“I was desperate.” The admission scrapes against my throat.
“Nothing good comes from desperate bargains.”
I cast him a bland look. “Trust me, that's becoming clearer by the second.”
His expression doesn't change, but amusement flickers through the bond, warm and unexpected. He clears his throat asif to dismiss it. “Mortiana is the only one who can answer that question.”
“Well, it's not like I can summon the goddess of death for a chat.” I shoot him a look. “How do you even know this is how I'm supposed to pay my debt?”
“Mortiana told me before I left Noktemore.”
My head snaps toward him. “You were in Noktemore? How?”
“I live there.”
I stop walking. Face him fully. “How? You're not even a…” I trail off, realizing how little I actually know about the realm of the dead.
He raises an eyebrow. “I'm not even a what?”
“I don't know. I thought only spirits lived there, and demons, maybe.” I study his face in the lamplight. “You're not a spirit, and I don't think you're a demon. Then again, that would be the least shocking revelation of the day.”
He huffs out a surprised laugh. “I'm not a demon. But I suppose that's better than a yak.”
“Slightly.”
He shakes his head, and we start walking again. “Noktemore is hidden, but it's a kingdom like any other. Many sought refuge there when the curse fell. Others, like me, remain until our bargains are fulfilled.”
“So you're stuck there.”
“For now.”
The answer gives me pause. I don't know if it's his size or his arrogance or the way he carries himself like a man who has never known captivity, but the idea of him being trapped anywhere feels wrong.
“For how long?”
“Until I break the curse.” His jaw tightens. “Each Reckoning, I'm given an opportunity. Usually I end up in Vindariel, where it all began, or one of the nearby kingdoms. This is the firsttime I've been sent to Lunaris.” He glances at me. “And the first time Mortiana has given me instructions. Which is why I believe you’re the key to ending this.”
“Right.” I try to resign myself to the fact that there's no escaping this. “Your friend mentioned it's the final Reckoning. I didn't realize there was a time constraint.”
“You might, if you hadn't traded your memories.”
I shoot him a withering look. “What exactly did Mortiana tell you?”
“She told me someone who owed her a debt would help me break the curse.” His golden eyes find mine in the dark. “And then I woke up here, tethered to you.”
“I don't understand why she'd bind you to someone who knows nothing about this curse.”
“Mortiana is fair, but she's still a goddess.” His voice turns bitter. “To them, we're pawns in a game that never ends. If she wanted to make this easy, she would have bound me to a mercenary or a scholar. Instead, she gave me you.”
The words land strangely. Not quite an insult. Not quite anything else.
“A mercenary,” I repeat dryly. “Does lifting the curse require you to kill people?”
He frowns like he's never even considered that and I breathe out a tired laugh. Of course, he wouldn't. He named his godsdamn sword Vida.
“What can I possibly help you with?” I ask after a moment.
“You've lived here your entire life. You know the streets, the people, the secrets this place keeps.” He ticks off points on his fingers. “You'll help me find the artifact I need. You'll teach me everything about Lunaris: the Council, the Sages, the residents, the visitors who come and go.” His eyes meet mine. “Everything. I want to know all of it.”
