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Kazrith furrows his brows at me. “I would never own a human slave. Demons who do that are lazy, and I am nothing like that.”
“It’s only for pretend. Please. I’ll do anything.”
“Again, with the pathetic pleading.” Kazrith waves a hand through the air. “Enough with that. You make it difficult to focus when you act like a helpless animal.”
“Sorry. But I’m serious. I can help you somehow.” I just don’t know how I’ll do so.
I need to figure something out quickly. If he thinks I’m too much of a liability, he’ll leave me at the port and I can’t let that happen. The xaphans will talk. Word will reach Zathex, I know it will. And then he’ll come back to finish what he started.
Bile rises in my throat at the thought of seeing him again after all he’s put me through. He’ll hurt me. He’ll destroy me. For my own good, I can’t leave Kazrith’s side.
Our journey continues further along. Kazrith focuses on the road, grip tight on the reins, and the foliage around us thins as we trudge along towards the waters. I’ve never been to Ikoth before; I’ve only heard the rumors of how strange and horrifying it is. The red sky, the demons surrounding you everywhere you go.
Maybe it’s not as bad as others make it out to be.
I never thought that continent would one day be my salvation, but here we are. I’d do anything to make it there with Kazrith.
The lengths Zathex has pushed me towards have become too far. He will pay for what he’s done to me. He doesn’t deserve those wings of his, and when I get the chance, I’ll sever them off myself and throw them into an open flame.
10
KAZRITH
Over the years, I’ve lost count of how many stowaways have tried to hitch a free ride in my cart. None of their attempts ever boded well for any of them.
So why have I stayed my hand for Hanna?
On one hand, it feels inherently wrong to harm such a breathtaking specimen. I’ve seen many humans here in New Solas, whether passing by the auction house or driving past a newly bought slave being paraded down the street by their new owners.
Like any creature, there are those who are prettier than others and some who leave a lot to be desired.
Hanna, however, is in a whole different league of her own. It surprises me that she has not yet mentioned any relationship with a human mate. I’d have thought the human males would scratch and claw over her.
But her appearance is not all that matters.
Hanna has told me of some of her ordeal thus far. I cannot help but imagine what I would have done if I were in her shoes.
She thinks the same way I do; cunningly and resourcefully, on her feet for the sake of survival.
But I am a volvath demon. I stand more of a chance in this world than a female human does, and yet here she sits beside me, having beaten all odds.
“You should not have made it out of captivity unscathed, Hanna, let alone alive,” I say.
“When you’re desperate, you don’t go down so easily.”
Her tone of bravery and defiance is quickly becoming a mainstay of her charm, something I can’t help but admire.
Of all the humans I have seen in my lifetime, this woman alone possesses an aura that no others have displayed. I’m drawn to Hanna in a way that is so jarring, yet magnetizing. The human woman is fascinating, and I find myself unusually eager to find out more about her.
“It’s indeed a precarious situation you find yourself in,” I say, keeping my eyes on the road. “You mentioned that you were on a quest to retrieve your wings, was that right? Tell me more of that.”
“Yes, it’s something that a lot of human men and women aspire to. It’s thought to bring a lot of fortune to one’s family, but few rarely ever seem to succeed.”
She pauses for a moment, then her next words come out as a hiss through clenched teeth.
“We’re all assigned to a xaphan mentor to oversee our progression. Mine took a very particular liking to me to the point where he was only after me as a mate. Fucking Zathex…”
That name…
