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I brought a crazy person into my precious home.

Her lips tightened while the corner of her eyes crinkled. He realised she was trying her absolute hardest not to giggle.

“Do not play games with me, Witch,” he sneered, unsure why his voice held no malice in it. “There is nothing you can say or do that will free you from your imprisonment.”

“Is there not?” She sighed, letting her head fall back against the riches she lay upon. “Are you not well read then?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I asked you if you had books. Do you not know how to read to have any other than that one?” Without looking, she pointed to a thick bound book on the floor.

“Did you just call me stupid?!” This time his anger flared. “You never asked me if I had books, only mentioned you were seeking them.”

“Well?” Her head lifted again, seemingly unafraid that she’d angered him.

He let his eyes trail to the rock wall in nonchalance.

“Yes. I have books, many. You would have known that if you had taken the time to wanderourhome.”

“Will you take me to them?” She bounced to her feet, ready to follow.

“No, find them yourself. Get used to your surroundings.”

Rurik turned from the treasure room.

He only wanted to make sure she wasn’t trying to escape, and now that he knew she wasn’t, he didn’t see the point in being in her presence.

He shook his head while he walked.I have a captive Witch in my home, one that does not appear to be right of mind.Oh, how his kin and kind would laugh at him. They would believe he’d gone mad,him, housing one of her ilk.

He assumed the further he walked away from her that her scent would have faded from his senses. A scent he found rather delicious. It wasn’t that it was delicious to his stomach, but rather other parts of him.

Now that he was large and wasn’t covered in the Witch’s concoction and swallowing sickly sweet tea, he’d managed to finally pull her aroma in. It tingled his nostrils and was pleasant to his senses.

He didn’t like that one bit. He already found her quite beautiful.

He frowned.When had her looks gone from just merely pretty to beautiful?He shook his head again.

The last thing he needed was to think of other aspects of her as nice. No, she was nothing more than his prisoner. A prisoner he didn’t want here.

Rurik didn’t like others in his lair. He preferred silence and to be left alone. He hadn’t spoken to his own kind in quite some time, and he’d prefer not to speak a word to another being for a few weeks... or even months. That seemed impossible now with this woman in his cave.

Why can I still smell her?He’d been walking for a while.

He quickly turned his head behind him.

A large wisp of yellow-white ducked into one of the alcoves behind him.

“Why are you following me?”

She came out from where she was hiding.

“I wanted to know more about you.”

“I told you that while you are in my home, you are to leave me alone.”

“You are just as bad as Bala. So rude and mean to me when I have done nothing wrong to you.”

Her hands were clasped behind her back, almost as if she wanted to feign innocence.