Raum blinked and lifted his head slowly, as if it was too heavy for his neck to support. When he saw Murmur in front of him, he squinted, probably trying to get his concussed brain to focus. There was blood all over the side of his face.
“Th’fuck?” he slurred like he hadn’t the foggiest idea where he was or who was staring him down.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Murmur said, cocking a brow. Unfortunately, the expression was lost on Raum, whose eyes were still unfocused.
“Where…?”
“Allow me to fill you in, since you seem to have forgotten. Memory retention is not your area of expertise, is it?”
At that subtle jab, Raum’s eyes sharpened a little on Murmur’s face. He didn’t respond, but Murmur hadn’t expected him to.
“In case you’re suffering from further amnesia, I am Murmur, or the Necromancer, and yes, the rumors are true.”
“What rumors?” Raum mumbled.
Murmur ignored that. “I caught you sniffing around my boundary wards and lurking in the foothills, and I want to know why.”
His souls patrolled the edges of his territory with extreme attentiveness—as ordered by their master—and they hadn’t missed the golden-eyed crow who’d paid a visit to one of his ward towers.
Murmur might not have thought anything of it had he not had the recent transaction with Belial. The rogues had been at the forefront of his thoughts and as a result, he’d become immediately suspicious at the presence of that distinctive bird.
He’d sent a squadron of souls on a search party until they’d discovered a small hideout in the foothills of the nearby mountain range. It was a convenient coincidence that Raum had emerged from the cave shortly after Murmur’s arrival. After a light tap on the noggin with his trusty spiked club, Murmur had scooped him up and flown back to his lair, and now here they were.
Raum was about twenty-five percent more conscious now and seemed to have realized his current position. His shirt was gone—a prisoner always felt more helpless when they were unclothed. His wrists were cuffed, attached to chains that spread his arms apart and up. His feet were free to support him. Murmur had spread-eagle ankle chains as well, obviously, but he’d been in too much of a hurry to use them.
A shame. He derived great satisfaction from stringing up a body and watching them dangle helplessly. Even better if they were fully naked instead of just partially.
Was he perverted? Possibly. Depraved? Definitely.
Since Raum’s legs were free, Murmur made sure to remain a few feet back. He had no doubt Raum would kick him in the face if he got too close.
Raum tugged on his wrists, eyes widening with the realization of his predicament. When he yanked a few times and found no give in the chains, his next move was to attempt to shift forms.
Obviously, Murmur had thought of that, which his prisoner quickly learned. All the manacles employed in his dungeon were spelled against shifting and breakage via brute force.
A groan burst from Raum as electricity traveled over his body, and he remained very solidly in human form. Sagging in the chains when the shock passed, he accepted defeat and pinned Murmur with a murderous glare.
“Bit of an exposing position, isn’t it?” Murmur said, studying his claws to hide his smile. He truly enjoyed the sight of fettered limbs. “A shame I didn’t bind your legs too.”
“Why am I here?” The shock seemed to have sharpened Raum’s awareness a little, so at least there was that.
“You know, that’s exactly what I was wondering. Whyareyou here?”
When he didn’t respond, Murmur dropped his hand and fixed his full attention on the prisoner. “Why were you snooping around the borders of my territory mere days after I reached an agreement with Belial? I would think you’d have a vested interest in remaining in my good graces after your dearbrothermade such a sacrifice on your behalf.”
Raum gritted his teeth but still said nothing.
Murmur stuck out his lower lip. “I thought we were friends. I wasn’t even going to ask Belial to do anything that terrible with the two favors he owes me. Now, though, I’m not so sure. I’m feeling a little…” He stroked his chin with a foreclaw. “Vindictive.”
“Bel has nothing to do with this.”
Murmur tsked. “Oh but he does, considering he explicitly stated in our negotiations that my secrecy had to extend to the demons he calls his brothers. He also guaranteed that he and those brothers would leave me in peace and wouldn’t try to kill me for what I know. Assassination attempts are an inconvenience I don’t have time for at present. Yet now, here you are, in violation of Belial’s vow, which could render our contract void. Which, in turn, could—”
“I told you, Bel has nothing to do with why I’m here.”
“Then why are you here?”
Silence.
