The past two days were especially revealing when people lowered their guards at night. I had successfully mapped out the entire dungeon and noted the guard's particular habits that would have left me an edge.
In total, the dungeon held about two hundred active slaves that would train, ten slaves that would cook and clean, and two that stood by Ezra's side, and it was those two I felt demonic Qi emanating from.
The guardsmen, however, stood at around fifty throughout the base, alternating every eight hours.
Following two steps behind Ivan, whose gaze was hungry, I lowered my head, making sure to play the part like those I saw, with shattered hopes, which was difficult, as I could not relate. Many of them had been broken, had been assaulted, and much more. Some might have lived their entire lives in captivity and couldn't read.
I didn't know what that was like, nor could I imagine it, not that I wanted to anyway. Empathy will not make me stronger; it only reveals an opening in my psyche for my enemies to exploit.
Walking up the stairs the best I could, my injuries' began to weigh heavily on my mind as sweat dotted my brow. My legs were buckling under my weight as we slowly went from a dungeon to a luxurious corridor in a matter of minutes.
"Ivan!" A guardsman snapped in a gentle whisper beside a door. I could feel Ezra's aura emanate from. "This area is forbidden to slaves, especially naked ones. Nice package, by the way, no homo."
Realizing I was still naked, I instantly smiled to make the Guardsman feel I was prideful to get the perception of me being normal.
"He's got information My lady needs," Said Ivan sternly.
"Huh?" The Guardsman's brow scrunched, " And what is it?"
My head lowered more in a submissive manner.
"Not for you to know, inform the lady that this information is of the highest order!" He snapped, raising his voice a little lower. Anger had begun to sink into Ivan as he approached the door, " Let me in now!"
"Let them in!" Ezra's chilling voice echoed from within, startling the Guardsman, who nodded without hesitation.
A snarky smile fell upon Ivan as he pushed in as I followed, ensuring I closed the door the moment I stepped in.
"Ivan Telp, I believe? A guardsman I hired about a hundred years ago? What's this so call information—"
Lunging at Ezra, to my surprise, I rolled my eyes as Ezra didn't even wait to hear his words before cutting him down to pieces in a matter of seconds. She turned to me and licked the blood off the tip of her fingers.
"How's Zanris doing?" I coldly mentioned, making my way to the settee before taking a seat.
A look of surprise rushed through her crimson eyes, " How! How do you know of that!"
"Has my little maid forgotten about master so soon?" I asked, resting my head against the cushion that sucked me in.
I need one of these.
"Arsene Snow," Ezra whispered, and my eyes met with hers.
"Hmmm, it took you long enough to figure it out. Where are we?" I inquired.
"We are no longer allies, or have you forgotten that demons and devils are the enemies of all." She said, almost as if to challenge.
"So, are you going to kill me?" I softly asked.
"You're a slave; it's within my—"
"I'm butt-ass naked sitting on your settee. If you still believe I'm a slave, you're delusional." I said, leaning my chin onto my hand resting on the armrest. "so do you believe you have some dominion over me, Ezra?"
The air itself had seemed to have gone cold. Not out of the intent, I released, as I had not released any particular intent, nor had Ezra, who stood shaken. No. The Heavens and Earth of this world had felt fear and shuttered.
"Sit with me, Ezra." I calmly said, tapping a spot for her to sit.
Ezra's heart trembled, and I could see her devil's heart scream as she approached, taking a seat without challenging me.
"You know why I was such a dick to you? Such an ass?"
"No," She weakly sounded, almost like a child who had done something naughty.
Leaning my head off my hand onto her lap, I looked up at the torn look in her eyes, "Do you know what your devil's heart is?"
"You,"
"Me."
I smiled and reached up, cupping her cheek as she shook, "Do I scare you?"
I was not expecting an answer. I knew Ezra low-key hated me, not a lot, but it wasn't enough to kill me; it was more of a rivalry thing we shared.
"Your father promised me the Throne of Darkness to cure your devil's heart," I said, " So shall we complete this arrangement?"
She snorted, flicking my hand away from her cheek, " you are a fool. Look at you." she pointed out, " You can barely stand, you have terrible internal bleeding, and honestly, I'm getting annoyed that your shitty ass is on my settee."
"I was a weakling when we made that deal, and my grasp of Devil's Heart was, for all intended purposes, lacked substance, but I feel like I could help you break it now," I responded and sucked in a breath of air.
"Don't you think you've tormented me enough?"
"No."
Cheeks flaring with red, I chuckled, "Relax. But you're going to tell me everything, and I'll help diminish some of that devil's heart of yours. Like where I am, and how did you become a slaver?"
"Too easy, your a damn devil Arsene. Nothing is simple with you."
A wry grin slipped over my lips, "I'm not so bad. It's going to be a trade, I help you with your heart, and you do me a favor. Who knows, Asmodeus might name you his successor."
"A favor. Any favor?" She said as her voice dropped.
Knowing where her mind was taking her, I didn't bother to correct her dirty mind, "Whatever I want." I teased, watching my next prey squirm. "So, what will it be?"
"You're the Devil, Arsene"