I whipped around. No one should be able to recognize me so easily from behind with my crown on. “Who are you?”
An Elven male with cropped blond hair met me with a wide smile. “I’ve heard you’re looking for information. We need to speak. Privately.”
“You may call me Rivel,” the male said, taking a seat in the velvet armchair of the private leisure room he’d led us to.
Against my better judgment, I’d followed him with little argument or question. Curiosity had driven me to throw my inhibitions to the wind. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t follow strangers to dark, secluded rooms. All important lessons if you wished to survive the world in its current state. All lessons I’d chosen to ignore, hoping to discover the truth of my situation at the Consortium.
I was not without a plan, of course; I’d tucked a small, sheathed dagger between my breasts. It wasn’t much in the way of blades, but it would do the job if following Rivel turned out to be a mistake, so long as I kept my wits about me. I had my magic too—if necessary. Though since my duel with Jyuri, I’d been hesitant to tap into it. Only if it was an emergency would I do so. Only then.
“You knew my name,” I stated. “I’ve never met you before.”
He pointed to the chair across from him. “Take a seat. You’re making me nervous.”
Rich, all things considered. It was an obvious deflection, but I took a seat, if only to get him talking.
“Much better.” Rivel smiled. “I’ve heard you’re looking for information on the Grand Arch Magus.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Have you?”
“The walls have eyes and ears. You should keep your desires closer to your chest should you wish them to remain a secret.” His eyes wandered to my chest as he spoke the word, and a panic rose within me, wondering if he’d somehow noticed the blade concealed beneath the fabric.
“You’ve yet to make this conversation worthwhile, Rivel.” I didn’t allow the alarm to reach my face. “I’m not interested in wasting my time here if you’ve nothing of import to say. I should get back to the ball.”
He chuckled. “So serious, aren’t you? I didn’t mean to steal you from your date, but you didn’t look too satisfied with him.”
“You’ve been watching me.” My heart hammered in my chest. All of my internal alarm bells were ringing, but if I played this right… “Who exactly are you? I want answers, or I’m walking out of here right now.”
“You could say I am one of Alandris’ peers. We work together on a little side project outside of the Mages Consortium.”
“A side project?”
He continued as if I’d said nothing at all, “I didn’t think it could be true—that he would hide you here under all our noses. Most people wouldn’t recognize you at first sight, but the second you turned around, and I saw those creepy, blood-red eyes, I knew. My father hunted you once, a couple hundred years ago. You murdered him while I was still a child, but he graciously left behind a journal detailing everything he’d learned about you.” He sneered. “I kept it to myself. I’m the one who deserves tohunt you, monster, and I’ll be the one to end you for good. You will die by my hands. No one else’s.”
Rivel shushed me when I opened my mouth to speak. “There is a chance Alandris didn’t know what you are. I suppose I could give him the benefit of the doubt and spare his life.” He tilted his head to the side. “Did you come here to hunt him? To murder another member of the Divine Council?”
“What are you going on about?” I snapped, nails digging into the arms of my chair. “I don’t know you, or your father, or what the Divine Council is!” My heart was pounding in my chest. Rivel was insane. I’d followed someone who was out of their damn mind.
“Shut up!” His voice boomed. “I’m right, aren’t I? You’re picking us off like flies. How many more of us will you slaughter in cold blood? You’re no god! You’re an abomination to our Holy Goddess!”
I stood up in a swift motion, nearly losing my balance against the chair.
“DO NOT MOVE!”
Monster. My little monster, you need my help, don’t you?
My hands shook. Though I’d been desperate to, I’d not reached for my magic, and still that voice roused within me.
Let me show him true slaughter, it hissed.
“No!” I shouted, bringing my hands up over my ears. “No. No. No.”
Rivel laughed something wicked and broken. “My father was right. The monster is trapped inside of you, poor girl. I almost feel bad for you.” He pulled a knife from inside his suit jacket with a crazed look in his eyes. “Then I guess we have to… CUT IT OUT!”
He lunged at me so quickly I barely had time to react. I ripped the dagger from its hiding spot with just enough time to dodgeand hold it out in front of me, creating distance between us as he leaped back.
“I will not spare you if you attack me again,” I warned, keeping my voice as steady as possible. “I am offering you one opportunity to drop your weapon and leave.”
Rivel cackled. “I do not fear you, girl, nor the thing that lives within.”
