11. Hanna

"Think it over, but I need to know before we get going again," Kazrith says.

The zarryns neigh and whinny, the world before us calm but secretly tumultuous. Kazrith holds their reins, ready to go at a moment's notice. I haven't accepted that I'm free from Zathex, still looking over my shoulder, expecting him to discover me at any moment.

Leaving the comforts of New Solas, we now find ourselves on its outskirts, ready to journey to its docks.

Depending on my response, of course. It's possible Kazrith will head off for Ikoth, and I'll be left to fend for myself.

Am I seriously considering this?

He's proposing a fake marriage arrangement. I barely know this demon, and immediately, he asks to marry me—or rather, to ‘fake-marry' me. I'm still not convinced I could even pass as his bride, fairly unswayed by his arguments. Being married to him could draw unnecessary attention my way.

But the worst part is, it's not a bad idea.

As long as we manage to convince people around us of its legitimacy, it could be a good cover for me.

A seething pain cuts through my side. I can still see the indentations of the metal cuffs.

Our shared mutual hatred of Zathex has been a strong uniting force.

He tells me to think it over, but I know the expected answer is the only answer I can give. Zathex is our one common quest. So naturally, I should say ‘yes.'

But I just don't know if I can trust him.

"There's just something I need to deal with," I tell him, hoping to calm his insistence.

I think of my father, stewing in poverty, left to his own devices. I know him and I know Zathex.

I know Zathex probably hasn't told my father. Which means that my father probably thinks I'm dead.

I hesitate to think of what impulsive actions my father might take out of desperation. I hope he's still alive and that he's kept his faith in my absence.

"Okay. Tell me what remaining business you have, and maybe we can work something out."

His voice is gruff but not impatient. He looks at me expectantly.

Unlike many of the men I've encountered, he looks at me with a modicum of respect. And not just because of what he stands to gain from our interaction. When he looks at me, I feel seen.

But what if I'm wrong? What if I'm imagining things?

He could easily take advantage of me. I could be entering into an even worse arrangement than I had with Zathex, belonging contractually to another malevolent entity.

The thought gives me pause.

"It's nothing major," I tell him. "Never mind."

He seems trustworthy, but I also know that as a businessman, he has to be. I've seen the wrangled goods in his carriage. I wonder how he obtained them all.

Did he earn them from people looking to rid themselves of their belongings, or did he cheat and manipulate the people of New Solas, grasping them from the clutches of the vulnerable and unwilling?

"We can't get on our way until you tell me what's wrong," he says, sensing my immediate reservations. I see him studying me over, noticing how I space out every time I look at him. "So just talk. I can't help you if you don't talk."

His charm is not without note.

I avert my gaze, not wanting to gaze at him for too long. I thought volvath demons were supposed to be more grotesque, more hard on the eyes… But Kazrith actually is a bit handsome. He has strong features and a sharp smile. His dark eyes are intense, but they fill me with a sense of ease.

Why am I thinking this way about a demon?

Shaking those thoughts away, I focus quickly on my father. He was the only thing keeping me sane in captivity. He's the only attachment I have left. If anything were to happen to him, I couldn't live with myself.

And if I tell Kazrith about him, and I'm wrong about his intentions, he could use the information I give him to hurt me.

But it's my only option. So I start to speak then trail off.

"My father…"

Kazrith nods.

"Yes, you mentioned him," he says. "I thought it was odd that you volunteered that information to a total stranger."

He looks ahead at the beckoning open road. "But like I told you, we can't exactly go back to your dad's place. Zathex is going to be looking for you there. It's the one place he can track you down."

I swallow, afraid that saying it out loud might make it more real.

"He probably thinks I'm dead," I confess. "And I'm kind of all he has left."

An unnaturally strong breeze blows by, but the carriage remains strong as the trees look like they might uproot themselves. I see another carriage in the distance, covering my eyes against the sun's harsh glare, and the bustling docks just on the horizon.

The longer I wait here, the more likely it is he'll find me. And then all of this will be for nothing.

My foot throbs. I wonder if Kazrith has any bandages in this carriage.

"So what do you propose?" Kazrith asks.

He's not dismissive of my ideas and looks to me seriously for suggestions. I don't sense any pretense here.

"And if we're able to let your father know you're okay, would you be more willing to consider my offer?"

