. . . Rhama looked up from her meal, once again seeing the red witch. What did she want?
“Strangler.” She said, Rhama stood up, split tail lashing at the formal address. “There is something I must ask of you, will you walk with me?”
Rhama narrowed her blazing eyes and tilted her face up slightly. “You would trust me to walk with you, red witch, despite how familiar the sting of my claws, a taste of my wrath, is to you?” The dracanae grinned and lashed her tail once more. “Of course I will walk with you, little red.”
The witch didn’t appear impressed, but that didn’t bother Rhama, she didn’t have to be impressed, merely aware. The witch began to walk, and gestured for Rhama to follow.
“Minoke.”
“Yes, Ma’m?”
“I expect a tight leash on her, even if we’re out of hearing and sight. Any harm befalls me from this dracanae, the blame will fall with you and I can assure you that your master will not be happy.”
The kitsune’s ears flattened, as if he feared the loogaroo; then he nodded. “Yes’m.”
Rhama then followed Miss Barker, highly aware of the cold spot in the pit of her belly. Experimentally, she allowed her mana to rise and found each questing wave of heat frozen and slashed away by that bitter chill.
“Tonight, my lord is going to send you to a party in Cerrenon in place of me.”
Rhama inclined her head. She’d expected that.
“He’s also going to move up the date of the Death Games to the day after tomorrow.”
Rhama bowed her head again, this, also, was not entirely unexpected.
“I don’t suppose you’re wondering why I’m telling you?” The witch turned, folding her arms and arching her eyebrows expectantly, red-painted lips pouting slightly.
Rhama’s whiskers twitched and she lowered her eyes to stare hard at the red witch. “Possibly. You clearly want something from me that has to do with either the party or the Death Games or both. To get what you want, you will tell me what it is, I am merely being patient.”
Holly grinned. “I’m aware of your patience, Rhama, so is my lord. What I want, is to attend that party and for you not to breathe a word to the Master Quinn when you see me there. I want you to crush your opponents in the Death Games for him and kill for his pleasure and pride.” The witch sat down and crossed her ankles. “You assassins and mercenaries, it’s not about the gold, is it? You just won’t admit that you kill for fun.”
Rhama’s eyes widened, then she laughed. Such a small creature, insignificant and puny. Rhama’s laughter echoed with the earth and rose with the mountains, beneath their feet, the earth shook as if sharing her mirth.
“Oh no, Miss Barker, of course I kill for the fun of it.” Rhama grinned, showing her fearsome teeth, still having bits of meat and blood in them. “I kill to feel my enemy’s blood on my claws, to watch their bodies shake and sag with their final breaths, to feel their flesh and bones crushed and broken with the power of my grip.” As Rhama continued to talk, her ‘s’s started to hiss and her tone took on a heavier Drakaen accent. “I kill to see their eyes bulge with fear before I pluck them out and pop them with my teeth. I kill to drink of their blood, relish their screams, devour their flesh, and laugh in the face of their final despair when I tear out their still-beating heart and swallow it whole.”
Rhama now loomed and towered over the witch, who’d shrunk back and was beginning to tremble with fear. Rhama licked her fangs, then leaned back, looking down her sloped profile at the witch.
“You witches are strange. I will not speak to Notchimine of your disobedience. And I will win your game. Not for his pleasure.” Rhama gave the witch one last grin. “Only for mine.”
With that, Rhama returned to her meal.
Holly was left trembling slightly, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d forgotten. Dracanae flourished in battle. They were never so happy as when swimming in carnage.
Holly continued to tremble until she felt a hand on her bare shoulder.
She turned and looked up, Notchimine.
She gasped and embraced him. Somewhere in her heart, she felt guilty about disobeying him, but she quashed that feeling immediately.
Notchimine stroked her hair and held her close to him. “Did the Strangler frighten you, my darling?”
Holly blushed and refused to admit it, but he knew, that was alright, so long as she didn’t have to say she was so easily frightened.
“Shh.” He flicked back the brim of her hat, then lightly kissed her nose. “You won’t have to bother with her for some time, come up to the library with me, we’ll read your favorites.”
Holly smiled, then touched his lips before pressing her fingertip forward, touching at his fangs. She knew she shouldn’t tease him with her blood that way lest he lose his usually steely control and bite her again. Still, there was something empowering about drawing her hand back and watching those fangs slide out, taunted by blood so close.
Notchimine growled and grabbed her fingers. “Not nice, my pet.” He kissed her fingertips, then picked her up. “I’ll make up for my busy schedule later.”
Holly arched her eyebrows, then smiled, wrapping her slender arms around his neck, leaning up and kissing his cheek softly. “Good.”
Notchimine rewarded her affections with a winsome smile, then carried her up to his private library. Holly giggled a little as he carried her, squeezing her arms around his neck, and for a moment, forgetting that she felt bad about disobeying him, or rather, that she felt bad that she intended to.
In the library, her lover made her forget her guilt and quite a few other things for the time being. Once he finished with her, he dressed and kissed her forehead, promising her whatever she wanted later, once he finished his work.
She nodded and gave him a smile, touching his cheek gently and was rewarded with a nip on her fingers. Holly hid a wince and smiled a little more, hiding the small hurt at his trivialization of her rare tenderness.
When he left, Holly cleaned up and dressed, then curled up in the opposite chair with a sigh. It didn’t feel the same anymore. She took off her hat and put it on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.
After a moment, she looked at her dainty, scarred wrist, then pressed her hand to her heart and closed her eyes.
That settled it. She was going to Cerrenon.
