Drove me through a town that shouldn’t exist.
To a prison that shouldn’t sully the palace.
With a bizarre parvnit on my shoulder, chirping like a bird.
The demigods hadn’t withdrawn their influence from my world.
So what would happen if they weren’t given their proper due?
Most of all, was this world still my own?
Chapter6
There’s Something Very Wrong with My Prisoner
“Okay, murderess,” Cosette called up—too cheerily—from where she sat atop my shoulder, swinging her legs totap, tap, tap, tap-tapagainst me.
“Unless … maybe you’ve changed your mind and want to tell me your name after all?So I don’t have to keep calling you ‘murderess.’”
I’d been called worse, though by none who lived for long after.
“Alright.Suit yourself.‘Murderess’ it is.I mean, it is what you are and all.Still … we could be friendlier, you and me.”
Tap-tap.Tap-tap.Tap, tap.
“If you keep hitting me with your feet, you’ll be getting real friendly, real fast with my fangs.”
Her legs stilled mid-swing before coming to rest gingerly against me.“Whoa.There’s no need for that.Keep your fangs to yourself.”
“Fangs aren’t my first choice either.But I’m fresh out of knives.”
“Are you intending to attack me, murderess?”Gone was the cheer.
“Wouldn’t you?We’re nearing the palace?—”
“How did you know we’re close to the palace?You haven’t recognized anywhere else we’ve been, practically.”
I bristled.The parvnit observed too much, dammit.Read into everything I did and said—or didn’t do or say.
“We’re nearing the palace,” I said, “and once we get there, you plan to imprison me.Wouldn’tyouattack you?”
She shifted her bony ass against my shoulder bone.The dragort wentclop, clop, clop, clopover cobblestones, winding steadily up, up, up toward the palace.
“Iwouldn’t attack anyone without lawful reason and authority,” Cosette claimed.“I adhere to the dominion of the emperor.”
I scoffed.“Yeah.Sure.I believe you.”
“Well, you should!I’d never break the dominion.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t.I’m a soldier of the empire.”
“Soldiers break the rules all the time.Especially when no one’s watching.”
“You’re watching me right now.”
“No, I’m not.My eyes blur when I look down at you.”
