Page 33 of Demon Bound

The sentry brought them to the shepherd—a rotund, stern-looking old woman with a cane of gnarled wood. She looked over the behelgi with a discerning, critical eye as the sentry returned to her post.

“Are they stolen?” she asked, getting right to the point.

Raiya gave a nervous smile. “Would you buy them if they were?”

The woman was already circling the behelgi. Either the animals were well trained or she was just good with behelgi, because they allowed her to poke and prod them freely. “Doesn’t matter unless they’ve got a brand on them, and it seems that they don’t.”

“You’re not worried about being accused of stealing?”

She shrugged. “We’ll be accused of stealing either way. Doesn’t make much difference.”

“I see.”

“The animals seem to be in fair condition. What’s your price?”

“I’d be happy just to see them go to a good home. How about thirty marks, a place to sleep for the night, and enough food for two people for the next few days?”

The shepherd snorted. “Enough food forhim?”she asked, jerking her chin at Azreth, who squinted back at her. “He looks like he eats for three.”

“Enough for two is fine.”

The woman made an indecisive sound, as if Raiya was asking too much. Raiya, who knew the animals were worth significantly more than what she was asking, just smiled.

Eventually the shepherd relented, handing over a small pile of coins and then pointing her to one of the smaller fire pits. Raiya relinquished the train of behelgi and went where she was told. Even without looking, she felt Azreth’s weighty, dark presence following silently.

She sat down on one of the hides that had been laid beside the fire. No one else was around it yet—most were gathered near the musicians. Azreth reluctantly knelt beside her, resting his hands on his knees.

They were left alone there for some time, and as Raiya listened to the distant music and laughter and the fire crackling, her breathing began to slow. Her muscles loosened. She let out a long breath and closed her eyes and tilted her head side to side, stretching her neck. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been for the past few days.

No. It had been more than days. Weeks. Months, even, since she’d felt like this.Safe.That was what this feeling was. She felt safe. For the moment. She wanted to grab on to that feeling and hold it for dear life, because she knew it was going to slip away before long. She wanted it to last. She wanted to keep it for as long as she could.

Azreth was still scanning the camp restlessly, like he was deep in enemy territory. Maybe to him, it felt like he was. She didn’t know how anyone could feel that way in a place so cheerful, though.

She suddenly felt guilty for bringing him here. She didn’t think he would attack anyone, but if he did, she would be responsible for it. She’d brought a terrible danger into these people’s home—a danger they’d never truly agreed to host.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him.

“There are many people here.”

“Does that worry you?”

“I did not think there would be so many.”

She raised her eyebrows. “We haven’t even reached a town yet. There are only, what, two hundred people here?”

“There are more in the cities?”

“Of course.”

His fingers balled into fists on his knees as he continued eyeing their surroundings.

Raiya wondered if the Roamers would even be able to harm him if they wanted to, which of course they didn’t. Their tent stakes looked like they might have been iron, she noted. She wondered if being stabbed through with iron could actually kill him, or if it would only hurt. Somehow, she suspected he wouldn’t appreciate her asking.

“My strength is waning,” he said pointedly.

She tried not to show how nervous that statement made her, with all these vulnerable people nearby who would be subject to his hunger if it grew too great. “I’ll help you. Tonight, once we find someplace private.”

Some of the tension in his face disappeared, but it gave way to something vaguely tired. He looked away.

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