but I don’t want to hurt your feelings, pretty boy.”
“I’m not gratifying that with a response, little girl.” He leaned closer until his face stopped inches from hers. She still didn’t flinch, so he grinned, making sure to bare his sharp canines. She stepped back then, but didn’t gasp as he’d hoped. This girl had more backbone than he’d initially thought. “Good.”
She tilted her head in question.
“For what we have to do, you need some backbone,” he clarified. “But a knife? Do you even know how to use one?”
“Tomas told me it will know what to do when I need it.”
Balthazar dropped his gaze to the knife again. When she opened her mouth again, he interrupted her with a word that would make the f-bomb blush. He reached for the knife, but Arianne danced away from him. She put both her hands on the knife’s hilt as if it needed protection. To get at it, he’d have to get physical. He stepped back and exhaled long and slowly.
He raised his head toward the ceiling and said, “Damn you, old man! Where’d you find that knife?”
No response came, but Balthazar thought he heard a distinct chuckle from somewhere in the Crossroads. Needing release for his mounting anger, he growled at Arianne. She flinched and backed away shaking until a wall stopped her from moving any farther.
“If you so much as accidentally nick me with that thing, I don’t care about our bargain, I will eat you alive. Do you understand me?”
She blinked at him several times. “I’m not gonna kill you, Balthazar, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You say that now.”
“I don’t think I can hurt anyone with this thing.”
“Again, you say that now.” Balthazar shook his head for real this time then turned on his heel. “Come on. I want to reach the Sorrow Flats before nightfall.” Then he walked away without looking back. A second passed before the patter of her footsteps caught up with him.
“Is that where the Redeemer is?”
“You have so much to learn.”
“Then educate me,” she said from his side.
He flicked a sideways glance at her before he took a left down a dark hallway. “No one just finds the Redeemer. You need to ask the Voyeur for information.” Even as he said it, Balthazar had to suppress a shudder. He’d rather carve out his own liver and feed it to crows than see the Voyeur again, but he had no other options. He could only hope she’d forgotten about the last time they’d seen each other. He still had the scars down his back to prove it.
“So the Voyeur is at the Sorrow Flats?” She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Will you slow down?”
He glared at her hand until she yanked it back. “Don’t do that,” he said through his teeth.
She cradled her hand to her chest like he’d burned her. “Do what?”
“Touch me. Don’t do it again.”
“Well, if you slowed down a little, then I wouldn’t have to take two steps for every one you make.” Her tone was challenging, even if fear still showed in her eyes.
Balthazar breathed to calm his instinct to hit her. No one lived long after touching him without permission. Only his bargain with D prevented him from causing her any bodily harm. He had too much at stake to lose it now. It took him a full minute, but when his bloodlust went from a boil to a low simmer, he continued down the hall. He slowed his pace despite his purposeful stride. The girl had to learn to keep up or she wouldn’t survive the journey. She already had so many things going against her, and being with him wouldn’t help in the least. He’d increase his pace little by little until she could keep up with his regular stride. She may complain now, but when they had to run, her keeping up would help save their asses better than if he had to carry her.
“The Voyeur wouldn’t be caught dead in the Sorrow Flats,” he said in answer to her previous question. “We have to go see Granmare Baba.”
“Okay, way too many names. Who’s
“I’m not gratifying that with a response, little girl.” He leaned closer until his face stopped inches from hers. She still didn’t flinch, so he grinned, making sure to bare his sharp canines. She stepped back then, but didn’t gasp as he’d hoped. This girl had more backbone than he’d initially thought. “Good.”
She tilted her head in question.
“For what we have to do, you need some backbone,” he clarified. “But a knife? Do you even know how to use one?”
“Tomas told me it will know what to do when I need it.”
Balthazar dropped his gaze to the knife again. When she opened her mouth again, he interrupted her with a word that would make the f-bomb blush. He reached for the knife, but Arianne danced away from him. She put both her hands on the knife’s hilt as if it needed protection. To get at it, he’d have to get physical. He stepped back and exhaled long and slowly.
He raised his head toward the ceiling and said, “Damn you, old man! Where’d you find that knife?”
No response came, but Balthazar thought he heard a distinct chuckle from somewhere in the Crossroads. Needing release for his mounting anger, he growled at Arianne. She flinched and backed away shaking until a wall stopped her from moving any farther.
“If you so much as accidentally nick me with that thing, I don’t care about our bargain, I will eat you alive. Do you understand me?”
She blinked at him several times. “I’m not gonna kill you, Balthazar, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You say that now.”
“I don’t think I can hurt anyone with this thing.”
“Again, you say that now.” Balthazar shook his head for real this time then turned on his heel. “Come on. I want to reach the Sorrow Flats before nightfall.” Then he walked away without looking back. A second passed before the patter of her footsteps caught up with him.
“Is that where the Redeemer is?”
“You have so much to learn.”
“Then educate me,” she said from his side.
He flicked a sideways glance at her before he took a left down a dark hallway. “No one just finds the Redeemer. You need to ask the Voyeur for information.” Even as he said it, Balthazar had to suppress a shudder. He’d rather carve out his own liver and feed it to crows than see the Voyeur again, but he had no other options. He could only hope she’d forgotten about the last time they’d seen each other. He still had the scars down his back to prove it.
“So the Voyeur is at the Sorrow Flats?” She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. “Will you slow down?”
He glared at her hand until she yanked it back. “Don’t do that,” he said through his teeth.
She cradled her hand to her chest like he’d burned her. “Do what?”
“Touch me. Don’t do it again.”
“Well, if you slowed down a little, then I wouldn’t have to take two steps for every one you make.” Her tone was challenging, even if fear still showed in her eyes.
Balthazar breathed to calm his instinct to hit her. No one lived long after touching him without permission. Only his bargain with D prevented him from causing her any bodily harm. He had too much at stake to lose it now. It took him a full minute, but when his bloodlust went from a boil to a low simmer, he continued down the hall. He slowed his pace despite his purposeful stride. The girl had to learn to keep up or she wouldn’t survive the journey. She already had so many things going against her, and being with him wouldn’t help in the least. He’d increase his pace little by little until she could keep up with his regular stride. She may complain now, but when they had to run, her keeping up would help save their asses better than if he had to carry her.
“The Voyeur wouldn’t be caught dead in the Sorrow Flats,” he said in answer to her previous question. “We have to go see Granmare Baba.”
“Okay, way too many names. Who’s
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