Vox Machina Book 3: Heroes Become Legend

Chapter 8: Who I am and Who I was.

Pike scans through her card for a moment. "Okay, let's whittle this down, " she says, flicking her eyes back to the devil. "Is your black skull to the right or left of your middle card?" she asks.

But Zerxus grins at her, "You can't feel the presence of the Everlight. Your redeemer isn't here, is she?" he asks of her, this catches Pike off guard for a moment before she pulls her guard back up.

"That wasn't my question." she as she flicks her eyes right at her card for a moment. He just chuckles. "To the right." he answers, she narrows her eyes for a moment. "On the end. That's your card." she states.

Zerxus just frowns at her, reaching for his card, "Sadly, no." he answers and pulls out the card she called. Tossing it to the table and it burns away. "Though I think I learned more that round than you did. After all, everyone has a tell. If you did deep enough." he informs.

Squatting close at the edge of her cage Kyria perks up at his words. A deep grow rumbles in her throat as she slowly wags her tail. "Aren't you going to ask me something?" she questions, keeping her guard up.

"Your friends rely on you. You must take pride in always being there to save them. To redeem them." he states, surprising her.

"This is no card game. He knew exactly who he wanted to play with." Vax points out, figuring what the devil's true intention. "I'm still tryin' to figure out the rules." Grog calls out.

"Even look at your cambion." he states and Pike looks up at Kyria as her eyes were directly locked on Zerxus. "She wants to kill me, rip me to shreds, all because I'm playing with her toys." he retorts.

Kyria hisses at him as he referred Pike as a toy, this only made Zerxus only chuckles. "Even referring you as a toy angers her." he spoke and flicks his eyes back to Pike.

"Tell me, holy one, were you given a choice? A path to walk?" he asks, Pike blinks and looks back at him, "W-What?" she asks as the questions took her by surprise.

"We do not choose... any path can be a holy one... so long as one walks it with truth..."

He speaks as the Everlight's voice echos in her mind. Her resolve was shaken before flicking her eyes away. "Yes... I-I was given a choice." she answers, looking back at him. "Turns out the choice was a lie. Both paths led to the same end." he spoke as his hand tightens on his cards.

"I once was given a similar choice. It cost me my family. My God betrayed me, as will yours, too." he warns as she flicks her eyes to her cards, the thought sent a shiver at her spine.

But she shook it away from her mind, "No. You're trying to get in my head. It's not gonna work." she warns him, but Zerxus just grins to himself. "Oh, I already have what I need. You have yourself away before. Your eyes. Your black card?" he answers, setting his card facing down.

"Second from your left." he declares, she flinches as her cards burn away and her black card pulls away and slips onto the table. The others gasp in horror as Kyria stiffens for a moment, the hairs on the back of her neck shot up.

Pike stares at the devil before her, "This is bullshit!" she snaps slamming her fist at the table "Changing the subject like that? Y-You're cheating!" she shouts, Kyria shot her her feet and snarls at the glass.

Zerxus just leans into his knuckles, "How? All answers were truthful." he answers, Kyria snarls and was pacing, wildly flicking as she glares at the devil.

"Contract or no, this is a farce." Vax retorts, ready to pull himself from his chair. "Needle-dick is right. I ain't watching this no more!" Grog shouts as he was ready to stand.