He's massive—atleast nine feet tall with shoulders that could span a doorway. His skin has a metallic quality,silver-white like polished steel, and his hair is the color of mercury, pulled back in a warrior's knot. His eyes burn with cold fire, pale silver that seems to glow with its own light.
He wears traveling leathers that do nothing to disguise his inhuman proportions—arms too long, fingers too sharp, movements that carry the fluid grace of something built for hunting. When he speaks, his voice resonates with harmonics that shouldn't exist in any human throat.
“Lord Kiakoa.” He inclines his head with precisely calculated respect. Then his attention shifts to me, taking in the black silk, the visible bite marks, the way I lean back against Kiakoa's touch. “Lady Braith. Your reputation has reached my territory.”
“I wasn't aware I had a reputation.”
“Oh, you do.” His smile shows too many teeth. “A human who not only survives Vethani feeding but thrives under it. Who can coordinate shadow servants and echo-kin. Who responds to pain with pleasure rather than fear.”
He steps closer, and I feel Kiakoa's grip tighten on my shoulder. The shadow servant that lit the torches drifts nearer to my chair, responding to the tension in the room.
“Such abilities are... rare,” Aldric continues.
“Abilities that belong to me,” Kiakoa says.
“Do they?” Aldric addresses me directly. “Tell me, Lady Braith, are you here by choice or by purchase?”
“Both.”
“Curious.” He circles my chair slowly, forcing Kiakoa to shift position to maintain his protective stance. The shadow servants track his movement, several becoming more solid as they respond to the threat he represents. “Most purchased goods don't develop such... obvious contentment with their situation.”
His gaze lingers on the bite marks visible above my dress neckline. I don't cover them or look away. Let him see what I've chosen.
“You seem content as well, Lord Kiakoa.” Aldric completes his circle, positioning himself just out of sword range. “Though I wonder if contentment is the same as competence.”
The temperature in the hall drops noticeably.
“Explain yourself.”
“Six lords have united against you. Their combined forces number in the thousands. Your territory will be carved up between them within a month.” Aldric's tone remains conversational, but his words land like physical blows. “Unless, of course, you're willing to negotiate.”
“I don't negotiate with thieves.”
“Not thieves. Businessmen. We see an asset being... underutilized. A resource that could benefit from better management.”
I lean forward in my chair, letting interest show in my expression. Behind me, Kiakoa's hand tightens inwarning, but I ignore it. We need to understand what we're facing.
“What kind of management?”
“Shared custody,” Aldric says smoothly. “Six months in each territory, rotating between different lords. You'd experience various feeding techniques, learn from multiple masters, develop your abilities to their full potential.”
“Like a breeding mare,” I observe.
“Like a queen. Each lord would vie to provide you with the best accommodation, the finest resources, the most skilled partners.” His pale eyes hold mine. “You'd never lack for attention or stimulation.”
“And if I prefer the attention of one lord to six others?”
“Preferences change. Especially when exposed to... superior options.”
Behind me, I feel Kiakoa's breathing shift to the deeper rhythm that precedes violence. The shadow servants respond to his mood, becoming more solid, more numerous.
“You're suggesting I'm settling,” I say.
“I'm suggesting you deserve better than a frenzy-maddened lord who got lucky at a market auction.” Aldric steps closer, testing Kiakoa's restraint. “I'm offering you a place worthy of your abilities.”
“And what makes you think my abilities are wasted here?”
“Because he's been alone for so long, he doesn't even recognize what he's found.” Aldric's voice drops to intimate tones. “You're not just a source of pain, Lady Braith. You're a key. The living embodiment of a power our people thought was just a myth.”
