Page 36 of Lich's Mate

What does he mean by that?

Staring down at my hands and my half-completed painting, I decide to follow him. I don’t know where he’s leading me or what he intends to do with me, but I trust him. He’s the demon that saved me. Why shouldn’t I show him some gratitude?

14

KAVIAN

“You’ve done well, Vex. As expected.”

I study the crumpled parchment closely. All over it are notes written in code—observations on what Gorran and his lackeys do every day.

I’ve arranged a meeting with Vex to catch up and discuss our tactics.

“Thank you, my lord.” He flexes his muscles as he stands next to me. My praise doesn’t come easy and he knows it.

“So, these notes indicate that there are specific routes the xaphan prefers to take. Are you sure these are their only means of transporting the slaves?”

“Fairly. We’ve been following different groups for a while now, and they all frequently visit the locations and destinations I’ve mentioned. Granted, we only follow at a distance, but learning more about their routes was easy enough.”

I nod. That makes sense. Getting too close could be very risky.

“Gorran is focusing on humans the most, I see.”

Vex nods. “They’re weak and easy to overwhelm. And according to my research, they actually make for good slaves and fetch good prices. Once they’ve been tamed, of course.”

I scowl. I know exactly how humans are tamed and I hate the thought. I glance at Meera. If I hadn’t bought her…

I can’t let my thinking be clouded by this strange anger when it comes to the human. Has she somehow cursed me? No, I’m not weak enough for something like that.

Vex points to a specific note on the parchment. “The clientele and buyers vary greatly. Demons and xaphans make up the majority, though. Normally, they’re wealthy nobles or have high ranks.”

“Do you have information about any of these buyers? I’d love to have a talk with one of them.”

Discussing their slave purchase in detail would be a lot of fun, especially if that discussion involved my shadows ripping them apart and prolonged torture.

He shakes his head. “That would be unwise, my lord. Any action like that could tip off Gorran.”

“I’m aware. But a dead man can tell no tales, right?”

He shakes his head again but smiles. “That is certainly true.”

“Do you have more spies currently on Gorran and his associates?”

Vex nods, his arms folded. His eyes are on Meera as he watches her closely. She, in turn, is pouring over maps and pieces of paper detailing Gorran’s illicit dealings.

He walks closer to me, a scowl on his face. “You trust her?”

I look over at where she’s sitting and then at Vex. I simply nod, and continue to focus on the notes in front of me.

Vex sighs but doesn’t say anything else. He knows better than to question my motives and decisions.

He taps a nail against one of his thick, curled horns.

“As you can see, Gorran regularly provides slaves for the auctions. He has a pattern. Hit a small-ish human village, take everyone that seems valuable, and sell them almost immediately.”

“The bastard is shrewd. He knows keeping the humans for too long increases his chances of getting caught. How many crews does he have operating right now?”

“About six or seven,” Vex answers, speaking low so Meera doesn’t hear. I notice his suspicion.

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