One. I, Maren of Leihani, consent that I am bound by the promises I make in my life-blood, here within this contract.
“In my life-blood,” I repeated out loud, scrutinizing them as I looked up.
“Yes. Signing a contract in blood is binding by the life-force of your own breath and body,” Thaan replied, though his words did little to answer the question rolling around in my head. He correctly gauged my silence as confusion. “You’ll die upon breach of contract.”
“I see,” I breathed, hands spreading on the table’s surface. “So, this contract which will supposedly save my life also threatens it.”
Thaan didn’t react to my mocking tone. “In more ways than one.” He flicked his fingers, ordering me to continue.
But I wasn’t satisfied. “How will signing in blood threaten my life?”
Something about his posture made me wonder if he was verging on losing his patience, even as his body was a painting rendered in cool indifference.
“Because whether or not you believe it, you are a Naiad,” Thaan drawled. “You are born of the sea. I could sense it the moment I saw you. You felt it, too, when you saw me. Do you not experience that tingling in your spine when you look into the eyes of a Naiad? Did you not feel that with me? There are few of us left, and we are in desperate need of soldiers in our own fight. Your engagement will bind you to Calder, where I can train you, grow your abilities, mold you to fill the roles needed to winourwar.”
I gazed at him in desperation. ANaiad?My ability to comprehend somehow abandoned me. I was marooned, left alone on an island, watching a ship carry all judgment and reason over the horizon.
Thaan trained his eyes on mine, watching as my grasp on reality floated away.
I hated him.
Hated his icy blue eyes, his dry skin, his haughty voice, his thin fingers, his strange tunic. Hated the leverage he’d somehow gained on me, his superiority, his dominance. Hated his words, his explanations, his hidden intentions. I knew, undoubtedly, I was a pawn to him.
I hated him almost as much as I hated the traitor leaning against the wall, watching me in silence.
“You want to use me,” I said, focusing on the one aspect of his proposal that made sense.
“To put it bluntly, yes.”
“To do what?” I traced the words written in black ink with my fingers. Curled, straight, crossed, dotted.
Written words had meant little to me before. They meant everything to me now.
“To do whatever I need. Whenever I need.HoweverI need,” Thaan said, his lips barely moving.
“To be your slave. Your property.”
“I preferservant. It’s not intended to be forever.”
Dark laughter came from the side of the room where Kye stood. I ignored it.
Thaan waved his hand as though he had no time for either of us. “I do not care. This meeting has gone on long enough. Are you ready to sign?”
“No." I swallowed hard. "I'm a Naiad?”
He looked at me as if I was devoid of all intelligence. “Yes.”
“But I’m not.” I couldn’t be. The Naiads I’d known had raised me up and cheated me. They’d killed Irah—the one friend I’d ever made. And they hadn’t even tried to deny it. I wasn’t a Naiad. I refused to be one.
“You are, and I have no time to go over the specifics. It will all be encompassed in your training. Are you ready to sign?”
“No,” I spat again, realizing he thought I’d already read the entire thing. My eyes darted back to the written words, but the feeling of being rushed did nothing to help me puzzle out what they were. I struggled in silence, feeling the flames of hatred lick my body.
Two. I will not repeat the contents of this contract to any person or Naiad not involved in my studies.
Three. I consent to a betrothal between myself and Nikolaos Laurier of Calder for the duration of three years, at which time, the engagement will dissolve.
My teeth clenched as I stole a glance at Kye. He smirked at me. Sneering, my eyes dropped back to the parchment.
