Page 63 of Over the Emerald Valley
“Why, a blood demon, just as they say. A gift not without sacrifice. I gave up the sun, food, and drink but gained so much more. I’m tired of wasting away here in Sikait. I grow weary of trenches dug into the earth, rocks green as blades of papyri, and headaches over generals conducting audits. I’m beyond those details.”
“So let me see if I understand you correctly,” said Temaj carefully. “You propose turning one of us into a creature such as you are to run the mines so you can…what?”
“Leave.” Abasi’s eyes widened. “Travel. Find others of my kind. My sire might have been stupid, but his was not. She requires a partner here in Sikait to provide a constant stream of gems. And that partner will be one of you. But not to fear, for there are certainusesfor the other two as well.”
“What do you meanuses?” Temaj shuddered.
Abasi leaned forward. “What is a blood demon without blood?”
“I’m going to need you to defineblood demonif I’m to understand your meaning.”
“Well, I don’t eat food.” Abasi licked his lips. “And I don’t drink wine…”
“So you drink…?” Temaj was good at this awful game. Pulling information from Abasi without stoking his ire.
“Blood. And to drink blood, you need a constant supply. A few good slaves. So between the three of you, everything is covered.”
A spine-rattling shiver gripped Solon as he began to grasp what Abasi meant to do. “No.”
Temaj grabbed Solon’s wrist and squeezed. Solon understood Temaj wanted him to hold back, not to attack, but everything in him itched to fight.
Abasi sneered. “I could just as easily kill you three and find replacements.”
Temaj ducked his head, servile. “Is that really how you would treat a loyal slave?” Sadness tinged his tone as he spoke, such the actor was Temaj. “I have served you faithfully since the day of my arrival. I don’t wish to die nor to watch Solon or Neku die.”
“A loyal slave?” Abasi chuckled. “Loyal? Sneaking around with the pharaoh’s general? Creeping through the restricted part of the palace? You dare call yourself loyal?”
“He had no choice,” Solon insisted. “I made him do it.”
“Pfft.” Abasi snorted. “You know as well as I how difficult it is to make Temaj do anything he doesn’t want to do. Not that I tried. I liked his rebellious nature before he turned it on me.”
“I beg your forgiveness, master.” Temaj slid from his seat and landed on his knees on the stone floor with a hiss. “Don’t do this. We only want to leave in peace.”
Abasi stood. “Oh, how you lie your lovely lies.” As he stalked toward Temaj, every muscle in Solon’s body twitched. “Your precious general will never settle for peace. Not when he perceives a crime has been committed. That much is obvious even to me, and I haven’t slept with him.” Abasi took Temaj by the chin, lifted his face, and stared into his eyes. “Have I been crediting you with an intelligence you don’t actually possess all these years, hmm?”
Whether Temaj conjured the tears for effect or if he was actually crying, Solon didn’t know, but either way, he longed to kill Abasi for it. Maybe…
“Since you three refuse to listen to reason, I’ll waste no more words.” The viceroy squeezed Temaj’s jaw, thrust his head to the side, and shoved him over.
Solon and Neku rose at once. Neku grabbed the blade from Abasi’s belt, and Solon slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.
As fast as they’d acted, Abasi reacted even faster, flinging Solon off him as if he were but a housefly.
Temaj scrambled backward, but Abasi didn’t go after him. Neku bore the brunt of his next attack.
Abasi lifted the soldier off his feet and hurled him into the wall, spine first.
A sickening impact rang out, followed by a thud as Neku collapsed, then fought for air. The knife lay abandoned on the stones.
Though he had no time to grab the weapon and no real chance of success, Solon leaped at Abasi again. He fisted the viceroy’s jeweled collar and yanked.
Abasi stood immovable.
Solon reared back, spun, and aimed a powerful kick to Abasi’s kidney as the man turned to face him.
Pain. It was like kicking a marble statue. And worse, Abasi showed no sign the impact had affected him, aside from the irritated expression on his pinched face.
Then he was gone.
