What Lies In Me

Chapter 17

 "It can what?"

"Send us away. Out of this realm. Away into the void. Gone." Asarualim grins again. "You pack a lot more power than you might have thought."

Oh, I'm definitely thinking, but not about my power. Everything is clicking into place. This is why some demons want me dead. This is why Zahrim wants me under his control. Now I've played right into Asarualim's hands. I've gone and traded my freedom to him instead of Zahrim just because he isn't a giant, icy snake. He's just a political snake, as it turns out.

"And what's stopping me from sending you into the abyss right now?" I ask impudently, knowing that I have no leverage. I know what his answer will be already.

"Because you work for me now, and I won't allow it," he answers simply.

"So now you're going to use me to help rid the world of all of the other demons? So that you can have it all to yourself?" I sneer. "Is that where we are headed, to the prison chambers? Am I fit to be your executioner?"

Asarualim, still wearing his infuriating grin, cocks his head at me. "Are you quite finished with your questions?" he asks. I nod, still seething. "You really don't trust me at all, do you? That's good. You have learned something about demons."

"Don't patronize me," I mutter.

"No, not at all. You really shouldn't trust me. After all, it would be quite beneficial to me to do just what you said. However, I will not. You will not be an executioner. You will be a hunter, as planned. Both hunter and bait, if you will. I will not be sealing any demons away, unless they will not be contained."

"But why?" I ask, puzzled. "Why wouldn't you rid the world of the other demons? I thought you said you weren't 'good'."

"I'm not," he replies. "But these demons are still my family, and I would be lonely and bored with them gone. Any other questions?" I shake my head. My thoughts haven't settled enough for me to ask more questions yet. "Good. Our destination is just ahead."

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"I thought you said that you had no more questions." Asarualim gestures down the hall. "Your friend is three doors down this way, asleep in a comfortable room. I assumed you would want to see her once we finished talking."

Sadie. She's safe. Relief floods through me, though more questions come to mind. I'm such an idiot. I've been thinking about all of this and asking about how it affects me, but I haven't taken my relationship with my friends into consideration.

"Wait, I do have a few more questions."

"Oh really? Go on."

"What's going to happen to Sadie?" I ask. "How does this affect her? Where will she go?"

Asarualim sighs. "Truth be told, I don't really care."

"What?"

"I don't care. She can stay with you, come and go, meet you in the outside world, or leave and never see you again. It really doesn't matter."

"Even though she knows-"

"There are many people outside these walls that know about us. They choose not to talk. She will be no different, I assume. Unless she really wants to spend the rest of her life here."

"You mentioned outside. So I will be able to leave?"

Asarualim looks surprised by my query. "What, did you assume that you would be living here?"

"Kind of, yeah."

"Of course not. For you, life can go on as before. You must come to me and work for me when I call for you, but you are not bound here or only to this job. Think of yourself as a bounty hunter under my employ, obedient to my call. In return, I will provide you secret protection and security. I will still pay you as well, of course."