Page 6 of The Demon Crown

Except he sat up on his elbow, looked them over, and then returned a wide-eyed gaze to hers. “Did you kill them?”

Why did he sound so impressed by that? “No,” she snarled, then wedged her shoulder underneath his at the opportunity. If she had to haul him to his feet, then so be it. “I did not kill them. They are asleep. And if you keep insisting on booming like that, then they will wake up and we will both die.”

He tried to lie down again, nearly dragging her with him. “The cage is open. I will kill them all when they are awake enough to see me coming.”

Varya grunted and pulled him upright again. He looked surprised, perhaps at her strength, before she wrapped her hands around his wrists and tugged even harder. “I will pull your arms out of their sockets. Get up.”

His gaze narrowed on her, but at least he started moving. He stood and for a second, she thought he would be all right. But then he listed to the side, and she had to shove herself back underneath his arm.

At least he looked frustrated about how weak he was. Frowning, he stared down at his flexing hand and watched it for a little too long.

“We have to go,” she hissed.

“Yes, little thief, we do.” He was still staring at that clawed hand, though.

Why? Why was he taking... so...

Ah.

His claws slid back into his hands as though he’d retracted them. That wasn’t entirely right, she didn’t think, because there were still nails on his hands that now looked very human. But...

No, she would not look too much into it. She was getting him out of here, dropping him off where he needed to go, and that was it. Good deed done. Her soul saved from all the stealing and lying and general thievery.

“Come on,” she grunted, shouldering far more of his weight than she wanted as they moved through the cave.

They had to pause a few times so Greed could step over the bodies lying about. She swore she saw a flash of gold in his eyes as he looked down at the Horde leader, and she really thought he was going to ruin everything by kicking the man.

Not that she wouldn’t like to give a good swift kick to his ribs herself, but a woman had to know when to pick her battles. And right now? The battle was getting outside and running like a demon king was on her heels.

Too bad she was holding the demon king upright. Otherwise, that thought might have had a little more punch to it.

They passed by the last Horde member, the one who still held that horrible knife in his hands, and she felt a shudder go through Greed. He straightened and then pulled away from her.

Before she could stop him, he’d snapped the man’s neck. So easily. Just a quick flick of his wrists and a dead man laid on the floor with his head at a wrong angle.

She flinched. Varya was embarrassed to admit it. She’d seen countless dead bodies in her time, had even killed people to stay alive. But… she’d never killed a sleeping man.

Greed picked up the blood stained blade. His own blood dripped from the metal, and he wiped it on his pant leg before sticking the naked blade into the belt loop at his waist.

“What did you do that for?” she hissed, grabbing onto him when he almost fell on top of the dead body.

“I wanted to leave a message.”

“What does that say?” She was dead. If the Horde knew she’d been here, she was so dead.

“That I survived,” he grumbled, then hooked his arm over her shoulders again. “And that I won’t forget.”

They stumbled out onto the sands together and she dragged him up over the nearest dune before they both slid down the other side on their butts. Varya helped him stand, made sure he was stable, and then wiped her hands off on her hips.

“All right,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “You’re welcome.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you, beautiful thief. When we return to my castle, you will be rewarded.” He nodded, his eyes going slightly cross-eyed and unfocused, before he found her again. “Whatever you wish, I will let you take.”

“I’m not bringing you anywhere. I saved your ass. Now you’re on your own.” And that was that. She wouldn’t help him any further. He was Greed! The man could probably whistle and have a thousand guards descend across the sands. “Good luck.”

“You’re... what?”

She didn’t stop to look at the disappointment or whatever else was on his face. She turned and started off. The journey ahead of her was long, tiresome, and if she didn’t get started, she’d be walking in the heat of the day and that was never a good idea. Never.

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