The Price

There is progress. My beloved is awake for longer, yet still endures a great deal of pain. But those brief moments together are for me, like gasps of breath above the waves of a tumultuous sea.

I told Nemeiah that my beloved had woken and also that Viere was alive. Fortunately she did not connect these two facts; or at least no suspicion was verbalized.

While luck did not favor me in killing Viere before the deal was complete, it did favor me to find what was needed. I know his tastes. Strong, tall and gorgeous. (Sounds familiar, yes?) When I had what he desired I brought it to him.

However I designed it so that he would experience debilitating discomfort at first and a dreadful headache after. He first feared that I had poisoned him, but I assured him that his body would recover after the hangover faded. He formally released me from the debt and called me something rather impolite. In that moment there was nothing restricting me from killing him permanently.

But for the second time in our history, I left him alive. I returned home to my beloved.