Rulien tilted his head, a faint, curious smile playing on his lips. He was enjoying this. "And why should I do that? She is no longer a problem. For me, or for anyone else."
"Because I'm asking you," Clara said, the words a raw whisper. "I will do anything. Anything you want. Just… bring her back."
He circled her slowly, like a wolf assessing its prey. "Anything?" he purred, the word laden with a thousand dark promises. "That is a very dangerous offer to make in a place like this, little bird. Are you so certain you are willing to pay the price for another's soul?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. The word was iron.
He stopped in front of her, his beautiful face a mask of cold calculation. He saw the defiant martyr, the girl who had smiled at Lady Valestra, the girl who had snuck through his fortress to find her friend. And he saw a new tool. A new lesson to be taught.
