Depths of Madness - Erik Scott De Bie [51]
She knew Davoren could not reply. His outraged eyes, though, said enough.
"Before we get to business, while I've got you transfixed, perhaps you can help me understand something I've always wondered about." She paused. "If you're the descendent of demons, how is it you serve Asmodeus?"
That got his attention, and Twilight saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eye.
"I wonder," she said. "The grandson of a demon prince, a servant of archdevils, who takes his power from both the Hells and the Abyss? Which was it, by the way-Graz'zt or Orcus? I'm curious. The latter, I bet. You look like the son of a cotpse."
Unsurprisingly, no reply was forthcoming.
Twilight knelt down to stare into Davoren's eyes. "Hear this now," she said. Her voice was soft. "You cannot comprehend what it would mean to cross me. Your master does not frighten me-I have spat in his eye myself."
Silence for a heartbeat. Twilight knew he believed her. The truth of that mattered not at all.
"And if you think for a single moment that your power frightens me, you are making a fatal mistake."
He offered no response but a hateful glare.
"Now then, to the real business at hand," she said. "I know you had something to do with Asson's fall. I heard the magic, the word of command. I could have been mistaken, perhaps, but if it were just me, I'd gut you right now and leave your entrails for the scavengers, just to err on the more pleasant side."
Twilight paused, allowing Davoren to drink in her entire meaning.
"But it's not just me. I have to think of us all, and if we're going to get out of here alive, we need to work together. We all need allies to survive this, and you've got none-not even your own tongue." Her eyes narrowed. "So let me make this clear- from here on, you're either with us, or you're dead. Savvy?"
Twilight could tell from the way the color began to bleed out of Davoren's face that the poison was starting to dilute through his blood, and he could feel his body once again. Soon, he could speak. "Ye-yes," he managed. "Yes, that's clear."
Twilight slammed him against the wall again. Though she was not a big woman, or a strong one, she knew exactly what angles to ply for sufficient leverage.
To further emphasize her point, she stabbed him again for good measure.
"Aack-" Davoren managed. Then he could only look at her, stung and furious.
"I wasn't finished," she said.
She wrenched the dagger out, causing Davoren's eyes to water, and raised it before his face. His dark blood mingled with an amber jelly smeared along the blade. Then she reached down and pulled out the vial of poison, to wave it in front of his face.
"I carry more of this than you might think. If you try something like that again-if you even think it-I'll pump you so full of venom you'll be able to do nothing but lie helpless while the vermin of this hellhole start with your eyes and work their way toward your brain." Her eyes bored holes into his face. "How does that sound, Lord Hellsheart, servant of Asmodeus?"
Davoren could do nothing but stare daggers at her. She saw a touch of pain in his eyes, and she took it for fear. So he was just a bully.
"Remember," she said. "You betray us again, and I won't bury you."
The warlock kept silent. He could speak again, but he could barely move, Twilight knew. She left him then, and Davoren could not follow.
"Twilight?" his voice floated after her. It was pained- broken. "Twilight!"
She rounded the corner, losing sight of the half-paralyzed warlock. Try as he might, Twilight knew that he could not catch up, not for a while. Long enough, hopefully, to make her point sink home, like a finely crafted blade between a certain pair of ribs.
Twilight shook her head to clear the image. One could dream.
Davoren's despairing cries echoed as she went farther down the tunnel, just loud enough for her to hear, but not for the others to do so.
"Twilight!" he shouted. "Come back here! Don't leave me