The Art of Blood and Power (Book 2 in The Gifted Trilogy)

33- Precious Gems and Precious Dreams

"Kess, not that I don't love you dragging me three flights of stairs deeper than I was aware the castle went, but I wouldn't mind a little reassurance that you're not about to murder me."

"Silvertongue, if I was about to murder you, what makes you think I wouldn't just lie and say that I wasn't about to murder you?"

"Gentleman's honor?"

"Ah, that old thing" Kess hummed humorously as he pulled a jagged and complex key from his pocket. "Everyone knows a murderer must confess his intentions when the gentleman's code is invoked by his soon-to-be victim."

"It's called manners, Kesserian" I continued our quip. "Just as it is deemed polite to tell a lady where you are dragging her in the middle of the night when it involves a cellar deeper underground than the dungeons and no witnesses within a two-flight radius."

"Not a cellar, Silvertongue" He corrected, jamming the key into the locked marble doors, turning around to shoot me a wink as he jiggled the handle. "What rests behind this door is far more precious than vintage winery."

"Doubtful," I remarked, crossing my arms. "But I'll be the judge of that."

With a push, Kess opened the door to reveal a pitch dark room. With a flick of his hand, a spurt of fire shot into the room, zipping across the stone walls and lighting in its wake the lanterns embedded into the wall.

The light revealed the contents of the room, which turned out to be piles and mounds of gold and jewels larger than I had ever seen in my life.

I gaped, ignoring Kess's chuckle as I stepped into the room, my eyes roving across the room, unsure which artifact was most worthy of my attention. The diamond heart-shaped necklace cradled in the confines of a velvet box? The coins of gold that practically spilled over a pouch into the silver bowl beneath? The row of daggers and weapons on the left side of the room, each embedded in precious gems and gold?

"This is the Royal Treasury" Kess stated from where he stood behind me, admiring the room with his own look of appreciation.

"I gathered as much" I replied, picking up a pair of droplet earrings made of sapphire from the table in front of me. "The better question to answer is why the hell you brought a girl prone to stealing into a room with so many priceless artifacts?"

"I wanted to show you the newest edition to the room" he explained, walking towards the back wall, his back facing me. "And don't even think about it, Wren. Those earrings alone could supply two hundred troops with armor and weapons, so you take your pick. Pretty ears or living soldiers?"

I proceeded to drop the earrings, smiling softly to myself. A month ago, the sight of this room would have disgusted me, all of this wealth hoarded away while thousands were starving, but I knew that the funding for our war would come mostly from this room. The money and supplies needed for the barracks the other Garner girls were helping set up for those fleeing their villages in hopes of a greater safety near the castle; Kess was likely trading these off to the highest bidder to ensure the safety and protection of his people.

"Just exactly how full was this room right after we returned from the Garner?" I asked him as he slid a secret compartment in the stone wall open, retrieving a black velvet box from its confines.

"Let's just say that I am currently supporting our army through the diamond necklaces of my ancestors who are likely rolling in their graves right now," His lips curved upwards at the idea. "While eventually I'll need to switch to a different means of payment for my kingdom's budget, for now the Cinis family can bear the loss of a few golden rings for the sake of funding a mission to remove a dangerous threat with sociopathic tendencies."