Page 43 of The Last Slayer
Truth be told, I was one of those silly orphans. The foreign soaps I loved so much also played to that little fantasy of mine. So to hear him say that my mother was powerful…someone special…
Was I going to lose it and cry in front of him?
Oh God, please no. I’d never be able to bear the humiliation.
“Your mother is the las
t of her kind,” Ramiel said.
The last of her kind? There weren’t that many supernatural races that had gone close to extinction. Even the breeds that rarely procreated managed to have enough children to continue their lines.
“She is the last slayer.”
Eight
Ramiel must’ve considered me a complete idiot, a bumbling mortal. I thought I’d done a decent job of convincing him otherwise, but maybe not.
I stood up, furious at myself for wasting time with him. “If you’re going to lie, you should get your story straight. Thanks for your help. I’d like to leave with Valerie.”
His face remained empty. “I’m not lying to you.”
“The slayers were a matriarchic people. Anyone born of a slayer mother is a slayer. And if I’m a slayer, why would you, Mr. Dragonlord, help me, the enemy? And how can the daughter of a slayer be a dragonlady?”
It was my twenty-seventh birthday. I had been attacked twice by wyrms, my sister was in a poison-induced coma, at least three demigods wanted me dead, and now my mother was a slayer and I was supposed to—somehow, at the same time—be a dragonlady? It was just too much, and I directed all my fear and frustration at him. “I may be mortal, but I’m not stupid. I know the basic history and politics of the two races. What’s next? Is my father Darth Vader?”
“Your lack of insight is disappointing.”
For the first time, I felt true hate for him. “Insulting me really isn’t the way to go here,” I said, my voice tight.
“Do you not see the problem yourself? Why do you think the Advisors and the Triumvirate of Madainsair are worried about you?” His gaze was unwavering.
I held his stare for what seemed like minutes. There was something else. “What are you holding back?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t bullshit me, you demon son of a bitch. You’re not telling me everything.”
“You barely trust me with anything. Why should I trust you with everything?”
“You’re asking me to put my life in your hands.”
“Ah.” He laughed. “Your life. Would you still have that life, were it not for me? I have saved you twice. Shared Sex with you. Offered my assistance in finding a cure for your mortal companion. I don’t know what more I can possibly do to persuade you.”
I took a deep breath. Losing my temper wasn’t going to get the job done. Plus, he had a point. The firm had some of the best demon toxicologists and healers around, but it was an open question whether they could concoct an antidote for Semangelaf’s poison. “Fine. We’ll do as you say…for now.”
“That’s better.”
I clenched my teeth. “So where do we go next?”
“To the Mystic Forest. Where you shall meet your mother.” He gave me an unreadable look.
The Mystic Forest again. “You said Leh was ‘bound’ there.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “But if I remember correctly, the Mystic Forest is the land of the dead.”
“No. It’s the land of the bound dead.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Those who are not bound go to the underworld. Those bound to the Mystic Forest do not.” He sighed. “Once a month, on the night of the full moon, it is possible to visit the Mystic Forest if you possess the necessary magic.”
