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The human woman scoffs. “I have no interest in your things. I just need to leave New Solas as quickly as possible.”
“And what’s your name?”
“Hanna.” She wets her cracked and bloodied bottom lip. “What’s yours?”
I smile slightly. I sometimes forget that pleasantries like this are important to humans. “My name is Kazrith. I’m a trader from Ikoth. I’m sure you’ve heard of my home.”
She picks at the hem of her dirtied dress. “Yes, I’ve heard that it’s the worst place to be if you’re not a demon.”
“Hah! And who told you that? One of those xaphans, huh?” I shake my head, leaning an arm upon the crate that holds all of my nimond beans. “Ikoth is a beautiful continent. It’s better than New Solas by a wide margin. And as a well-traveled trader, I mean what I say.”
Hanna swallows hard. I can see how her throat strains with the movement. “New Solas has always been my home. I’ve never traveled anywhere else before.”
“Tell me, Hanna, why have you found yourself in the midst of my collection? You’re running from something. Or someone. You used to be a slave. You’ve given me pieces to work with, but I’m still confused by your story.”
“Why would I lie to you?” she retorts, raising a brow. “I have nothing to my name. I have no money. I don’t want any trouble. I… I want to get home, but that’s not possible right now.”
“Why not? New Solas is your home, you just said so. You could climb down from this carriage and be on your way,” I reply, offering a shrug. “Why don’t you do so? I’m giving you permission.”
Hanna sniffs loudly, then hugs her arms over her body. She brings her legs to her chest and averts her gaze completely. I sigh, running a hand along my face. What am I supposed to do with a human like this?
“If you don’t start telling me the truth, I’ll have to leave you behind,” I say, hoping that my power over the situation will get her to talk. “I’m a businessman. I have a lot of things that need my attention, and if you’re unwilling to work with me, then I see no use for you.”
As I turn away, Hanna moves. “Wait.”
I perk a brow, curious to see what she does next. I’ve never been as captivated by a human before. It’s clear that she has more resolve, more determination to survive. That’s something I can admire. All species have a desire to survive. It’s what connects us down to the most integral level.
“I’ll tell you the truth. The full truth,” she says. “As long as you allow me to stay with you on your journey. That’s all I ask.”
9
HANNA
Adeep exhale escapes me, realizing that I’ve escaped death. For now.
When Kazrith emerged from behind the crates, towering over me in his shadow form, I nearly wept. I thought it was over for me. I thought I would never see my dad again.
Somehow, for some reason, he has decided to keep me alive. I don’t know much about this demon so far, but something tells me that he won’t hesitate to rip me to shreds if I give him a reason to.
“I just want to make sure I’m not compromising my business profits if I allow you to stick around,” he explains, eyeing me up and down. “Besides, we might raise a few eyebrows at the port if the xaphans see me transporting a human woman out of New Solas.”
“I-I understand, but believe me. I don’t mean any harm at all. Not to you, not to your business. I escaped slavery, that’s true, but I was never meant to be a slave in the first place.”
“That’s what they all say,” Kazrith says bluntly. “What makes you different from all the rest? Why do you deserve your freedom?”
I frown deeply. Are demons always so brusque with their words? “No one deserves to be a slave in the first place.”
“That’s highly debatable,” he shoots back. “Some beings don’t have any other use besides serving others.”
Shaking my head, it’s pointless to argue with him on this topic. Demons don’t have a good view of humans at all. Arguing with him might just make him toss me over the carriage wall and leave me behind.
“Well, that’s beside the point. I was never meant to be a slave. Before this, I was training in the xaphan facilities near the heart of the city. I wanted to earn my wings. I was so close.”
My voice cracks inadvertently, remembering all the tireless days and nights I spent training. For hours upon hours, I devoted myself to my training with the hope that I would receive my wings. Everyone was going to see me and what I accomplished.
Everyone was going to be so proud.
But Zathex took that from me.
