Page 25 of Lich's Mate

Thinking about it, it really is too good to be true that he’d just buy me and set me free. That must all be some elaborate and cruel joke.

“You’ve probably never even heard of the guy,” he says, looking back down at the map. “That’s my mistake.”

There are various red x’s marked on the parchment. I notice one right around New Solas.

“I’ve heard the name,” I say, recalling what I heard on the way here. “Who is he?”

Without warning, the demon slams his fist down on the table, nearly knocking over the candle in the process.

“He’s a fucking idiot,” the demon says. “He’s the least competent xaphan to ever run a successful business, and that’s saying something. He should be rotting beneath the ground somewhere, not running large operations from several continents away!”

Not wanting to upset him further, I simply nod.

“He’s also the reason you’re a slave,” he adds. “But if you’ve heard the name, I’m guessing you already knew that.”

I look around the room, taking in the dim bar.

“I’ve never met many demons who care about the freedoms of humans,” I say, almost thinking aloud. “The xaphans always talk about demons like they’re the worst of the worst.”

He nods.

“Well, to be fair, I don’t give a shit about humans,” he says. “You’re strangers to me, every single one of you.”

I say nothing, wondering if the bartender is selling drinks.

But then I don’t have a single coin on me, so I couldn’t buy anything even if I wanted to.

He waves a hand through the air. “I don’t mean to offend you. It isn’t anything personal. I just?—”

“So then why am I even here then? Why did you bother freeing me at all if you were just bringing me here to insult me?”

He chuckles.

I want to punch him, despite knowing how bad of an idea that is.

“You have a defiant spirit,” he says. “And it would be a shame for that to die on the slave block.”

I look toward the entrance, realizing that I could dart out at any moment.

Sure, he might catch me, wrapping me up in his shadows.

But if I could just get away, I would be free.

But what do I even have left?

I remember, yet again, that everything I’ve ever known is gone—almost everybody I’ve ever met is now dead.

“So I’m feisty,” I say. “You purchased me because I’m feisty.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“Is that all? Is that really the only reason you bought me?”

He begins folding the parchment back up.

“Actually, I thought you might be a bit of a catalyst,” he says.

“A catalyst?”

---