"You're a fucking asshole," she yelled as soon as she closed the door to the room.
Following Brer's direction she had gone through the last door in the rectangular room, ending up in a room full of supplies - more tables, ropes and the like. In a far corner, sitting on two fine armchairs, a neat coffee table between them, was Vitruvion and Raevin, continuing to talk.
"Say that again, my dear, and I'll have you watch next time I need to satisfy my needs."
She knew exactly what that threat meant. Stare's hatred burned through her eyes as she glared at him, lounging like the lord he was.
"Stop looking at me like that also, Stare. It is me who should be furious at you, me who has been wronged. By you, my property."
"Throw that one at me why don't you," she shouted back. "Just because-"
"Shut up," he suddenly said, very low and full of warning. "Shut up right now, girl, I tell you I am not in the slightest in the mood."
She fell silent. The halves of her beak pressed together, but her eyes didn't stop in their seething hatred.
"I guess that will have to do," he curled his lip, "Come over here, and don't say a thing until I have done talking."
Slowly she breathed in, and threw her eyes to the ground. Her heart hammered, her hands ground into fists.
"Stare!"
Very much not in the mood. Picking up her feet, practically dragging them, Stare forced herself to go over to the one man she currently wanted to be very, very distant from.
"Here," he pointed right by his chair.
She moved over to where he motioned, breath short and fury very much obvious. Her body shook slightly with agitation, but she stopped just near his arm.
He took an unbareably long time to answer. Meanwhile Raevin sat there, quiet and respectful, not saying anything or moving.
"Right. That is better," Vitruvion said quietly. "Now, Raevin has told me that he found you almost dead with that blood mage friend of yours, wandering around the streets of some harbour. He also said that you told him you had been a prisoner for five while days, and you did not remove the cuff," he sounded highly speculative. He paused. "Is this true?"
She pulled her hands close to her front, suddenly feeling particularly vulnerable.
"Yes," she said, not seeing any more than was necessary. Not wanting to remember those five days. Not ever again.
"Right," Vitruvion said slow, disbelief still in his voice. "And ... Who are these mysterious captors, who apparently took a random kenku and a random human that she just happened to know, and managed to remove a cuff made by ... Well me and my father?!"
"Bounty hunters," she hissed, lifting her eyes, hating his distrust. "People who put me through hell because someone has a call out on anyone who works for you. Especially me, apparently. And Nevin - he comes from a cult, as you know, he had a call out on himself too. It was mere chance and luck that we were able to meet, without him I'd still be there and not know anything-"
"Enough," Vitruvion held up a hand. "The cuff. How do you explain that?"
"A mage in service to a demon," she retorted. "Makes sense, opposite power. And he was also in cahoots with someone who-"
"A demon?!" Vitruvion was stunned for a moment. "Must have been a particularly powerful one. Was any name mentioned?"
"No, but-" she paused. "Wait, are you now saying you believe me?"
He shrugged. "No, I did not. But-"
"There was another involved," she interrupted, knowing Vitruvion had to know it. "But-"
"Stare!" he slammed a hand suddenly down on the arm of his chair. A loud clap that made her jump. She stared at him with huge, surprised eyes.
He held that gaze. "I will treat you like you deserve if you keep on this," he glared back at her. "As I said, I am not in the mood. Everything is in uproar because of your disappearance. I had to send Raevin after I lost contact with you. And both you and him gone - well. You can imagine what happened. It was a disaster," he threw up a hand. "Absolutely-"
"For fuck's sake, I've waited long enough," she growled, now over the shock. "Do what you want with me, lock me up, beat me, I don't care, but I need to tell you something. Now."
She shoved her hands on the arm of the chair right beside his. He stared at her like she was mad, and she admitted that maybe she was.
"The mage was hired by a man that he called - well, your 'brother'."
