Page 135 of Alchemised
“Promise?” he asked.
“If you want.”
He flashed a quick grin, the expression slicing like a scythe across his face, more a wound than a real emotion. “Swear it, then. I want to hear you say it as a vow.”
She didn’t let herself pause or think, just pressed a hand over her heart. “I swear it, on the spirits of the five gods and my own soul, Kaine Ferron, I’m yours as long as I live.”
It was only after she’d spoken that she thought about the other vows she’d made in her life. All the contradictory things she’d promised. She’d have to find a way to reconcile them somehow.
At those words, he stepped towards her.
There was a predatory curiosity in his eyes, like a wolf stalking prey.
Before he could touch her, she blurted out, “Until we win, you can’t do anything to me that will interfere with—with my other responsibilities in the Resistance. I have to be able to go back without—without drawing attention.”
He paused, an eyebrow rising. “Right … I’ll have to keep you alive until this is over.” He sighed. “Well, I suppose that gives us something to look forward to.” He leaned towards her, bringing his face close to hers. “We’ll save the real fun for later.”
“I want you to swear it,” she said, and her voice shook.
He laid a hand over the place a heart should be. She wasn’t sure if the Undying had hearts.
“I swear,” he said, exaggeratedly reverent, his breath ghosting across her neck, “on the gods and my soul”—he laughed as he said it—“I won’t interfere.”
She craned her head back, eyes narrowed, suspicious of his cooperation. She knew it was an empty vow, but why play along? He had all the leverage, and instead of exploiting it, he was pretending like this was some kind of mutual agreement.
Noticing her scrutiny, he straightened and walked around her, tsking when she tried to keep him in her line of sight. His eyes were aglow with amusement.
“My, but you’re suspicious of me, aren’t you? Let me guess: You think this is all a ploy on my part, and that I’ll change my mind the moment I’ve gotten what I want.”
Helena went violently still.
“Yes, that’s exactly what you think.” He stopped short. “How’s this? As a token of my—sincerity, I won’t touch you. Yet.” His eyes trailed lazily down. “After all, I did specify willing, and you don’t look very willing.”
She should have felt relief but instead she was horrified by his proposal. This wasn’t what she wanted. She was supposed to begin her mission at once; the longer it took to start, the more likely it was that Ferron would lose interest before she had a hold on him. But how was she supposed to say that without making her intentions obvious?
He seemed to notice her discomfort at the offer and gave a slow, wolfish smile. “In the meantime, I’ll let you go running back to your precious Eternal Flame with my information and find other means of enjoying your company.”
The thought of consenting to whatever awful thing he wanted was bad enough, but being forced to remain dreading it was worse.
She slid a hand behind her back, curling it into a tight fist until her nails bit into her palm, the almost healed cuts all throbbing, threatening to split open again.
“That’s—generous of you,” she said in what she hoped was a convincingly meek voice.
“Yes, I am generous. However.” Ferron suddenly looked appraising. “I do think you should give me something, at least.” The smile he flashed was viperine. “After all, I did have to give up some rather precious information to earn you. Surely I deserve something in return, to warm my cold heart.”
Helena’s stomach dropped, her equilibrium vanishing.
“What—what do you want?” she asked in a stiff voice.
She tried to calculate the likely options, but she was already drowning in possibilities. She didn’t like to think about the kinds of things men considered a favour.
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic.” He pulled an expression of mock grief, pouting and looking so young that she almost physically recoiled.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked through gritted teeth. “Tell me, and I’ll do it.”
He gave a barking laugh. “My gods, Marino. You are desperate.”
“I’m here. I assumed that was obvious,” she said in a deadened voice, unable to look at him anymore.
