Chapter 262 (2/2)

Then Randidly sighed, because there was a strange tickling on the back of his neck. He turned around slowly, much more prepared this time.

“Speak of the devil.”

Lucretia blinked at him. “What does that mean?”

After a second of floundering, Randidly shook his head, smiling slightly. Of course she wouldn’t know, it was a saying from his world. “It means… that when you speak of an unlucky star… it will hear, and come find you.”

With her lovely eyes, and flowing, lavender hair, Lucretia smiled a small smile of shock and satisfaction, pointing to herself after a small hesitation. She almost seemed to be… flattered by the thought of it. Randidly nodded.

“Speak of the devil… and she will hear and come find you. I like it...” Lucretia said, humming. Then she turned to him. “So… have you thought about my proposal?”

“I have.” Randidly said firmly, squashing his nervousness. “Let’s trade?”

Randidly looked for a long time at Lucretia, who just smiled at him. Again, the room around them was extremely dark. The inn around them was completely silent. The water in the basin under the mirror was still, not even the slightest ripple.

Lucretia’s smile stretched wider. “Well? State your terms.”

Gritting his teeth, Randidly hesitated for several more seconds. He just didn’t have any confidence in being able to get what he wanted, because he had no real understanding of what was going on with Shal. What was her influence over him…? What was the deal with the final gift for Aemont? Had it been given already?

Randidly had seen Shal in his vision, and he seemed deeply in a trance. But…

What Randidly didn’t have was time. There was too much going on at once, too much pressure from this situation and from the tournament, and the bonds pulling him towards the two people that have assisted him, Azriel and Shal. He knew this would impact his reasoning skills, but in the moment, he couldn’t see any way around taking a gamble.

Which probably was further proof it was a bad idea...

“...Shal must be released and brought here. All your influence on him should be removed. And…” Now Randidly sputtered out, but then he forced himself to continue. Even if this was the wrong answer, it was better to act confident than to let Lucretia have anymore clues that he felt out of his depth. “... Aemont’s final gift… don’t hold Shal accountable for it.”

That… was hopefully general enough? This was also counting on Bertarn’s impression that Lucretia was heavily bound by her word. If that wasn’t true… all of this was worthless. But she was stronger than him, and he had nothing to offer but this.

Smiling sweetly, Lucretia snapped her fingers. Shal appeared, standing, then swayed and fell onto the bed, then sliding off onto the floor with a crash. Chuckling, Lucretia rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. Shal sighed, then seemed to fall into a more peaceful slumber.

“Done. All previous debts are eradicated. All current influence has been removed. Now…” Lucretia’s eyes began to glow lavender, a sickly imitation of the powerful violet of Aether. “It’s time that you make good on your promise. Give me Aether, child.”

****

Lucretia left, filled with a strange mix of anxiety and excitement. She watched the whole process with her magical vision very closely, but she was no closer to understanding how he did what he did, or what the source of that Aether was than she had been before. But what she did notice is that there was a strange, faint connection between them now, a gossamer thread drifting in the wind, remaining constant even as she teleported away.

It was… something she knew she could use. But she also was careful of his awareness. This was not a process Lucretia understood, and she didn’t want some sort of backlash to be unleashed on her just because she had rushed into something foolishly.

Sitting down in her clearing, Lucretia petted the head of the Yeti, its eyes focusing on her hatefully. “I know you are lonely, but it had to be done. It’s fine though, he will come back all on his own. That little disciple of yours Shal… I’m starting to wonder if he knows anything about you at all.”

Lucretia had very white teeth, and flashed them to the Yeti head. “Then again… poor Shally doesn’t even know it yet himself. But… soon he will. And then he will come back to me, seeking answers. Or I’ll just go find him myself. I haven’t decided yet~”