“That’s right,” the princess said, stepping closer to the prisoner. “So he’s not a Territhian.” She grabbed his chin, pulling his face up, then gasped at what she found there. “Father, do you know what you have here?”
“A man in need of punishment?”
Demaylia laughed. “Not quite. This is the last remaining Vartik.”
Rantel burst out laughing. “You’re joking.”
The princess shook her head. “Only one way to find out.” She extended a claw and deliberately scratched her own palm, then took a drop of Nojan’s blood and smeared it on the cut. It disappeared in moments. “This proves it!”
The king dropped the scourge. “Do you mean to say that this creature is one of the mythical Vartik?”
“Yes. And that means his blood is more precious than any gems or treasures you currently possess.” Mayra watched in horror as Demaylia’s eyes lit up with greed, remembering what the princess had told her before. “Let’s string him up, bleed him slowly, milk him for centuries. We’ll have more money than we know what to do with.”
Rantel laughed. “Fuck that. Let’s slit his throat and harvest it all now.”
“No!” Mayra screamed, but it didn’t matter. Rantel put his arm around his darling daughter and they began plotting, heads together, how best to drain Nojan of all his blood for maximum profit.
“Please, if you’re out there, help me.” Mayra had never once prayed to the light goddess, but now she felt as if she had no choice. If the Goddess of Light truly did watch over her family, perhaps she’d intercede now. It was the only hope she had.
Mayra closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. “Please help me.”
She could hear Nojan begin to scream and felt an answering scream in her own soul.
