Page 31 of The Song of the Void

His words were met with crushing silence for a few moments before Vaetrik broke it with an annoyed sigh. I could have warned Gatelo of what was to come. Maybe I should have. But as usual, Vaetrik’s presence kept my lips shut tighter than a clamshell.

He smoothly drew his pistol and shot our ship carpenter in the forehead without even looking his way. Somehow, I managed to not flinch at the crack of sound or the gunpowder smoke that burned my nose, but I did cast a glance at Gatelo’s already still corpse. Poor fool, even if he had turned on us. He was an idiot for believing in Vaetrik’s promises, just like I had been.

“Now, where were we?” The scorching-hot barrel of his pistol seared my skin as he used it to lift my chin. “You were going to tell me how much you missed me.”

The only thing I miss is the girl I was before I met you.

As if I could ever pull together enough courage to speak to him that way. To speak to him at all. My lips quivered as I stared at him, horrified that I was once again looking up at the man who broke my willpower over and over again until I had nothing left.

He holstered his weapon, his smile chilly and calm. “I suppose we should talk business before pleasure, hm?”

I cringed. His voice felt quiet, yet somehow, it positively boomed with power.

“I heard you’re helping the Timebreaker retrieve the Voidtome. Is that true? What made you decide to do that?”

Panic bloomed in my chest. Took over my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t look into his eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to form words, or even sounds.

“No, you wouldn’t do that on your own. You have no choice because of this, hm?” Vaetrik ran his hand along the golden choker around my neck. At my continued silence, his fingers wrapped around my throat, far tighter than the collar.

“Answer, pet,” he ordered.

Answer him, Zephra. Come on!

Even if I found the strength to tell him what he wanted, his grip on my throat would strangle the words. Besides that, I could hardly even focus on what he was saying. My head overflowed with the memories of his misleadingly kind voice.

“Zephra, it was all a joke, I promise! Come on, I’ll let you out.”

A glimmer of hope, before the inevitable impact of my face with the damp wooden floor. Laughter, cold and resounding in the dark, cramped hold of his new ship, the Ocean’s End.

Laughter broke the awful silence before I could get a sound out. Not Vaetrik’s laughter, though it was still patronizing. It didn’t feel like it was directed at me.

“Damn, I thought I’d never see her shut up, but you made her completely speechless.” Reiven tilted back his head as he laughed before leveling a smirk at Vaetrik. “Why am I not impressed?”

He’s crazy. That idiot doesn’t know who he’s dealing with, and he’ll go out the same way as Gatelo.

Vaetrik stalked over to him and glowered. If Reiven was already getting under his skin with a comment like that, he wouldn’t last very long. Hopefully Vaetrik made it quick for him⁠—

Wait, according to Ash, if Reiven died, the tether between us would instantly kill me too. Vaetrik considered Reiven for a long moment and drew his sword.

“W-w…” I couldn’t get out a full word, just a pathetic sound.

Luckily, rather than cleaving Reiven’s head from his shoulders, Vaetrik leaned closer and dug the tip of his blade into his fresh gunshot wound. Aside from a muscle tightening in his neck, Reiven hardly reacted. Maybe he was used to masking all the pain I sensed in him when we first met.

“Who is this, pet?”

“Reiven Miyasagi, the Timebreaker’s bodyguard. Your ‘pet’ and I are bound together, so she won’t be going anywhere without me.”

It was Vaetrik’s turn to laugh as he returned to my side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders in a fake show of comfort. “Did you tell him about me? That I was the first man who ever laid eyes on you? Have you told him that no matter where you go, or who you’re with, you will always be my pet?”

My body shook. After a moment of hesitation, I met Reiven’s eyes and found confusion and annoyance.

“Ah. I get it,” Reiven said. “You must be the reason she hates pirates. She did mention you were always…overcompensating for something.”

Oh, he’s trying to get me killed.

“Is he telling the truth about this binding?” Vaetrik raised an eyebrow at Shaddan.

The Druinn general pursed his lips and lifted his chin. “The bastard interrupted my spell at the banquet. Unfortunately, he’s the one who holds the bond, and only he can release it.”