With a knowing smirk, the Corrupter swung off his cloak and flung it over the chair on his left, revealing a silk, Varraen tunic, the deep green fabric woven with gold designs at hems and neckline. He sat down and flung back his long hair with both hands. That's when I noticed its length. The bits I'd seen were only the front pieces that hung just past his shoulders, but the rest of his hair went down his back to end at his waist. It was as beautiful as the rest of him.
Sweet Goddess, I hated his beauty.
“What would you like?” the Corrupter asked graciously. “A little of everything?”
I looked at the food and had a sudden thought that it could be poisoned.
The Corrupter paused. “I see. Allow me.” He ladled some of each dish onto his plate, then did the same with mine. “I will prove that it's safe to eat.” He took a bite of each delicacy, then switched plates with me. “There. Does that satisfy you?”
“I suppose it wouldn't make sense for you to let me live only to kill me with poison.”
“Precisely.”
I started to eat, and it was sublime. “You're a good cook.”
The Corrupter laughed brightly, then jerked as if he'd been shocked by the sound. “You are . . . not what I expected, Ember.”
“Thanks?”
“You're welcome.”
“I take it that means you didn't cook all this.”
“No, my soldiers cook and see to the castle.”
“Your soldiers? You mean the Corrupted?”
“What a horrendous name,” he huffed and poured some wine into his glass. “Wine?”
I nodded, and he filled my glass.
Then he went on, “Yes, the humans I've empowered work here when they're not fighting for freedom.”
“Fighting for freedom?” I gaped at him. “You certainly have a warped perspective.”
“Do I?” He cocked his head at me. “Do you know what the humans were before I started this war?”
“What they were? What do you mean by that?”
“They were slaves to the other races, Ember. I freed them.”
“Right,” I said in a scoffing tone.
“It's true,” he said firmly. “Humans were enslaved by the immortal races, used as chattel. They were even bred like livestock, forced to have children that were strong enough to serve.”
“Fuck you,” I whispered. “That's a lie.”
“You see?” The Corrupter waved a hand at me. “This is the thanks I get from humans now. You all fear me. You think my gift is a corruption. Do you know why you think that?”
“Because you force people to accept your 'gift?'”
“I do that for their own good. Because the Emperor and his Wraiths have made humans believe I'm a monster. They've spread lies about me so that none of you trust me anymore. The only way for me to help you is to force my help upon you.”
“Anymore?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “You're saying that humans used to trust you?”
“Yes. Once, humans accepted my gifts eagerly. I'm telling you the truth, Ember. I freed your people. After I empowered them, the immortal races grew fearful. They freed all their slaves, but forced them out of the cities, into small villages. So small, they couldn't form armies. I had to step in and form an army for them.”
“If they were freed, why would you need to form an army?”
