I woke to steady throbbing — each pulse bursting stars behind my eyes.

  I groaned involuntarily, swaying in time with whatever transport I was aboard.

  “Ah. He awakes,” said a voice — slippery as shadow and just as unpleasant.

  A voice I knew.

  “You don’t know me—”

  “Mmph.” I cut him off, trying to speak through the gag.

  A beat of silence. Then the rustle of fabric — and cold fingers grasped the gag, tearing it free.

  “Something to say, hmm?”

  “You removed my curse,” I said.

  Maybe I was playing my hand too soon.

  But the stunned silence was worth it.

  Then, without warning, the blindfold was tugged away — revealing a dim carriage, rocking with the hoofbeats of something unseen.

  Even the shadows of the carriage curled toward him, as if drawn to their master.

  “This is dee-lightful,” he said, dragging out the word with gleeful malice. “Vaarg would be so irritated if he knew you were aware he went through the effort to save you. How delicious.”

  I glared at him.

  “What do you want with me?” I sighed.

  I should have been more upset. Really, I should have. But instead I was resigned. This was just so…

  My Life.

  Never should have let myself smile.

  “With you? Nothing,” the man replied, raising a pale hand to pull aside the curtain so he could peek outside.

  He closed it quickly, as if the sunlight hurt.

  I waited, mind racing. My hands were tied tightly, and I was tied down by actual chains. Unless I developed Stupid’s propensity for sneezing, I wasn’t going anywhere.

  “You are a bit of a conundrum, you see,” the man eventually spoke, more to himself than to me.

  I was happy to let him monologue.

  “I knew you were special when Vaarg first had me save you, you know?” He whispered, leaning forward. “That was a first.”

  I could hear the smirk in his voice.

  “But things got even more interesting,” he continued, leaning back. “An entire year. Did you know, no one has ever survived a year in that store.”

  He spoke as if he were discussing a trip to the grocery store, examining his nails off-handedly.

  “Well, except for that ridiculous entourage of goblin slaves he wields,” he finished blandly. “Anyway, more people have been watching you than you realize.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  That wasn’t… disturbing. I already basically knew it anyway. Well, the dying part — not the people watching me part.

  I rolled my eyes, playing up false bravado. “Do you have a name?”

  If I was a pawn, then I was a pawn.

  But I sure wasn’t going to be a groveling pawn.

  Those days were long over. Working with Vaarg had done that much for me. Given me an odd sense of worth I had never before felt.

  “Yes,” he responded simply.

  I stared at him.

  “If you are trying to be irritating like Vaarg, you are failing,” I said. “Nobody can be quite like him.”

  The way he shifted let me know he was offended.

  “Marcus. Hmm. Yes — that sounds like a nice name. Let’s go with Marcus.”

  He sounded oddly pleased with himself. Like he had just come up with some brilliant idea.

  I sighed. It was better than nothing, at least.

  “Right, Marcus. Why am I here?”

  I found the more I talked, the less my bravado felt fake. Slowly turning into a kind of giddy excitement.

  The excitement of exercising control when I had none.

  Vaarg would have scoffed for sure.

  “Well, by that very question you are either utterly oblivious, or a mental invalid.” He paused a moment, “probably both.”

  I, however, had suffered under Vaarg way too long for such amateur insults to affect me.

  “Thank you for your commentary,” I responded dryly, “But you didn’t answer the question.”

  I could feel my heart racing. I had no idea what had come over me, but this was not me. I had no idea who this person was, sitting comfortably across from his kidnapper and holding a casual conversation.

  But I liked it.

  Maybe that wasn’t entirely true.

  Perhaps I did know.

  I was Beeg.

  I smiled and settled in for the ride.

  ____

  As it turned out, Marcus did not appreciate my newfound confidence. He made his displeasure known by tossing random curses my way.

  The first deflated an eye. The next caused my left leg to shrivel and fall away.

  I would have been more disturbed, if I hadn’t already suffered worse in the store.

  Still, it hurt.

  Not just the pain.

  Watching myself slowly become a cripple was…

  Like watching my future die.

  And that made me afraid in a way I had no words to describe.

  But I wouldn’t admit it. Not to this creature. And so I gritted my teeth and pushed through.

  “How exciting,” Marcus spoke up after his latest curse - one that made my right ear burn like it was on fire.

  “Most people beg me to stop. You glare at me with anger. I was right to nab you up,” he chortled.

  “Well, to answer your earlier question, you are here because Vaarg is possessive. He won’t like I took you. I expect him to send his slaves to bring you back.”

  He pulled the curtain back to reveal the landscape outside.

  Desert. Nothing but rocks and dried up shrubs for miles.

  Where the hells were we?

  “We are currently half a continent away. Cost me a pretty penny to pay for the teleportation,” he nodded in my direction, as if I should be flattered.

  I’m sure my deadpan would’ve made It proud.

  “I’m not dumb enough to fight Vaarg on his playground, you see,” he waved a flippant hand, allowing the curtain to drop and plunge us back into near darkness. “At this distance, he won’t bother coming himself.”

  He looked at me.

  “No one is that important to him. Anyway, we will be arriving at my playground shortly, where I am the biggest bully on the block.”

  ”Then the fun can begin!”

  He sounded genuinely excited.

  “I’ll dispose of you quickly once they get here, don’t worry,” he gestured lazily towards me. “The fisher cares little for the bait, after all.”

  I settled back weakly as the burning in my ear flared.