Page 22 of Taken By the Shadow Prince

Fine, then.

I don’t care, anyway. Or I shouldn’t.

I’m not exactly sure which is true.

Chapter 13

Mavey

the past

We left Halle with the same map I left with the sanctuaries. I told her not to tell anyone the truth about what she was—no one but the queen herself. To everyone else she is just a witch.

I stare into the fire, flames licking at the twigs that feed them, deep in thought. The first of the demon witches Armin promised me, the very first, was sent off to Mair. Will she be happy to see that my efforts are finally paying off? Or will she be worried when Halle arrives alone?

Armin clears his throat from where he sits on the other side of the fire. I look up to find him watching me, head cocked to the side. “What are you thinking about?”

I don’t feel like explaining my worries to him. So instead, I ask, “What did Halle bargain for, to have to spend so long in seclusion?”

He studies me, the only sound between us coming from the crackling of the fire. “Her story is an odd one, you know. She was raised in a cult that worshiped my kind—one that has been wiped from the history books now. We do our best to eradicate those who abuse the sort of things they can do with us—as cults often do. She was taught that creating bargains with my people was the right thing to do to solve any difficult situation. So was her mother, who bargained for a child with a demon when her husband died before he could give her the baby she so desperately wanted.

“Halle was afraid of making bargains, though. Terrified of the price she might have to pay, after seeing what so many people had to face. So she ran away. Joined a traveling circus—truly.” Armin laughs as if this is the funniest thing in the world. “She sang for them. Her and another girl, Yeni. Yeni and Halle fell deeply in love, and then... then Halle killed her.”

My mouth falls open.

He laughs again. “On accident, of course. Or so she claims, anyway. Halle never really explained to me what happened, and I don’t particularly care about the details. Hell, I feel like I already know too much about the girl.” He waves a hand in the air. “Anyway, she loved Yeni so much that she braved her fears and made a bargain with me—bring her back, and in exchange, she would spend half her life alone. Starting the moment Yeni’s heart began to beat. Halle had always been surrounded by people—she did not know how to be alone, never wanted to, certainly not after joining that circus and becoming their family.”

“That’s cruel.”

“Exactly,” Armin says, nodding. “As I’m sure you’ve figured out, bargains are not supposed to bekind. If they were, everyone would make them. No—there is a price to pay for everything, Mavey.”

Yes. There certainly was.

My curiosity has been piqued, though, so I ask, “And how do you choose these prices? Do you just pull a sheet of paper from a hat and do whatever it says?”

“Of course not. I can name any price for the use of my services—it’s your choice if you accept that price or not. I’m good, however, at reading people. After so long, I’ve learned the predictability of mortals. Usually, whatever it is they’re bargaining for is something they so deeply desire—and it’s the very opposite of what they fear the most. It makes it easy to figure out what price they will be willing to pay but will hate doing.

“With Halle, she made the bargain for love. That was how I knew that loneliness would be something she’d hate to pay, but would be willing to do, simply because there would be a chance she’d get to see her Yeni again, no matter how far away that time was.”

I nod, sifting through his words. “And me? What made you decide the price that I would have to pay?”

Armin’s eyes flicker—or perhaps it is just the flames shifting in the reflection of his gaze. He stands, as if having decided that answering my question is something he is above doing. “I’m going to bed.” He turns toward his tent and takes two steps before halting, then facing me once more. “How would you like to come to Atheya tomorrow?”

I swallow. “I’m not going untilafteryou’ve fulfilled your part of the bargain and the fight is over, remember?”

He waves a hand through the air. “Oh, this isn’t permanent. It’s merely a visit.” Armin runs a hand through his black hair and says, “Most demon witches—the ones we know of, at least, if we can find them—have been offered the choice to live their life in Atheya. Some decline, of course, but others do not. It’ll be a hell of a lot easier to round up troops if they’re my loyal subjects that are forced to do my bidding, yes?”

“You’re going toforcethem into it?”

Armin shrugs his shoulders. “If I must. Though I doubt I’ll need to—some of them have been in Atheya for centuries. They’ve likely grown bored.”

Centuries. So— “They’re immortal? Demon-witches?” Did that mean Ender would live forever? And—and hadshebeen offered life in Atheya? Or had they not known where she was, if they’d even known she existed at all?

“Theycanbe, in my realm. Not yours, however.”

I nod, processing the information.

“So, Atheya tomorrow?”

---