Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
“We’ll talk about it later. First, we need to leave, or we’ll be late for work. On the way there, we can discuss the fact that you were framed for murder,” he went on, sharing a glance with Sven. “And I think we know who did it.”
Curious beyond belief, I followed Vasilios and Sven from the dining hall as we made our way to meet with the boat repair crew. They were both annoyingly silent, so I gave Vasilios a forceful nudge with my elbow.
“Well, start talking,” I encouraged.
He rubbed his jaw, a frown marring his features. “When we lived in Oreylia, Sven and I were owned by a man known as Red Armand.”
At the mention of the name, Sven spat on the floor, his expression dark. His reaction was understandable. The very mention of them being “owned’ made me outraged on their behalf. I couldn’t imagine their anger. And now I had even more confusing emotions. I’d spent so much time seeing Vasilios and Sven as my enemies, but suddenly, I was filled with empathy for them. It must have been awful to have someone claim you as a possession, an object instead of a living being of your own free will.
“We toiled under his ownership for almost a hundred years,” Vasilios went on. I already knew that, but it was still shocking to hear. “And when we finally escaped, Red Armand was furious. During our time in the mine, he never took kindly to those who attempted to flee. Their punishment was permanent scarring. Then they were relegated to work in the deepest, most dangerous part of the mine.”
My attention went to the scar on Vasilios’s face, and I wondered if that was how he got it. If his successful escape had been preceded by many failed attempts. “Is that how you …” I trailed off, motioning to his face, but he shook his head.
“No,” he answered, briefly touching the scar. “This was from something else.”
“Get to the important part,” Sven urged as we reached the other members of the boat repair crew by the steel doors.
“Right,” Vasilios continued quietly so that the others wouldn’t hear. “The man you described, the one who spiked your drink, we believe this might be Red Armand come to take us back.”
Shocked, my mouth fell open. I was lost for words, trying to gather my thoughts, when the steel doors opened, and McClellan and Hobbs appeared. They briskly escorted us down to the boats, and several questions formed in my head. We grabbed our tools, and I took up a position close to Vasilios.
“This Red Armand, is he a demon?” I whispered, and Vasilios nodded.
“He has a wraith form, too. That’s what makes me believe it was him who was spying on you in the forest. The shadow you saw, it’s too similar to be a coincidence.”
“But surely he wouldn’t come all this way just for the two of you,” I went on. “That seems a little excessive.”
“You have no idea how singularly focused he can be,” Vasilios replied. “He’s the kind of man who’ll stop at nothing until he achieves his goal. And he doesn’t take kindly to losing. When Sven and I escaped, he took that as a loss.”
“It doesn’t make sense, though. Even if it is Red Armand, what would he want with me? What was the point in framing me?”
“That I can’t tell you,” he said as someone slammed their hand against the boat just shy of my head. I jolted, turning to find Hobbs glaring at us.
“No talking,” he scolded, his attention wandering from me to Vasilios. He was standing far too close, and I stiffened at the proximity. Vasilios’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything, instead focusing back on his work. I did the same, but annoyingly, Hobbs didn’t leave. He remained beside me, and I was so close to lifting my elbow and backing it into his face.
“I hear you want to meet with the warden,” Hobbs said after a few moments had passed, and I bristled. I wasn’t the kind of person who liked to be cornered. If we were in the outside world, Hobbs would be curled in the foetal position after I kneed him in the balls.
“Yes,” I answered, wondering what his angle was. I didn’t get a good vibe from Hobbs. McClellan was cranky, but there was something off about Hobbs. He seemed like a bit of a sleaze. Next to me, I could tell Vasilios was listening to every word. Sven, too, appeared to have pricked up his ears.
“Well, that’s not something you just get for free,” Hobbs chided.
“I see.” I could tell he enjoyed wielding power. If I were to decide what kind of supernatural he was, I’d say shapeshifter, and I’d bet whatever animal he turned into wasn’t particularly impressive. Which was why he liked to intimidate people like me.