Page 27 of Shadowvein

It’s a reasonable question, and one I’ve been expecting. The connection between the two is tenuous at best, but I need her to believe it exists. I need her to see a path to cooperation that serves her own desires.

“Our situations are connected.” I match her directness with my own. “I would put forward the argument that the same magic that has me bound here may hold the key to sending you home.”

I watch her face carefully, looking for signs that she’s accepting this premise. Everything depends on her believing we share a common goal. After a moment, she nods.

“Why were you imprisoned here in the first place?”

“I was placed here by those who fear what they don’t understand.” My voice holds no hint of the anger stirring inside me. “In this realm, certain powers … what you would call magic … are hunted and eliminated by the ruling authority. Those with natural abilities are considered threats to be eradicated.”

“And you have these abilities.” It’s not a question.

“Yes.”

“What can you do?”

I hesitate, weighing exactly how much to reveal. “I have an … affinity with darkness.” I pick my words carefully, offering a fraction of the truth. “I can perceive through shadows, which extends my awareness beyond ordinary limits.”

I deliberately omit the rest, the more dangerous applications, the reasons why the Authority truly feared me.

“Such talents are considered dangerous by those in power.”

She takes a step back, her body instinctively creating distance, while her eyes remain fixed on mine. “That’s why you’re here? Because you can … what? See through shadows?”

The underestimation in her voice is exactly what I want. I offer a slight smile, the barest curve of my lips. Let her believe my powers are passive, observational.

“In simplistic terms, yes.”

Her expression changes, not just skepticism, but beginnings of doubt. The understanding that I’m not telling her everything.

“The Authority believes those with natural abilities pose a threat to their control, and virtually wiped out anyone with them during the purges.” Memories surge—blood-soaked fields, pyres of bodies, entire bloodlines extinguished. I turn away, not trusting my expression to remain neutral. “The Authority, those who govern this land, launched a war to exterminate what they claimed as an abomination.”

I don’t tell her how many of their soldiers I killed before they finally captured me. Some truths are better kept hidden … for now.

“How does this connect to me getting home?”

“I need to understandwhyyou affect the binding. If we candetermine that, we can try to discover how to open a door back to your world.”

She settles onto the chair beside the table, and pours a cup of water. “What do you want me to do?”

“I’d like to perform some simple tests.”

She frowns.

“It will allow me to determine the exact nature of your effect on the binding.”

“Will these tests hurt?”

“Of course not.” That’s the truth. Her pain would serve no purpose.

She sips her water, eyes never leaving me. I wait, allowing her to process, letting her think that she’s the one making this decision. Finally, she nods.

“Okay, fine. Tell me what I need to do.”

“First, I need to establish a baseline.” I move to the edge of the chamber where the wall meets the floor. “Stay where you are, and observe.”

I press my palm against the wall. “This chamber is my prison. During the day, I can move freely within it, but I cannot leave. At night, the binding tightens, gradually restricting my movements until I’m confined to my bed.”

Her eyes flick toward the archway leading to the staircase. “You’re saying you can’t leave this room?”

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