignore it, I know this guy’s a douche.

“It means you fanned the flames, you dirty lovebirds.” The Oracle flashed a lascivious grin and bit at a hangnail. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of this. I never wanted the King to have you, Lucy.”

“You’re the one who tracked her down and brought her here!” Amos growled.

The Oracle rolled his eyes. “If she had simply been a perfect genetic match for the King, I never would have brought her here. I would have lied. I’d never condemn a woman to a fate as unthinkable as that.”

“Then why the fuck did you bring her here?” Amos’s voice was almost unrecognizable with anger.

The Oracle leaned his head on one of his palms. Outwardly he looked bored, but Lucy could see nerves lick across his face. “I don’t serve the King, Amos.”

Amos stepped around Lucy so fast she couldn’t even follow it with her eyes. His hands shot out and his dragon claws appeared. Amos raised one arm to swipe across the Oracle’s neck. But the Oracle raised his hand and spoke.

“And neither do you anymore, Amos. Remember that.”

Amos froze. Lucy froze. The Oracle froze.

“Will somebody please explain this to me?” Lucy yelled. “I’m a little in the dark over here.”

Amos snicked his claws closed and tore a hand through his hair.

“Who the fuck do you serve then, Oracle.”

“You know who I’m talking about.” The Oracle said, biting his fingernail again.

“Fuck,” Amos growled. “FUCK.”

“Who?” Lucy exclaimed, still totally confused.

“Solar,” Amos bit out, beyond agitated.

“Who the hell is Solar?” Lucy was just as agitated as he was right about then.

Amos paced back and forth. The Oracle leaned around him so that he could see Lucy. “Well, pretty much in a nutshell, Solar is a kid Amos grew up with. They were best friends until Solar decided to head up a rebel alliance that’s trying to overthrow the King.”

Lucy’s jaw dropped open. Holy shit. And he’d never even mentioned it?

“He’s still my best friend.” There was murder in Amos’s eyes but Lucy had no idea who it was even for, the Oracle, this Solar guy, or himself. Amos turned to Lucy. “He’s like a brother to me. But when he decided that he couldn’t live under the King’s rule, we had to part ways.” He brought his hand roughly through his hair. “Or risk having to kill one another.”