He shifts his weight uneasily.
“Look, I’m not saying you’re safe here,” he adds. “But I’ve been watching the last few days.”
His eyes flick toward my hands.
“You’ve had plenty of chances to kill someone.”
“That observation is correct.”
“But you didn’t.”
I shrug faintly.
“Restraint has been requested of me.”
“By her.”
“Yes.”
Corvin studies me another moment.
“Most demons I’ve heard about wouldn’t bother with that.”
“Most demons,” I say with a faint smile, “are not bound to a healer who insists on saving the very people trying to accuse her.”
“That sounds inconvenient.”
“It is deeply inconvenient.”
Despite himself, Corvin lets out a quiet laugh.
“That’s the only reason I’m standing here instead of running.”
“Your logic is admirable,” I tell him.
“Don’t make me regret it.”
I step past him toward the mouth of the alley, studying the rooftops surrounding the square. Escape routes. Sight lines. Possible ambush points. The village is poorly designed for containing something like me. But it is more than capable of containing Elowen. If they cage her— The thought stops there.
Behind me, Corvin speaks again.
“You’re planning something.”
“I am evaluating several possible responses.”
“Like killing the council quietly?”
“That is currently one of the more appealing options.”
He grimaces.
“Yeah… that’ll probably make things worse.”
“Oh, unquestionably,” I agree. “But it would also be very satisfying.”
“But you’re still thinking about it.”
“Constantly.”
