Or “Master”, she thought and bit the words before they had a chance to escape.
“How much do you know?” he asked.
“I know that my family owes your family a debt. One of you can call on one of us at any time and we must obey. If we break our oath, you’ll murder all of us.” She wished she had been told about it sooner, not that it would make any difference at the end.
His magic brushed her again and she edged away from it.
“What else?” Nassar asked.
Say as little as possible. “I know what you are.”
“What am I?”
“A revenant.”
“And what would that be?”
She looked him in the eye. “A man who died and robbed another of his body so he can continue to live.” The cursed revenant, Gerald had called him. A bodysnatcher. An abomination. Monstrously powerful, clouded in vile magic, a beast more than a man.
Nassar showed no reaction, but a small ripple in his magic sent her further away from him. She bumped into the door.
“Any further and you’ll fall out of the car,” he said.
“Your magic . . . It’s touching me.”
“If all goes as planned, you and I will have to spend the next few days in close proximity. I need you to become accustomed to my power. Our survival will depend on it.”
She sensed his magic halt a few inches from her, waiting tentatively. She was a servant; he could force her. At least he permitted her an illusion of free will. Grace swallowed and moved within its reach. His magic brushed her. She winced, expecting his power to mug her, but it simply touched her gently, as if her magic and his held hands.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said. “I know how people in your family see me. Body thief, aberration, murderer. The Cursed One. What I’m called doesn’t concern me. Neither I nor my family will torture, rape or degrade you in any way. I simply have a specific task I need completed. I need you to want to succeed with me. What would make you want to help me?”
“Freedom,” she said. “Let my family go, and I’ll do whatever you ask.”
He shook his head. “I can’t give you permanent freedom. We need your services too much. But I can offer you a temporary reprieve. If you and I succeed, you can go home and I promise not to call on you and yours for six months.”
“Ten years.”
“A year.”
“Eight.”
“Five.” The resolute tone of his voice told her it was his last offer.
“Deal,” she said softly. “What happens if I fail?”
“We’ll both die. But, our chances of success will be much better if you stop fearing me.”
That was certainly true. “I’m not scared of you.”
His lips curved slightly. “You’re terrified.”
She raised her chin. “The sooner we get done, the faster I can go home. What do you need me to do?”
Nassar reached into his jacket and took out a rolled-up piece of paper. “In our world disputes between the clans are resolved through war or by arbitration.”
Grace arched her eyebrow. “How many clans are there?”
“Twelve. We’re now in dispute with Clan Roar. War is bloody, costly and painful for everyone involved and neither of the families can afford it now. We’ve chosen arbitration. The issue is pressing and the dispute will be decided through a game.”