Page 136 of Season Warriors & Wolves

“Nobody. She is already here,” I sing-songed, tying my hands behind my back and skipping into the city. “Hope she wants to play with me. I really want to play.”

“I want to play with you, auntie!” Lila screamed and her mother winced.

“Not with this toy, kid. She bites.”

“Ah, the fresh scent of desperation,” I said, crossing through the Valley of Death. The tune of my whistle travelled down and between the wide ravine corridors, letting the sound grow louder and rumble across the mountains, echoing.

I stopped and turned, crouching down to her. “You look deathly, Malena. How are you enjoying Olympia so far?”

She shivered despite her cold blessing, her face had sunken below the frost covering her skin and malnourishment, and even her beady large black eyes had shrivelled. Crawling away from me, she hid her face between her knees and long white hair.

“Do not be afraid. What is the worst I can do to you, dear? Kill you?” I laughed—loud enough for the echo to return almost like the sound of thunder.

“Do it,” she whispered, shaking. “Kill me.”

I tilted my head to the side, considering. “Beg.” Had she even given my people a chance to do so that night? Had she let children, men, women and elderly beg when she’d slayed them that night?

Her mouth trembled. “Please…please kill me.”

How anticlimactic. “How about I make a deal with you,” I said, picking up her chain and tugging till she was standing right beneath my feet. “A redemption of sorts. You’ve got a load of redeeming to do in my hell first before you go to any other.”

All faint wrinkles of hope creasing her forehead disappeared and she curled into herself again. It annoyed me beyond belief. “Why do you protect him when he did nothing to protect you? He threw you out of your position, his court, his side and your home when you no longer served him any purpose.”

“Serving him was my purpose. That purpose expired. It is nothing I hold against him.”

What an idiot. What an idiotic way to live. “Don’t make me feel sorry for you, Malena. I am not very nice to those I pity and I want to be nice to you,” I said, caressing her hair away from her face.

Her eyes were empty, looking up at me. “What do you want from me that you have to speak to me to get?”

“But I like hearing your voice,” I said, sitting cross-legged before her. “Especially when it is so fearful and shivering. And I am feeling somewhat kind lately. You look like someone who might need some of my kindness.”

She shook her head. “You’ve wasted your time.”

“I really don’t think so.” I laid back on my hands and pointed my chin to a man a couple feet away from us. “You see him? I was thirteen when I chained him here and he was late human teen years when that happened. Does he look a day over nineteen when he should be in his thirties? You will not grow a day old, Malena, not an hour older than you were when I chained you here. Might want to consider for a moment.” I stood and twirled my finger in the air. “I can go for a walk and come back if you want that moment. You might not appreciate my contemporary art pieces, but the view is mesmerising from up top. Pale, bleak and hopeless.”

Her voice was faint, “Wait.”

“What was that?”

“In exchange for my death, what do you want?”

“Everything. From my father’s weaknesses to his biggest strengths. If there was one he shared those with, it would be you. And do you want to know how I am aware of that?”

She looked confused.

“Right before I sent my soldiers to take you, your precious king had sent his mercenaries to kill you. Why would anyone want to kill an old crone like yourself except if it wasn’t utmost unnecessary.”

She shook her head, denial crossing her dark eyes. “Cannot be.”

“Do I need a pen and paper?” I asked, sitting before her again.

Nia and Thora were waiting for me at the entrance of the valley, both had refused to join me in questioning the old Lady of Grasmere.

“Who wants some scones?” I asked, throwing my arms around both their shoulders. “You will want to celebrate when you hear what I’ve just learnt.”

Nia brought a bag of baby carrots from her pocket and stuffed one in my mouth. “What did you torture out of her this time?”

“Didn’t torture anyone.”