Chapter 3: 3 – a Deal With the Devil

Two pairs of footsteps broke the dreadful silence that ruled over my prison. I didn't bother to look up. Either someone was going to be executed, or someone was going to have a very unsavoury and unpleasant afternoon.

The footsteps stopped in front of my cell and my heart dropped.

"Him?" An unfamiliar male voice asked.

"Yes sir." The guard answered.

I did not dare to look up. I hoped that if I averted my gaze, the visitor would pick some other inmate to torment. When I heard the sound of coins being exchanged, the last of my hopes vanished.

"Leave us." The visitor ordered.

The guard was all too happy to oblige.

"You are Blake Wells, the man who robbed the Vangroof family, correct?" The visitor asked.

"What of it?" I said with as much arrogance as I could put in my voice without going into another coughing fit.

"They are known for having the best-guarded keep on the continent. And yet, you managed to break in. You got caught of course, but it's still quite the feat..."

"Yeah, I bet you're surprised that a dirty guy like me -" I got overtaken by a pain in my chest followed by another burst of dry coughs.

When I finally regained some composure, I glanced toward the metal bars that formed the fourth wall of my cell. I was hoping the visitor had lost interest in me, and moved on to torment someone else. I was surprised to see a man crouching on his toes. 

His heavy trenchant was dragging across the humid brick floor, but he didn't seem to have a care in the world. His deep blue eyes were focused on me, to the point where it sent a shiver running down my spine.

It was never a good thing for someone like me to catch the eye of someone like him. My mother would have called him 'a man of proper breed'. Even his overgrown beard and messy shoulder-length hair failed to hide that.

"As I was saying," he continued, as if nothing had happened, "You broke into the most secure keep on the continent. Although what happened afterwards seemed to have ended poorly for you, your skills are definitely worth praise."

"What do you want?" I impatiently asked. 

There was no way someone like him, or anyone for that matter, would go around complimenting me without some sinister hidden reason.

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"I want your help with a certain task." He simply replied.

"What kind of task?" I scoffed. 

"Well, it's rather personal, and I don't want to go into details in a place where just about anyone with ears could hear."

I scoffed again. Few were the things that couldn't be said in a room full of crooks and murderers, and the prospects for my future were getting grimmer and grimmer by the second.

With much difficulty and a groan of pain, I got up from the corner I'd been hiding in. Using the wall for support, I slowly crossed the distance between me and the other man. 

I must have looked beyond pathetic in that moment, judging by the expression of anger that flashed over that man's face. But there was nothing I could do about it. My left side hurt even when I wasn't moving, and I had almost passed out from the pain on more than one occasion during my coughing fits. 

The other man also got up, and we were at the same eye level once again. 

Grabbing the metal bars for balance, I examined him once again. He was broad, and judging by his straight posture, not unfamiliar with weapon wielding. Even in my peak form, and armed with my trusty daggers, I doubted I could have taken him on. 

I came to the conclusion that if my life was already out of my hands anyway, I might as well go down with style.

"A man must always keep a secret. I understand." I spoke. "Plus it's not as if I have anywhere else to be at the moment. I will join you, but on one condition. You must -"

I brought a hand to my chest, trying to suppress a cough. 

"I must ?" The man asked with a slightly surprised tone. He likely didn't expect me to talk back this much or make any demands.

"You must promise that, no matter what happens, you can't fall in love with me."

I locked eyes with him, and winked suggestively. The man, as I had come to realise, was excellent at controlling his expression and presenting a neutral facade. But for a split second, he failed to hide the fact that he was questioning his choice of getting involved with me. And that brought me more satisfaction than it should have.

"That won't be a problem." He finally answered.

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