“Enough!” I barked. Looking at Guldan, I asked, “Did you see a copy of her contract?”
Guldan appeared chagrined as he shook his head.
“Then, it is clear that she could be telling the truth.”
“Could be?” the female interrupted.
“You wouldn’t be the first human to regret your choice to sign a contract.”
She lifted her hair, gesturing to the back of her neck. There were four bruises on her flesh, three on one side and a fourth on the other. They were the perfect size and shape of an imp hand.
“The bastard held me down on my own bed before he grabbed my hair and blew powder in my face that knocked me unconscious. He had gray skin, red eyes, and a bunch of sharp teeth. He didn’t look a damn thing like any of you.”
“So, you’re saying you were kidnapped by imps?”
“If that’s what those things are, then, yes. I was kidnapped by two imps. I didn’t talk to a daemon. I didn’t make a deal with anyone. And I definitely didn’t sign a contract.”
“Sir.”
I lifted a hand toward Guldan, causing him to fall silent. “If you don’t have the contract to support your claims, I can’t allow you or the men to keep her. You know this.”
“General, the men pooled their money to purchase her.”
I sighed. “How much?”
“Fifteen hundred crowns.”
“Fifteen hundred crowns! I didn’t even spend that for my sword!”
Guldan shrugged. “She was clearly strong and a fighter. I figured she could handle the soldiers better than the other females they had on stage. Most of them did nothing but cry or scream and cringe. It was a sound investment.”
The human woman made a disgusted sound. “Those women were probably crying because they’d all been kidnapped too, you dense jackass.”
I suppressed the bark of laughter that wanted to escape. This female wasn’t just strong, she was clever. And she was fearless.
All qualities I admired in both soldiers and females.
“I will reimburse the men,” I stated, which calmed the murmurs from my soldiers in the background. “But I won’t allow them to mount the human when she didn’t agree to a contract.” I pointed to the knife still in the woman’s hand. “Also, she was about to fillet my best soldier like a fish and none of you would have been able to stop her.”
His expression shocked, Guldan asked, “Where did you get that knife, human?”
She smirked at him. “From the boot the big guy was wearing.” Her eyes flicked to me. “Andhe’syour best fighter?” she asked, the question laced with disbelief.
I shrugged. “He is.”
She shook her head but didn’t say anything else.
“I will get the coin for you to redistribute to the men tonight,” I said to Guldan.
He nodded, his face expressionless.
I turned to the human. “If you will come with me, I will get you some clothes and food.”
“And what will that cost me?” she asked, her grip shifting on her knife.
“As my guest, you do not need to give me payment. It is my honor to provide for you.”
“I would prefer to just go home,” she said.
