Chapter 270 - A Proposal in a Prison (2/2)

”It's only a day to the next Port. Once my Paladins show up, there won't be any way out for you,” said the Priestess.

”Oh, there'll be a way out. It'll just be a mighty inconvenience,” said Aegin, ”After all, I really don't want the Holy Order to get their Priestess and...Paladins, was it? To get those back in coffins. Or urns as the case may be. You burn bodies, don't you?”

”You're fast, but you can't possibly stand against seven of us, not with the aid of our great gods-”

Aegin couldn't help but snort, ”Did it look to you like the Great Gods helped your Paladin the other night? I admit, he was almost fun to play with. It got rather boring quickly though”.

The Priestess paused, ”You...you were expecting him...”

Aegin nodded, ”I couldn't work out how you were tracking me until I found it had to do with the state I settle into when I hunt.. That was enlightening”.

”That's how you managed to evade us at the docks,” said the Priestess.

”You are clever,” said Aegin, ”Now, I'm interested if you can work out why I would come down here”.

The Priestess paused a moment, staring back at him through the bars, then she sighed, ”Because I know where you're going”.

”That you do,” Aegin nodded, ”And I'd rather start my new life without the Holy Order breathing down my neck”.

”Then you'll have to kill us,” said the Priestess.

”That is an option, but as I said, sending you back in coffins would only provoke the Order, and I don't want that either,” said Aegin.

The Priestess frowned, ”Then how do you...you want to keep me here?”

Aegin shrugged, ”That would be ideal, but I don't have the means to keep you imprisoned. So I'll propose a deal instead”.

”A deal?” asked the Priestess, scoffing, ”No”.

Aegin smiled, his fangs flashing as he approached the bars and leaned against them, ”I think you'll take it though. Curious?”

”Not in the least,” she turned away from him.

Aegin continued to smile, ”Well Priestess, if you take my deal. I will have you freed and you can pose as my lover for the duration of the trip to the west where we will part ways”.

She began to protest before Aegin continued.

”Of course, I have no interest in you that way either, your blood on the other hand...well, taking a sip of that every day should stop me from taking the odd life on board,” said Aegin, ”Alternatively, you can be let out tomorrow and hope your Paladins have been able to keep up with the ship for three days straight. If they have, I am very capable of decimating the inhabitants of this ship before you come on board. So what'll it be? A couple of months of your life, or a thousand innocents?”

”If you think you're not a monster after saying that-”

”I never said I wasn't a monster, Priestess,” said Aegin, ”Just that it's a subjective term. I recommend you contemplate the deal and tell me before we arrive in port tomorrow”.