The woman, Vhol, tapped a silver necklace that graced her slender, furred neck with a long, black fingernail. I could see that it already held many scratch marks, reflected by the light of the fire; this was something of a habit for her.

  “That’s all you have to say to me?” she replied irritably. “Years, Vekrem. It’s been years!” She suddenly sat straight as a board, staring daggers at him, as if she could pierce his heart with a simple glare.

  Vekrem pretended not to notice.

  Seeing them quarrel, I leaned back quietly in my own chair, glad that, for once, it was someone else’s drama and not my own. Is this how Grant always felt? This smug satisfaction?

  … Bastard.

  Dragon, who rode somewhere in my mind, was seemingly content with the spectacle unfolding. He made himself comfortable, and I knew that somehow, he was looking out of my eyes. Seeing what I did. Hearing what I could.

  Vekrem broke the silence first. “Yes, it has been years. And in all those years, you’ve never once come to see her. Well, see what remains of her at least. She was your friend, as much as you don’t want to admit it.”

  Vhol scoffed. “And why should I go? Don’t you think I’ve done enough? Taken enough risks for her? For you?”

  I had no idea what was happening, but the two certainly had a history. That much was crystal clear.

  Vekrem suddenly turned to me, anger boiling behind a false expression of calm. ”You asked what she is to me?”

  I nodded quietly to his question, not wishing to add more to this fucked-up situation.

  “She is my savior,” he continued. “That is, she saved my life, and my mother’s too. After my father… Well, no need to mention him. Prick…”

  Vhol rushed to the defense as she interjected, “You know nothing of your father, boy! Nothing of what his love for a human cost him. Of what it cost me.”

  Finally, I could take no more of being left in the dark. Finding courage in myself, I faced Vhol, asking, “And what did it cost you? I still don’t have the complete picture.” I waited for her fury to turn on me. Instead, she peered over at me as if I were a child who’d asked a rather surprising question.

  “Has Vekrem really never mentioned anything about me?” Vhol asked, her tail curling around a goblet that sat on the table just in front of her, bringing it to her lips where she dipped the contents of it into her mouth. Her whiskers twitched, and her face said that it was all pleasure. She set the goblet back down. “Typical…”

  Vekrem leaned forward; it was his turn for cold fury. “Now wait—”

  “Vekrem and I have a tumultuous past,” she interrupted, ignoring Vekrem, who scoffed, leaning back, “as I’m sure you’ve now gathered. The very long story short is that I helped him and his mother escape.”

  Curiously, I scratched patches of hair on my chin. “Escape from what?”

  “From a certain death. You see, young Vekrem’s father is—”

  “I would prefer not—” Vekrem replied.

  “His father is a noble,” Vohl continued, undeterred. “Third in line for the throne of the Rodrant empire. Or at least he was.”

  Dragon sent out waves of curiosity that stoked my own.

  “And what happened?” I asked.

  Vohl pulled lightly on her whiskers. “He abdicated his throne. Ran away… after he was caught having an affair with a human woman. A certain serving woman. My serving woman.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  My jaw dropped at the revelation… it was better than anything I had ever seen on T.V.

  Vhol continued, “Prince Skenvahn was engaged to marry, so you can imagine the scandal.”

  “May as well tell him now,” Vekrem said, putting his fingers to his temples, the will to fight completely gone from his persona.

  Vhol smiled at his defeat. “I always enjoyed making you squirm, Vekrem. Skenvahn wasn’t just set to marry anyone, he was set to marry… me.”

  If I’d been drinking something, I would have spit it out. Dragon roared with delight at the epiphany, and it sent coursing pain through my head.

  “Ugh…” I said, my head throbbing. “I mean, uh… I’m sorry?”

  Vhol waved my comment off. “Don’t be—it was many years ago now. Besides, marriages between both lesser and upper nobles are largely arranged. Feelings are an unnecessary distraction. Prince Skenvahn’s and my engagement was no different. Still, it came as a shock—not just to me—but to the entire royal family when they found that not only had a human maid enticed her way to the third in line, but that she was also pregnant with his child. All told, it meant that she carried a potential heir, no matter how unlikely the prospect.”

  Vekrem, now visibly shaken, his hands clenched in rage so tightly that I thought his muscles would rip apart.

  Vohl stared at him piteously. After a moment of silence, she said, “Come now, Vekrem—don’t glare at me that way. You’ve known this truth for some time.”

  Ignoring the potential ramifications of ostracizing my only friend in this world, I asked, “And after it was discovered… What happened next?”

  Vekrem stood up. “Enough! If I’d known that this is how my time would be wasted, I never would have come to you. I assume that since you aren’t surprised I’m here, a spy tipped you off to my coming?”

  Unsurprised at Vekrem’s outburst, Vohl nodded.

  “Then do you know why I—I mean we, are here?”

  “Rumors only, I’m afraid,” Vohl replied. “The whispers spoke of a roaming band of chitik’s leaving the forest around where your quiet hovel lies. I worried for your safety, but then, surprisingly, I heard you had arrived in Silverock. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you sought me out.”

  Vekrem sat back down on the pillow with a hmph. “That’s close enough to the truth.” He turned to me. “And this is Ike, a human who cannot seem to remember much about our world.”

  “And a strangely dressed human at that,” Vohl added, eyeing me up and down. “Oh, and don’t think I didn’t notice the silver pendant you keep hidden in your pocket, human. You would do well to make sure no one sees that.”

  “Wait… why—”

  “Regardless,” Vekrem interjected, “when the chitik’s attacked, he managed to defeat one in single combat. Quite easily, I might add. I’ve been meaning to make a trip to the Primordial—”

  “The Primordial!” Vohl replied, standing. It was the first time I’d seen her truly rattled in the whole conversation. “That’s suicide!”

  Vekrem nodded. “Perhaps not, if we prepare first.”

  Vohl walked to a nearby table, removing some of the glasses off and setting them in a straight line. She walked across the various lined bottles on the wall, her ears twitching as she came upon the one she searched for. Taking it, she poured each of us a large amount, and then brought each a cup.

  Eventually, Vohl settled back into her seat. “I don’t speak of suicide without a proper drink first. Just a rule of mine.” She tipped the cup into her mouth, draining the entire thing.

  I looked down at my own drink, and sipped from it. It was good—tasting of red wine with a cherry base. I was more of a beer guy, but this would do for now.

  One does not turn away anything in this kind of world. Especially alcohol.

  Vekrem set his own drink on the table. “That’s why we need your help. You can get us supplies that I cannot possibly get on my own.”

  Vohl’s blue eyes lit up, catching the edge of the fire, swirling together to make a purple haze. “Like what?”

  Vekrem began to go through a list he’d made up in his head. Half-way in, Vohl stopped him, collected a piece of paper, a quill and ink, and wrote down his every demand. Thinking back, I had no clue what over half the items were, but, apparently, they were important to our continued survival. Seeing Vohl’s face change as she thought of our trek through the Primordial made me want to reconsider, but Dragon, ever-present force that he was, somehow gave me the strength to keep my nerve.

  “And that’ll do,” Vekrem said as he finished listing the items.

  Vohl shook her head. “Anything else I can get you? A golden crown to go with your new throne? A harem of the finest women… or men?”

  “Hardly,” Vekrem replied with all the seriousness in the world. “And yes, there is something else I need. Lodging… at least until the items are prepared. A few days, I assume?”

  Vohl nodded. “A few days—and that’s with calling in favors.”

  “I’ll owe you.”

  “You still owe me for your own life.”

  Vekrem laughed as he stood. “And what a life it has been thus far.”