Page 51 of Keeping Sarah

When he saw Sarah, he smiled, and his smile was even more unsettling than when he had put his face on. “You brought friends, Rex, how nice,” he said jovially. “Did you come to let me have a go at her? Or them?”

Jac’s fist balled at his sides, anger vibrating off him, but he said nothing.

Sarah stepped forward. “Tolkabern, Rex is not with us.”

His weird black and white eyes narrowed on her. “And yet you come to me anyway? Am I to understand you seek retribution for the blood and hair?”

“No,” she said, lifting her chin high. “It was Rex who allowed that to happen. I’ll take that up with him. What I am here for is…I need your help.”

He laughed, the sound more than a little deviant. “Thecontraneeds my help? Thisisa delicious evening.”

Fuck. He knows what she is. This is not good. We need to leave.

Sarah continued. “I have separated from Rex, but I feel like there is still something wrong with me—like he’s still in me. I’ve heard that ghosts can leave remnants behind. Is that something you can help me with?”

He smirked with superiority. “I could, but I will not.”

“Why not?” I asked before she could.

He looked at me like he was surprised I had a mouth to speak. “I believed you to be her servant.”

I ignored his remark. “Why will you not help her?” I asked again.

“Because,servant,” he sneered. “I want things she would not give me.”

“Name your price,” Jac growled.

“Oh,” the magician scoffed. “Twotalking servants? You are a peculiar contra, indeed.”

“You say that like there is more than one contra,” Sarah said defensively.

“Mmm,” he purred, his two eyes looking her up and down in a way I did not like. “Did you really believe you are the first contra?”

We all looked at each other, before she glanced back at him and said, “Well, yes.”

He laughed heartily. “Each era of conduits gets a contra. It’s not in their holy texts, but there is a great deal of life that is not in those books. I should think they would have learned that by now. Truly, your people should expand their repertoire.”

“All of that aside,” I said, trying to keep my tone even, “what is it you would ask of the contra that she would not pay?”

This time, those eyes ran up and downmybody. “You.”

Revulsion immediately clenched in my stomach. “Me?”

He shifted his sly gaze to Jac. “And him.”

Jac’s entire body tensed. “Come again?”

“The payment is quite simple, actually,” he said in a cunning tone. “I would have the both of you in my bed.”

“Absolutelynot!” Sarah blurted.

Black and white eyes snapped back to Sarah. “And that is why you will live with the remnant eating your soul, Contra. I wish you the best of luck, destroying the conduits.” He nodded his head and began to walk away.

My heart pounded so hard, I thought I would die, but I had to ask it anyway. “A compromise, magician?”

He stopped and turned back around, tipping his head to the side. “I’m listening.”

“You can have me and him in your bed—"

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