Thief

Chapter 24

---Carson's POV---

The journey was calm. No longer was there a need to rush, a sense of running out of time.

Nadir wasn't hurrying over to his next prey in order to escape retaliation from future masters. No, this was the last, final death.

But if I had come to understand him properly, Mercer, the last master that ever enslaved Nadir... was actually his first kill.

It was still weird to try and wrap my mind around it. After all, as far as I knew, Mercer would have to be highly wary of anything out of place.

Even if Ishtar, his childhood crush, was slowly poisoning him, there must be some suspicion. After all, she would need an antidote for herself in order to not succumb to the same poison that was killing Mercer.

When I posed this question to Nadir, he grinned widely and nodded. "Indeed. Most poisons can be counteracted with an antidote. And usually, poisons that don't have an antidote, work very quickly."

"However, there are also poisons that work very slowly if given trace amounts. Poisons that don't have a smell, flavor or color." Nadir said, tapping on his saddle while mentioning the aspects.

"Which is why I started with Mercer. If I had waited until now, killing him would be virtually impossible, unless I were to sacrifice my own life for it."

He sighed, curls dancing around his head when he shook it. "I waited before going after my first quarry, simply so Ishtar had enough time to guarantee her loyalty in his eyes. If I had started killing mere weeks after Ishtar suddenly accepted Mercer's proposal..."

I nodded, understanding fully. "He would've known she was a traitor from the start, or at least heavily suspected it." Nor did I need to add that Mercer would've most likely retaliated in brutal fashion.

Nadir nodded, confirming my unspoken words. "Thanks to careful planning, Mercer is now instead protecting Ishtar and keeping her close to his side." He clacked his tongue in disgust, "He probably assumed I'd try and attack her, seeing how she's highly valuable to him."

"Would you, if things had been different?" Mord'U questioned curiously, my own brows rising as I turned towards Nadir.

He scoffed, shaking his head. "Of course not. I know Mercer well enough, served under his thumb so long that I know how that bastard thinks."

"If it wasn't for finding me in the dessert, finding the bodies of their fellow tribesmen and the details in my recount, Ishtar would never have believed me." Nadir sighed, shaking his head. "It's how Mercer works."

I hummed thoughtfully, expression grim as silence fell between us. Understanding exactly who Mercer was.

A handsome man, using honeyed words and kind gestures to trick others into thinking he was anything but what he was. A monster in disguise.

It made sense, in a twisted, perverse way. Slaves meant nothing to Mercer, so why would he treat them with kindness if they could easily be replaced?

However, the people under his care within the city, the people who gave him power. Those were the ones he kept close.

After all, people were more likely to serve and be loyal to a good, honest man that helped them. If Mercer had shown his true nature to the inhabitants of his city, they would've tried to remove him from his powerful position a long time ago.

Instead, because of Mercer's feigned kindness and warmth, they were drawn to him like flies to honey. Swarming around him, hoping to get a fraction of approval.