Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 432: Less Than Friendly Tip

Chapter 432: Less Than Friendly Tip

Nereus’s fists clenched so tightly that the veins at the back of his hands throbbed. Water droplets — unsurprisingly abundant since they were in the gardens — pulled themselves from the dirt beneath their feet as Nereus’s remaining eye began to glow brighter and brighter.

He might only have one eye left but he will be damned if that wasn’t enough to take down this cocky son of a bitch.

"Woah woah, easy there," Jean Nott said, taking a step back as he raised his palms in surrender. "It was just a joke. Calm down."

"Jokes have to be funny," Daphne pointed out, snarling with demented protectiveness. She wasn’t able to stop Atticus from taking Nereus’s right eye, but she’d be damned if she let Jean Nott pluck out the other in front of her. He would have to step over her cold dead corpse. "You are not humorous in the slightest."

"You wound me. I guess I’ll just have to try harder next time." Jean Nott winced, an expression of apologetic servitude on his face that he seemed more like the humble scholar Daphne befriended at the very beginning than the dangerous criminal he actually was.

Of course, knowing Jean, it must have been deliberate. Daphne steeled herself, one hand over her belly, the other hand channeling flame. Jean Nott had frozen the water she summoned to his benefit; there was no point in giving him more ammunition.

Besides, Nereus was a skilled hydromancer too.

"No, don’t try!" Zephyr screeched, his wings outstretched to shield Daphne from Jean’s eyes. "Can you just scram? Don’t you have someplace else to be? No one wants you here!"

"You’ve grown up beautifully," was Jean’s admiring response. This time, he was addressing Zephyr, his eyes roving over the vibrant plumage of his wings. Zephyr took a wary step back, making sure to protect Daphne with his own body.

He didn’t like Jean’s tone― why was he speaking to him as though Zephyr was his long-lost daughter or some maid he tried to hit up? Disgusting man! He would need to bathe in Nereus’s bathwater to wash off the grossness!

"To think you were just an annoying little chick when I first saw you in the maze. I suppose Daphne’s presence would make anyone grow to become the best version of themselves," Jean continued with a warm smile, every inch an amicable gentleman.

"Damn right!" Zephyr nodded before he realized who he was agreeing with. "I mean, fuck no! No one wants to be called beautiful by you! Not me, not Daphne! Fuck off!"

Jean laughed uproariously. "You are hilarious to listen to, so let me give you a word of advice. I’ll be a little bit more careful about my wings, if I were you."

All three members of their little party froze.

"They are divinely majestic, and it would be an outright shame if something were to happen to them― especially for you, dear Zephyr. A griffin without a wing is as good as a lame horse."

Jean Nott’s smile grew twisted as a wicked glint entered his eyes.

"Only good for slaughter."

"Zephyr, get behind me." Daphne immediately sprung to action, trying to pull him back, but Zephyr refused to budge, even as his back muscles trembled with fear at the implied threat in Jean Nott’s words.

So it wasn’t just King Atticus that was out for his wings; this nutcase also wanted a piece of him!

Zephyr had two wings, and he wanted them both on his back, not in the hands of crazy megalomaniacal men! But Daphne’s safety was the priority. If need be, he would tackle Jean Nott and fling him out the window.

"No, Daphne, I’m not hiding," Zephyr declared, much to her despair. He addressed Jean Nott haughtily,"If you want my wings scumbag, you’d better tear them off my dead body! I’m not handing them over to anyone!"

Jean Nott stared at them, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Like I said, entertaining. Daphne dearest, after we get married, I’ll allow you to keep him as a pet. I’ve always wanted a pet bird."

"Fuck you! Go get a chicken then!" Zephyr exclaimed. "Take your entertainment and shove it up your asshole, dickhead! You can’t tell Daphne what to do!"

If circumstances were less dire, Daphne would like to know where Zephyr had been picking up such offensive foul language. Palace staff tended to be polite. Such foul vulgarities would never escape from Daphne’s mouth, but she wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment.

However, Jean Nott wasn’t offended in the least. "I’ll get you a cage so we can listen to you talk. You won’t need to fly if you have one wing left. But I must say, it’s so disappointing that your companion is a man of such few words."

He was of course referring to Nereus, whose remaining eye was still glowing brightly. The rounded water droplets hung suspended in the air, like arrows notched on bowstrings, waiting to be launched at any given second.

"Did Atticus tear out your tongue, or were you normally this verbose, Nereus?" Jean asked mischievously.

Nereus’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, and the suspended droplets of water flew through the air straight for Jean Nott. Jean’s fingers twitched with one sharp motion, causing the same shield of water to appear. Nereus’s water droplets had crystallized into minuscule icicles that glinted brightly under the moonlight, their tips ominously sharpened to a fine needle-point.

"Tsk, you must be fun at parties," Jean Nott tutted disapprovingly, as though Nereus was a puppy that peed all over his rugs. "All you had to do was say no. No wonder you kept getting imprisoned."

That was all the warning they got before Jean Nott sent the icicles their way. Nereus snarled as he tried to halt their path, but it was too late.

Zephyr screeched in pain as the icicles struck him, their icy cold tips jabbing straight through the topmost layer of his skin. Strangely enough, it felt like the ice was spreading through his body. His legs began to lose strength, and his body swayed with the effort to keep himself upright.

"Zephyr!" Daphne screamed in horror, grabbing him before he hit the floor. Unfortunately, Zephyr was too heavy― he easily dragged her down, sending her sprawling.

With her belly hitting the floor first.

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