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“Vespyr.”
“Guard. I’d like this one, as well.”
“You’re bringing her?” Vaszhago groaned beside me. “Promise me I don’t have to share quarters with this one.”
Watching the guard reluctantly unshackle her from the wall, I chuckled. “I’ve a feeling she’d sever your nuts, if you went anywhere near her.”
“It’s true,” she said. “I actually have a collection of demon nuts. Wanna see it?”
* * *
Once back at the front of the building, the clerk had me sign the Empyreal Debenture and hand it off to him. He gave me Vaszhago’s belongings–a hooded cape, dagger, and a small bag of coin.
“What happened to my boots?” Vaszhago growled.
The clerk shrugged, lips stretched to a foxy smile. “I’ve no idea. What you see is what we have.”
“Bunch of lying thieves,” the demon grumbled and snarled back at the guards.
Nothing was handed off for the girl, and I turned to see her shrug. “Didn’t bring much.”
The clerk turned his attention back on me. “Would you like their bands unlocked now?”
“If I may have the keys, I’ll wait until after I’m in the safety of my own home.”
“Of course.” The clerk handed off a set of two keys–one for each prisoner–to the beastly guard beside him, who then passed them down to me.
With that, all three of us exited the building to the awaiting coach.
“What? No coachman?” As the son of an Infernal Duke, Vaszhago was no stranger to royal customs, but he’d long given up that life when he was recruited as a Knight.
“Good labor is hard to find,” I joked and turned to face him. Although ordinarily, my powers would’ve surpassed his, in their absence, he’d have made a much more intimidating opponent without that band at his throat. I flicked my fingers for his hand. “I’m certain the band would make for an uncomfortable ride back to the manor.”
Vaszhago let out an exasperated huff, offering up his hand.
“I believe you know the words,” I said, reaching beneath the carriage bench for the satchel I’d tucked there and the dagger held within it. Taking it into the prison would’ve been futile, as they would have confiscated it.
After muttering a string of curses, he cleared his throat. “I. Vaszhago Kemoran of Netherium do solemnly swear to uphold the integrity of the five realms or be at the mercy of mylord.” He garbled the words as if they left a bitter taste on his tongue. “For the span of eternity.”
Dagger held over his palm, I drew an X inside a circle with three dots, the glyph symbolizing theba’nixiumcurse, which would prevent him from harming Farryn. “Your life is bound to Farryn’s life. If she should die, so then will you suffer for eternity.” Inky-black blood oozed up from the marking on his palm and quickly sealed into a raised scar. “And let me add that if you lay so much as a finger on her, I will shove your hand so far up your own ass, you’ll be able to scratch the back of your throat.” At that, I slipped the key into the band at his neck and, with one click, removed it from over a bright red ligature.
Vaszhago rubbed the inflamed skin, as I handed off his cloak and dagger which bore the emblem of the Knights.
With a flick of my fingers, I urged Vespyr to come forward so I could remove her band, as well. As I reached to shove the key into the lock, she knocked my hand away, frowning. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Forgetting what, exactly?”
“The weird blood ritual thing you just did to him?”
Vaszhago sneered and climbed onto the carriage bench.
“I don’t feel the need to–”
“Because I’m a woman?” Arms crossed, she glared back at me. “Sexist asshole. You don’t think I’m capable of killing the two of you right now, if I wanted to?”
“I don’t have a history of mistrust with you.”
“Well, I insist.” She shoved her hand into my chest. “C’mon, pretty boy. Carve me up.”