The challenge is that if he leaves me unattended, Zathex is more likely to discover me. If I go back into the city, Zathex will also find me.

Is there any way to get the message to him without compromising my location?

"If you had some stationery or some way of passing along a message, maybe you could let him know?"

Above me, birds call out from the trees and then begin to flock together. I tilt my head up to watch.

I've heard this is how they keep track of each other, the karasu cawing out and fluttering wildly across the branches of a barren tree.

Kazrith scratches his chin.

"I know somebody in New Solas," he says. "Maybe I could let him know by karasu, and he could tell your father?"

I ponder over the implications. Now not only would I be involving Kazrith, but a third party as well? My options are starting to not look good.

"Or you could just send a message directly to my father," I propose, which drives him to shake his head.

"No," he says. "Zathex will be expecting that."

I laugh weakly. "I think you might be slightly overestimating him."

I've known Zathex to be crafty, but he's far from a mastermind. I think of his insidious smile, then shiver as a reflex.

Anger creeps into Kazrith's voice. "Like I told you, he robbed me of everything I had, leaving me destitute and hopeless. He'll do the same thing to you if given the chance."

"Honestly, I don't know if he could do much more to me than he already has."

But Kazrith is resolute. "Knowing him, he'll find a way."

Whatever we're doing, we need to do it quickly.

I nod. "As long as your contact is trustworthy, then I trust you."

"Good."

Kazrith retrieves a piece of parchment from the carriage, rummaging loudly. When he returns, he presses it down on his lap, quill at the ready.

"What would you like it to say?"

If it were to be intercepted, the consequences could be disastrous. "Something vague. Like… ‘I'm safe. Don't go looking for me. I will find you.'"

He scribbles down something, but it's nothing even remotely like what I said.

"You have to be thinking about the message falling into the wrong hands," he says. "I left coded instructions at the bottom, too, so that Vrask will know where to take the message."

"Fantastic," I say, relief flooding through me momentarily. Hopefully, this Vrask type will get the job done right.

Panic takes hold when I realize that even given these precautions, I'll have no way of knowing if he got the message.

Kazrith holds out his arm for a few solid minutes. Eventually, a black bird lands on his shoulder.

"Alright," he says, giving the karasu the scroll and tucking it into the bird's beak. "After this, we need to get going."

I study the karasu, which looks unremarkable compared to any of the other birds. Meanwhile, it tilts its head at me while holding the parchment.

"Is that bird really going to know where to take the message? Is it even going to make it there?"

He nods. "You might not believe it, but this isn't the first time we've done this. I even left a little red string on this guy's leg as proof. When you're running a business together, you need a way of getting messages out quickly."

I look, and sure enough, I find a red bit of thread affixed to his sharp talon.

"Strange. So you just let him fly around and trust that he'll find you wherever you go? Wouldn't it be safer to keep him caged in your carriage?"

"Jeddy doesn't like cages," he says as if it's the most natural thing in the world. "He has a funny way of following me around whenever I'm in New Solas, and that's usually enough."

I look from Kazrith to the karasu in disbelief, understanding now that he may be more resourceful than I realized. He looks like a typical brute, muscles rippling with every breath. But there's something far deeper that I look forward to understanding.

"And what if I were to say no?" I ask suddenly, possibly as a test. "What if I decided this fake marriage wasn't the best arrangement?"

"Then I would wish you well and send you on your way," he replies, sending the karasu flying with a nudge of his arm. "But you'd be far better off if you agreed, I think. I don't know what's going to happen to you in New Solas with Zathex running around. And who knows? Maybe someone else will snatch you up and throw you back into shackles."

My gaze wanders from the expectant, patient stare on his face to the warrior's body this salesman has cultivated. Upon closer inspection, I notice the muscles sneaking out from beneath his loose clothing. There's something exciting about the danger of this agreement. And I realize that it somehow makes it more, not less, enticing.

"Alright," I say finally. "I'll do it. But only because you've been good to me so far."

He nods in affirmation, unable to hide how pleased he is.

"But know that this verbal agreement isn't binding," I warn. "If I see the slightest hint that you intend to fuck me over, I'm pulling out."

"I would expect nothing less," he replies.

He stirs the carriage into motion, and our journey together begins.