Corrupt

Chapter 8

"You- You're- You're Daeva Korren?" I squeak.

"In the flesh," they purr. "Do you mind if we do introductions later? I think it's best we hide."

"Um- Okay?"

Grabbing my arm, Daeva leads me through another meandering maze of passages: into invisible alleys, through the backstreets, amid buildings that look as though they have been destroyed and rebuilt by a child.

And then, with a crack, they vanish.

I pause for a moment: taken aback, exhausted and, above all, bewildered.

"Um... Daeva?" I call quietly.

"Are you coming, Little Miss Sunshine?" comes the response, though at first I'm not sure where from. Then I look down. From between some wooden planks, their dark eyes glint.

"A secret tunnel?" I gasp aloud.

"Yeah, you could put it that way. It's more of an escape route. To an underground bunker. But yes. A secret tunnel, full of fairies and unicorns, alright?" They cock an unimpressed eyebrow, and I feel myself flush in embarrassment. "Are you coming? You might get your dress messy. Or, alternatively, you could die."

"Of course I'm coming," I huff. I'm not about to let this rebel get the better of me. "Move out of the way, then."

"Ooh, the kitten's got claws!" Daeva taunts. I deliberately hit them with my shoe as I lower myself down into the dingiest, dampest tunnel I've ever seen. As we crawl onwards, I try not to focus on the cobwebs brushing against my face, or the dirt sinking into my skirts. Instead, I centre my attention on restraining the bile rising in my throat.

After what seems like an eternity of crawling, the tunnel opens out into a tiny space, with a sagging table and a few makeshift chairs.

"It's not exactly your fancy quarters, but it'll have to do for now," Daeva says, sarcasm dripping from their husky tone. While I struggle to catch my breath, they appear perfectly unaffected, suit still in pristine condition. It only infuriates me further. I sit pointedly in the furthest chair, brushing down my dress.

"Okay, you're going to tell me everything," I command.

"Wasn't really my plan."

"It wasn't really my plan to be kidnapped, but here I am," I retort, folding my arms. "So... You're Daeva Korren."

"Yep."

Daeva Korren: feared rebel, near-destroyer of Vaskuoyae. Exiled after their attempt to murder the King Nikolas.

As Nikolas crosses my memory, I find myself hit with a pang of homesickness. I can't have been away for long, but I long for Drea, the girls, Nikolas himself. Once again, I am forced to swallow my tears.

"The Daeva Korren?" I stammer.

"Yep," they repeat. "Well, actually... Who's the Daeva Korren you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who do you think Daeva Korren is?" They saunter over, sitting down in the chair next to me, elbows resting on their thighs, fixing me with a firm, cool gaze.

I look away, flustered.

"That's a silly question. Daeva Korren. They- You tried to destroy King Nikolas, and the whole of Vaskuoyae. You tried to start another war. And... Well... You're evil!"

There's a pause.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried to kill me yet," I whisper, voicing my thoughts.

"Oh, I thought about it, darling," they reply calmly. "But then I thought: why kill you straight away? Why not torture you first? You know, I have many means of torture, but I feel you'd like the boiling first, right?"

I stare at them, aghast and horrified. I don't know what to do. I can't run. I don't know the way. I can't hide. I'm going to be killed. No: I'm going to be tortured and then killed.

Daeva bursts out laughing.

Now I'm really confused.

"You really think I'd do that?"

"You mean... You're not going to?"

"Obviously not," they chuckle gruffly.

"I really don't feel like this is a laughing situation," I pout. "I thought you were going to torture me!"

"Sorry, sorry," they smirk. I turn away, placing a hand over my fluttering heart, taking a deep breath of musty air. My body is burning from both adrenaline and humiliation. I pull my tousled hair back, try to tug out some of the knots. It's hopeless.

"Damn, hang on," Daeva frowns.

"What?"

"I think you should be more worried about this," they say, crouching beside me, placing a rough finger on my skin. The touch makes me gasp in pain. "You burn yourself or something?"

I realise that they've noticed Nikolas' burn on my neck.

"Um, yeah, pretty much," I mumble, shuffling away. They're too close.

"What did you do?" they ask.

"It's nothing," I reply.

"You still think I'm trying to kill you?"

"Well, yes! You kidnapped me! I'd say it's quite a fair assumption!"

"Alright, calm your pretty head. Do I have to prove it to you? I lost two good men to get you here." I think back to the guards, killed in the streets as we'd tried to run. I thought they were evil. Everything is becoming less certain. "Jesper and Mav. I can't keep losing people."

"I'm sorry," I say. I can't quite believe I'm apologising to Daeva Korren. I have absolutely no idea what's going on. I don't like it.

"So? What was that burn about?"

"It... Well, it... You know King Nikolas?"

For a moment, I see a spark of anger in their eyes, but it is quickly stifled.

"Obviously."

"His powers?"

They only nod in response.

"He... Well, I'm one of his maids, but, well, I... I did something wrong, so... I was punished. It's nothing, really. I deserved it," I clarify hastily.

"You think you deserved to get burnt like that?"

"Well... Yeah."

There's a silence. I feel strangely awkward.

"I think it's time we introduce ourselves properly, don't you? I have a story you might want to hear. Go on."

"Well," I say, "I'm one of the King's maids, and-"

"Not that," they scoff. "What's your name?"

"Lynette Answatch. Um... I'm 23. I work at Carcaseau, and I live at Carcaseau. Well, I did."

"Okay, Lynette Answatch," Daeva grins. "What makes you think you'd be good for this job?" I decide not to rise to the jibe, and instead fix my eyes on the floor, a flicker of nervousness stirring in my chest. They continue. "I'm Daeva Korren. Although, that's not my real name. I..." It's the first time I've seen them appear at all anxious. "My name is Jett Umber."

"Umber? Like... Wait... Are you related to...?" It can't be. It can't be.

Daeva looks up at me, properly. We lock eyes, and for the first time, the light catches theirs. Deep, stunning green, with flecks of gold. Just like...

"Nikolas. Yes."