Page 58 of Infernium

“I need someone to watch her closely.”

“How close? As in watching her bathe?” Undoubtedly trying to get a rise out of me, he grinned, the sight of his teeth urging me to knock an unsightly hole in them with my fist.

“This is your last warning, or I will petition the guard to speed up your exile and carry out the task with the dullest blade.”

On a chuckle, he rolled his eyes again and shook his head. “How many centuries must a man live to become as vapid and miserable as you?” He waved his hand in dismissal. “You mixed breeds have no sense of humor. So, whatexactlyis the job?”

“You will be bound to her as a guard for a period of time. After which, in exchange, you will walk a free man.”

As if mulling it over, he stared off toward the darker half of his cell. “Guard her against whom?”

“I suppose I should first ask where you stand on killing me these days.”

“I fuck my own hand to thoughts of running my blade through you.”

Releasing a heavy sigh, I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “Glad to know you still think about me after all these years. You will protect her against anyone who might be a threat.” I loathed having to say what would surely put a smile on the smug prick’s face. “Including me.”

As expected, he grinned again. “And what’s to keep me from taking your head either way?”

“I am the only one who can grant your freedom. And let’s not forget, of all the times you’ve tried to kill me, I am the only one who did not fall victim to your blade.”

“Yes.” Grumbling to himself, he lifted his knee and rested his elbow there. “It pisses me off that you’ve spoiled an otherwise perfect record. These threats to her … who are they?”

Glancing around for anyone who might’ve been listening, I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “She is wanted by both the Infernal Lands and the Sentinels, for crimes against the heavens.”

“Fuck me sideways. Do you have any idea what the heavens would do to me, if they happened to get their hands on me?”

“It’s that, or sit here counting down the seconds to Ex Nihilo. As someone who’s been there, I can tell you, death at the hands of a Shee’vai would be less torment.”

His body jerked with a snorted laugh. “I’d take your cock over one of those crazy banshees. And just how, pray tell, did you escape Ex Nihilo?”

“I’ll tell you on the journey back. Do we have a deal, or not?”

“How long am I indebted to you? Just gauging whether, or not, exile would be worse.”

“She is due to begin transition to cambion after the baby is born.”

“Baby?” The amusement on his face twisted to repulsion. “What sick world would grant you spawn?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer before he rubbed a hand down his face and said, “All right. Fine. I’m in. If you’d kindly get me the fuck out of here now, I’d appreciate it.”

With a half-smile, I nodded. “Guard!”

The burly guard from before strode toward us, and as he passed the purple-haired girl who called out for him, he smacked a baton against her cell, the clatter of iron echoing down the hallway. On arriving at Vaszhago’s cell, he pulled a set of keys, and the moment the door opened, Vaszhago jumped to his feet in a defensive stance.

As if he’d suddenly not trusted the guard.

Once he was upright, I could see thick black chains binding him to the walls, shackled to his arms and legs. Not the typical iron, I guessed, as they wouldn’t have properly held a savvy escape artist like Vaszhago. Scattered about the bits of skin visible through the holes in his clothes were cuts and bruises, obviously left by weapons hearty enough to leave scars. The kind of metal to which I’d grown quite familiar, as the same kind of weapons had been used on me as a boy. With a smirk, the guard yanked on one of his chains, and the demon stumbled toward him. Vaszhago rolled his shoulders back, gaining his composure, and looked the beastly guard in the eye. “When I’m free, I’ll return to this place for your head.”

The guard let out a chuckle, unlocking the cuffs from around Vaszhago’s wrists. The moment both were free, the demon swiped the blade from the guard’s pocket before he even had the chance to gasp, and not a second later, he stood behind the guard with the weapon propped at his throat.

“Don’t be foolish,” I warned. “Not when you’re mere steps from freedom.”

“Freedom? No. What makes you think that I would choose to be enslaved by you.”

“You kill him, and you’ll place me in the very precarious position of protecting my innocence. In other words, I’ll kill you myself.”

In my current state, I couldn’t even say if that was possible, but he didn’t need to know that.

Vaszhago lowered the blade and patted the guard on the arm, earning a snarl from the clearly humiliated demon. “We’ll resume our play some other time. My freedom awaits.” He dropped the knife, which scraped against the cement floor, and made a casual stroll toward the door, coming to a stop alongside me. “You’re shorter than I remember.”

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