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“It’s okay, Nathair,” Lindiwe cooed, as he felt a light tap tap of a hand. “You have not been here for a long time, but I will remain by your side until you readjust. We’ll find you a home before the frost of winter settles in.”

Winter?Nathair let out a tiny whimper. How could they bring him, a lukewarm-blooded Mavka, back right before winter?Fucking idiots!

“All that matters is you’ve returned. Weldir told me something ails your mind. Hopefully I can aid you.”

Aiding him would be to send him back to Tenebris. To serenity, calmness, and all the quietness that came with it. There would be little she could do, as her power was only a fraction of the god’s she borrowed it from.

She’d be of no help. He was doomed.

I shouldn’t have agreed to this.The most harrowing part of that thought: it had not been his own. A woman’s voice rung within his mind. Nathair saw white, just as a scream pierced his consciousness and the face of a Demon tore out his,her– their – throat.

No. Please,he pleaded with dread, clawing at the sides of his skull. His orbs switched between blue and white as fear choked him.I don’t want to relive their deaths.

The dozens of human souls he’d eaten always left the same fragment behind. Their final breaths, all of which had been filled with panic and terror, and were accompanied by the image of a Demon. Their pain became his own, and he shuddered at the woman’s.

He didn’t want to experience these harrowing last moments in the forefront of his consciousness again.

He wasn’t given a choice.

His entire body locked up, and his mind slipped away.

Present day

Unlatching the lock that had been broken weeks ago, Linh quietly removed the cast-iron shackle from her ankle. She winced, her face pulling tight, when chains clanked together as she settled it upon the ground. The thin cloth below her did little to keep the chilly earth from assaulting her backside.

She checked that her captor remained asleep, his pile of travel bedding rising and falling with steadied breaths. It likely hadn’t been changed in years, considering it reeked of his body odour.

Linh shuddered in disgust and crawled on her hands and knees to get away from him.Winter is almost over. It’s safe now.

Being so far north, the area could become rather barren during the snowy season. Spring was in a few days. Although the mornings were rather cold and dewy, and the nights harsh and cruel, she refused to stay.

She could have survived another month here. It would be wiser if she did, but she also just... couldn’t risk it.

My period ended.She hadn’t told her ‘husband’ it ended a day ago. She always played that it was long and gruelling, but Linhwas smart enough to not let it drag on. He would have caught on and started checking for the truth otherwise.

She had a day of peace, and to let her body fully heal.I’m so glad it came.She didn’t know if she would have had the strength to escape had she known this bastard had gotten what he wanted from her.

Digging her bag of belongings from underneath unwashed clothes and hide armour stained with dirt and dried blood, she didn’t need to check its contents. She wouldn’t waste time doing so.

The satchel held another garment, her second pair of shoes, and a jacket she would throw on once she’d left this ugly grey tent. Like an animal preparing for hibernation, she’d been eating sparingly so she could tuck away what may last a few days within the bag. She stole Bragg’s water sack because fuck him – she needed it.

After pushing her feet within a pair of slippers and clipping their straps firmly on, she crawled to the corner of the tent opposite the entryway flap. With his dagger, which she also intended to steal, Linh cut a section of thread and opened it.

Frozen night air instantly stung her nose, but the chill was blessed.

Once she was outside, she ducked down when she heard a few stragglers still awake. That was fine, as she’d already mapped her way to freedom and considered a few drunken idiots may still be carousing. She’d exited the tent into darkness which would shield her, rather than within torchlight.

She skulked to the closest wall of the encampment, then followed it to the northern exit. A guard came into view, and she pressed against the wall.

I just need to wait.The guard barring her freedom disappeared momentarily – who cared what the reason was, so long as he temporarily left.

The moment she was outside of the camp, she put her back against the wall. The short, criss-crossing wooden logs in front of her were a sharp reminder of what danger lingered in the night. Beyond them, the valley of many dark mountains was outlined by the twinkling navy sky.

Her lips flattened with terror, while her brows narrowed in determination.I’d rather take my chances with a Demon.

With her satchel secure around her torso and her jacket on, Linh bit her lips together and shifted her weight between her feet.

I can do this,Linh told herself.I have a few hours before he wakes.Just a few hours to put as much distance as she could between her and the bandits who had taken her.