“Oh?” Flynn scoffed. “Am I imagining you’re fucking Leila as well?”
Heat flooded Tobias, his body lit from the inside. He rose from his bed. “What did you say?”
“How long has it been going on?” Flynn held his chin high. “How long have you been betraying The Savior and your realm?”
“What would give you the slightest idea—?”
“Please. I come to your chamber, and she’s practically fondling you.”
“She was checking my head.”
“Which one?”
Tobias rolled his eyes. “God, you ass…”
“There was paint on her neck,” Flynn said. “I saw it. Her neck, her back. An experienced man would know better than to leave a mark where he slips his cock, especially if he’s putting it where it doesn’t belong.”
Time came to a swift stop. Tobias racked his brain for lies, but his mind had already been wiped clean. His whole world had sunken to a deeper level of hell, and there was nothing for him to do but bathe in the flames.
“What do you want?”
Flynn inched closer, his eyes narrowed. “I want what I deserve.”
“What you deserve?”
“This tournament was mine to win. Then you come in with your blessings and your laurelites. The Keeper of Kin. The fucking Leader of Men.” Flynn’s face reddened. “You were never supposed to gain favor. For God’s sake, you’re a Savant. I am the Prince. I am the leader.”
“Perhaps if you had actually led something, you would’ve received that title yourself.”
“The whole thing is shit!” Flynn barked. “You win Her favor again and again!” He pointed to himself. “I deserve Her. I am a man of title, and I love Her.”
“You love Her? What history do you have together? You hardly know Her.”
“She’s The Savior. That makes Her worthy of my love.”
“I struggle to believe you’re even capable of loving anyone but yourself.”
Flynn let out a laugh. “Is that so? You think I’m a cunt? Is that why you’ve kept your distance? Been sucking Orion’s cock for the last however many days?”
“You watch your words. Orion was twice the man you’ll ever be.”
“Please, Orion was a trapper.”
“And you’re a self-aggrandizing cock blinded by tits and coin,” Tobias spat. “You’re the only one, you know, who hasn’t learned the truth. All the men who compete beside you see this tournament for what it is—that it’s a lie, that it’s corrupt—and still you revel in glory that doesn’t exist. You’re a fool.”
“And you’re a blasphemer.”
The last word sent Tobias to silence.
“You’re the worst kind of man,” Flynn said. “A traitor to your realm, and for what? A wet spot for your cock? You betray our Savior for some cheap whore—”
Tobias’s fist went flying, pounding Flynn right in his filthy mouth. “Never, ever disrespect her again, or I swear to God, I will bloody you.”
Flynn wiped his lips, glancing down at his red fingers. “You love her.”
Tobias said nothing, inflamed and enraged. Flynn’s stunned gaze became invasive, and his gawking morphed into derisive laughter.
“God, you’re an even bigger ass than I thought. You’ve got The Savior handed to you on a silver platter, and you fall for Leila? The Healer girl? I can’t even wrap my head around it.”
“Shut up.”
“What exactly are you expecting out of all this? You survive the tournament, and then what? If you win, you win Cosima. And if you lose, you die. Tell me, in what reality do you see yourself with Leila? In what world are the two of you together when all this is over?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Flynn shook his head. “Can you imagine what will happen once people find out? To you and to Leila. Do you have any clue the danger you’ve brought upon her? It’s only a matter of time before she suffers for your crimes.”
The scene in the gallery replayed in his mind—Drake’s hands around Leila’s throat—and Tobias’s anger gave way to sickness.
Flynn’s eyes widened. “Oh, don’t tell me… Something’s already happened, hasn’t it? And still you do nothing? Artist, you really are the lowest of the low.”
Tobias’s body went taut. “You’ve said your piece, now get on with it. What’s your move?”
“I haven’t yet decided,” Flynn said matter-of-factly. “Perhaps I’ll let the circumstances unfold as the fates see fit. Or perhaps I’ll tell The Savior about your little tryst. Have Her take care of you and Leila by any means She deems necessary.”
Tobias lunged forward, grabbing Flynn by the neck and slamming him against the wall. “Or I could just kill you. Right now. I could kill you.”