Book One – Chapter 15

Yu had nodded, unsure what else to do under the chef’s scrutiny. The encounter left him feeling oddly chastised, though he was not sure what he had done to deserve it. Bubs’ way of speaking reminded him far too much of Tria. It was the same sort of rude, narcissistic authority.

In that moment, Yu would have agreed to anything if it meant he could finally eat. He would have happily left it at that. But of course, it only went downstream from there. Bubs’ second, more personal introduction to Yu had been nothing short of frustrating. After serving the meals, he had brought Fallem a second mug — a special brew, meant to “sharpen his spirit”. A welcoming gesture. Because, naturally, Bubs had assumed that Fallem was the new wizard guard. Who would not? Who in their right mind would have assumed otherwise, given the choice between Fallem, a wizard, and Yu, a whatever the fuck. Even Yu had wished it was Fallem.

When Yu had inadvertently corrected him, Bubs had taken it as a personal slight. The shift in his demeanour had been immediate, his already direct stare turning venomous. He did not appreciate being made a fool of. It had taken several members of the escorting party to convince him that Yu was not joking, and by then, the damage was done. Yu could feel it in the mianid’s glare, the tightness in his posture. Bubs blamed him for the misunderstanding. And hated him accordingly.

Well, fuck me for being born.

Bubs had served them small rolls of dough filled with meat and vegetables. After the mianid retreated to his kitchen domain, Yu finally got to eating. He ate beak to plate, devouring them with the single-minded hunger of a starved beast. He only got to the third, before he was again interrupted.

Deltington, the lanky beastkin who sat beside Yu, leaned in with a conspiratorial slant. “There was once a guard who made a habit of sneaking food from the stores,” he murmured. His grin was sharp and needle-toothed, his tone unsettlingly casual.