Page 68 of To Free a Soul
“Just so. I have a question.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure I’m feeling benevolent enough to answer it though.”
Lindiwe rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. “Why? Why her? Why a human? Why take her from Orpheus?”
“I believe that was four questions.” He leaned to the side to look at Merikh. “That was four, wasn’t it?”
“I wasn’t listening,” Merikh rumbled.
“No. Too busy imagining all the best ways to claw off her head, I see.”
His answering grunt was in confirmation.
“Why not her? She’s pretty, and I found her quite entertaining as she bossed Orpheus around his home, with him none the wiser to her hateful gaze.”
“What makes you think she’ll find you any better?” Lindiwe countered. “She hates Duskwalkers, and you didn’t consider the impact on your companion?” Then Lindiwe shifted slightly towards Merikh. “She thinks your kind are disgusting creatures that deserve the most painful death. This is what he’s brought to you.”
Merikh shrugged his meaty shoulders. “Like I give a fuck.”
“See?” Jabez said, gesturing towards Merikh. “He doesn’t care, and neither do I. As you stated earlier, I have a pretty face. That already makes me better.”
He had the callousness to say that right in front of another Duskwalker.
Lindiwe laughed. “You’re perfect for each other. Egotistical, arrogant, and self-absorbed.” She laughed harder until she had to hug her aching midsection. She may have overdone it just a smidge to be as condescending as possible. “You’re going to drive each other up the fucking wall, and I’ll be alive to watch it strangle you both because you’llhateit.”
“You may have Weldir’s magic, but you definitely don’t have his foresight.”
“Foresight?” Lindiwe stated curtly, because she’d never heard anything more absurd than that power-lacking demi-god having any foresight. “Ahh, Jabez, you have no idea.”
“You’re beginning to annoy me, Lindiwe.”
She wiped away a fake tear. “Fine. I’ll say what I really came here for. That woman noted how she wished to kill Orpheus.” Lindiwe sobered from her humour and gave them all a malicious grin, even the confused Demons sitting to the right. “If you come near him again, I’ll make sure you regret taking her. I’ll rip out her spoiled and rotten heart and I’ll eat it myself before her dying eyes, then I’ll take her soul for Weldir to eat, and she can spend eternity in his realm, and we’ll make sure it’s worse than the hell she is so afraid of.”
Katerina’s bottom lip fell in disbelief, and Lindiwe soaked in the utter horror in her expression.
“If you want a real monster, Katerina, I’ll give you one.”
“That’s quite the threat,” Jabez said, cupping his jaw. “Kind of makes me want to try.”
“I see you were able to regrow your arm,” Lindiwe retorted, interlocking her fingers behind her back. “Try regrowing your head.”
Then she spun around and headed towards the exit, slowing as she passed Merikh without looking up at him.
“I’m disappointed in you, Merikh,” she murmured.
“Me?” Merikh exclaimed while touching his chest with a claw. “What the fuck did I do?”
“You helped.”
Then she continued on.
“Is no one going to stop her?!” Katerina yelled.
“There’s no point,” Jabez responded with a sigh. “She’ll just turn intangible and avoid it. She can literally do what she wants.”
Exactly.
At least he had some sense.
