Black Heart

6. Proposition

***

THE FIRST THING ON MY MIND was he was too young to be a general. The unmistakable golden brooch on the right side of his chest declared his position. I've seen my fair share of generals and they all looked as old as my father. They often came to our house for a customary visit since the Severin family was still considered influential despite the change in authority. But this man in front of me looked to be not a year older than me.

     "Can you hear me? I asked what you're doing here?" he asked rather impatiently.

     If I had any doubts he was a general, it was gone. What this man had in common with the other generals was his confidence and self-important disposition.

     "I was abducted," I managed to croak.

     He motioned his subordinates to lower their weapons and they complied obediently. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The general strode briskly to my side. He lowered himself until we were eye-level, his keen eyes scrutinizing me intently. I looked away, uncomfortable, but he quickly caught my chin with his gloved hand. In a manner too forceful to be called gentle, he forced me to look at him.

     I noted how despite how hard and unforgiving his eyes looked, the features in his face looked soft and beautiful. His eyes searched my face and focused into my eyes. Only then did I realize what he was looking for. "I am not a vedraza."

     He smiled but it was not friendly. "No monster would admit they are."

     "If I am a vedraza you'd already see it in my eyes."

     Sometimes, when a vedraza becomes too intelligent and powerful, they were able to imitate human features and act like humans. These higher form of vedraza are the most dangerous of their kind. Where the ordinary vedraza are capable of mindless destruction, these higher forms are capable of thinking, and as they say, an intelligent monster proves to be the worst adversary.

     We don't have a name for them in my language. In his language, they call them demons.

     "Certainly you don't have the blank, empty eyes those hateful beasts have, but I can't help but wonder why my sabre seems restless, as if what stands before me is not a harmless woman but a powerful demon," he purred dangerously, his eyes blood thirsty. My eyes flickered towards his sabre. The blade glowed softly, emitting a strange bluish light. I've heard of alchemic blades that can tell a monster apart. They were forged using a certain type of fire and metal so rare that only the few could wield such blades.

     At once, fear choked me at the prospect that these men might prove to be threats as much as the vedraza were threats to me. I pushed down that fear and forced myself to speak. "That must be because I am Lady Elizaveta Severin. If you're a general then you must know stories about me."

     Surprise flashed in his eyes but it was quickly gone. He let go of me, narrowing his eyes. "Yes, I have heard of you. The daughter of the Severin family who bears the heart of the demon. The only reason why you're still kept alive is because of your Mage mother."

     He smiled again, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Interesting. I have not seen an anomaly such as you. My sabre screams that you are a threat, even my instincts are sounding the alarm bells, but—" his eyes studied me head to toe "—you're no more than a weak woman."

     Biting back a stingy retort, I forced myself to remain silent. It would do me no good to provoke a person of high position. He turned and barked an order, this time, in his language.