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“It’s a good plan, Kazrith, it really is, but even a great plan can fail. It’s a big risk. What if it crashes and burns? I have a lot riding on this.”
“Of course you do. I understand that. Keep in mind that the only way this will absolutely fail is if we don’t try.”
I’ve said all I can say to convince her. The choice lies now solely in Hanna’s hands.
I hope she will use more of that bravery that got her to my carriage in the first place. It’s not just me that she needs now but herself, too.
11
HANNA
“Think it over, but I need to know before we get going again,” Kazrith says.
The zarryns neigh and whinny, the world before us calm but secretly tumultuous. Kazrith holds their reins, ready to go at a moment’s notice. I haven’t accepted that I’m free from Zathex, still looking over my shoulder, expecting him to discover me at any moment.
Leaving the comforts of New Solas, we now find ourselves on its outskirts, ready to journey to its docks.
Depending on my response, of course. It’s possible Kazrith will head off for Ikoth, and I’ll be left to fend for myself.
Am I seriously considering this?
He’s proposing a fake marriage arrangement. I barely know this demon, and immediately, he asks to marry me—or rather, to ‘fake-marry’ me. I’m still not convinced I could even pass as his bride, fairly unswayed by his arguments. Being married to him could draw unnecessary attention my way.
But the worst part is, it’s not a bad idea.
As long as we manage to convince people around us of its legitimacy, it could be a good cover for me.
A seething pain cuts through my side. I can still see the indentations of the metal cuffs.
Our shared mutual hatred of Zathex has been a strong uniting force.
He tells me to think it over, but I know the expected answer is the only answer I can give. Zathex is our one common quest. So naturally, I should say ‘yes.’
But I just don’t know if I can trust him.
“There’s just something I need to deal with,” I tell him, hoping to calm his insistence.
I think of my father, stewing in poverty, left to his own devices. I know him and I know Zathex.
I know Zathex probably hasn’t told my father. Which means that my father probably thinks I’m dead.
I hesitate to think of what impulsive actions my father might take out of desperation. I hope he’s still alive and that he’s kept his faith in my absence.
“Okay. Tell me what remaining business you have, and maybe we can work something out.”
His voice is gruff but not impatient. He looks at me expectantly.
Unlike many of the men I’ve encountered, he looks at me with a modicum of respect. And not just because of what he stands to gain from our interaction. When he looks at me, I feel seen.
But what if I’m wrong? What if I’m imagining things?
He could easily take advantage of me. I could be entering into an even worse arrangement than I had with Zathex, belonging contractually to another malevolent entity.
The thought gives me pause.
“It’s nothing major,” I tell him. “Never mind.”
He seems trustworthy, but I also know that as a businessman, he has to be. I’ve seen the wrangled goods in his carriage. I wonder how he obtained them all.
