Page 22 of A War of Embers

The rough edge of his voice only abates briefly. “I take it Sereia saw your veins.”

“She did.” When he doesn’t respond, I ask, “Does this change your mind? Are you going to help me?”

“It depends.”

“On?” I press when he doesn’t elaborate. At least he didn't outright deny me again like he did moments ago.

Lord Rowan scowls at me. “You don’t get to question me. Not when you’re demanding something from me without a bargain in place.”

Seriously? Not this again. “Fine.” I fold my arms across my chest and glare at him. “You want to bargain? Go for it. What do you want from me? To go murder a bunch of people? Fine. To sweep your entire estate? Show me where you keep the brooms.” Exhaustion of constantly battling someone to hear me begins to take hold. What’s the point of bargaining with him? He’s no better than Lady Gwenyth at the end of the day. Whatever he demands will only be a trick.

The defeat must show on my face because Lord Rowan’s glower eases. “Show me you truly want to die and I’ll agree.”

A half-hearted scoff leaves me. “Picking a fight with Zeke isn’t enough?”

“It shows you’re valiantly stupid, but not that you want to die.” Lord Rowan lifts a shoulder carelessly. “That’s the bargain. Show me you truly wish to die and I will oblige.”

Suspicion locks my spine. “That’s all you want?”

“The right to die is given to everyone, including immortals. If this is your truth, I will honor the agreement and remove the souls being housed in your body. I will need to read up and make sure by removing the souls, they too can rest in the Cliff of Embers, as I do not permit immortals in my realm without due cause.” He briefly pauses to lock eyes with me. “I will personally escort you to the Cliff of Embers in your departure.” He outstretches his hand for me to shake. A final gesture to seal our bargain.

Cautiously I reach forward until his surprisingly warm hand engulfs mine. This is the best offer I’m going to get. At least this way the souls inside of me should find peace too. “It’s a bargain.” Although it doesn’t feel like much of one to me with having to somehow prove I want to die.

Suddenly his hand tightens around mine, the line of tattoos on his arms slither down until they reach our hands. A cool tingle travels across my skin as the tattoo slips from him to me, swirling around our joined hands like a never ending knot.

The tattoo slinks away after a moment, climbing back onto his arm in a snakelike manner. It leaves behind a white opal ink tattooed on my skin of the same design on his neck and lower cheek. A series of swirls and sharp angles of geometric patterns on the top of my hand for all to see.

“It will be removed when the bargain is complete,” Lord Rowan explains. “Now, go back to the side of the estate meant for guests while you figure out how to show me how truly you mean what you say.”

I narrow my eyes on him. “Or I could just tell you right now.”

“Telling isn’t showing though, is it Keres?” A smirk crosses Lord Rowan’s face as he stalks towards me once again, backing me towards the wall I was briefly given a reprieve from. He places one hand on the center of my chest, moving at a speed too rapid for me to combat, pushing me backwards until I sail through the doorway back into the hall where Zeke and Alyvia are waiting.

My feet stumble backwards for several moments before I’m able to find my momentum to stop. I glare at the doorway but not a hint of Lord Rowan’s body is in view before the door seals closed with a resounding thud.

“You’re a bastard!” I shout at the closed door.

Zeke clears his throat. “And here I was thinking you only pleasantly spoke that way to me.”

I bare my teeth at the dragon, feeling slightly feral right this moment. Reaching forward, I try to shove open the door but it’s locked. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I shout. “How am I supposed to show you?”

Alyvia reaches forward, grasping the hand I used to shake Lord Rowan’s. “Please tell me you didn’t bargain with him.”

Zeke whistles in a low pitch, bending over to look at my hand in Alyvia’s. “Never bargain with a Lord, little monster.”

I snap my teeth at him. “Think you’re funny getting him to call me that little pet nickname?”

Zeke smirks, unruffled by my words. “Considering Lord Rowan is the one who donned you with it, I find it mildly amusing to get under your skin by using it as well.”

I’m officially reconsidering trekking back across the Blood Sea as of this moment. I hate the Lords and Ladies ruling these realms. Someone ought to kill them all off, leaving the mortals to fend for themselves at this point. They’d be better off and so would I.

“What would you like to do now?” Alyvia asks quietly.

A new plan begins to take form in my mind as murderous rage still lurks under my skin. Show the bastard I want to die. Fine. That can be arranged. “Take me back to the guest quarters.” She quickly begins to set off, practically running away from the study Lord Rowan is using like it’s diseased and contagious. I don’t mind the silent march back as new thoughts spin in my head.

There’s one sure way to die as an immortal with immediate ramifications. At least in Tellus, it would deliver death outright, so why wouldn’t it work here in Aïdes? All I have to do is try to kill a Lord or Lady. The option never presented itself in Tellus where I could be close enough to try, but here?

There’s one Lady people are talking about who’s been lurking around the estate who will do just fine.

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