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Despite the permission Namno struggled to say, “He wants to torture you, Envoy, in the most painful way possible.”
Any other woman would have been in hysterics. Not Fionna. “I wonder why he’s so fixated on me. A good sign, I think. It means he fears I can actually do something.”
As to her reasoning, Kormac tended to agree. Why else the sudden rabid hatred of a woman just arrived? “We shouldn’t be too long, but keep the door locked until my signal.”
“Yes, Warlord.” Namno held it open and shut it firmly the moment they entered the cell, the click showing he’d obeyed.
Kormac eyed Lomar suspended in chains against the far wall. His head leaned back, his eyes closed. “Lomar?”
“Lomar’s not home,” was the sibilant reply. The head snapped up and when the eyes opened, the pupils were large and black. The smirk, malicious. “The witch, the bitch, the cunt who needs a stitch has returned,” the thing in charge cackled, despite the medallion shining bright. Lomar shook his head and grunted. “Sorry. It’s being rather insistent this evening.”
“I’m sorry it’s being more troublesome than usual. It appears it wants to chat with me,” Fionna said in a soothing tone as she neared Lomar. “Would you mind if we allowed it?”
Lomar grimaced. “You really don’t want to hear what it has to say.”
“Actually, I do. I could use a good laugh after that awkward dinner with the warlord’s mother.”
“Awkward was me trying to keep the hands of those women from my lap,” grumbled Kormac.
A faint smile creased Lomar’s lips. “I see your mother is still trying to marry you off.”
“When has she ever stopped?” Kormac strode to a spot in front of Lomar. “Are you ready to lose yourself?”
“No.” Lomar sighed. “But I know it must be done. The lady witch explained she must study before she attempts to fix what’s been done to me.”
Kormac steeled himself before leaning close to remove the medallion from his friend’s neck. The body stiffened for a moment then relaxed. An eerie smile split Lomar’s lips before he purred, “That feels better.”
“Who are you?” Fionna asked without preamble.
“Your biggest nightmare.”
“Funny, you don’t look like that gruel we had to eat in the famine a decade ago. I swear, a bowl of mud would have been tastier.”
Kormac crossed his arms and stood behind Fionna, close enough to act but giving her the space to work. If you could call her antagonizing the thing inside Lomar work.
“You can act brave all you want, witch, when I am free?—”
“When?” she interrupted. “Oh, that’s not going to happen.”
“You can’t stop it,” it hissed.
“If that’s true, then why do you want to kill me?” she countered.
“Because you’re annoying.”
“I think it’s because you’re afraid I can unravel what you’ve done to Lomar. And once I figure that out, I can teach others.”
“Teach who? The Srayth don’t have witches. Airiok made sure of that.”
“Not true. I’m half Srayth and I have the gift.”
“A rarity. Those few who are born with it have no clue and never will because I will hunt them out and eat their hearts.”
“Again, proving my point. You fear witches. Was it a witch who locked you away?” she asked, tapping her chin.
“Enough!” it yelled, straining against the chains. “You try to confuse me with your words, but I won’t be fooled.”
“I forget how smart you are,” she said with a smirk. “So smart you got trapped for how long in that cave?”
