"And if I want to run away?" she asked as she ignored that archaic English.
"They will die."
"So, you really think I care about them." Ava smiled. "How cute."
"Are you really going to lie in front of me?"
"Lie? How do you know I was lying?" she asked.
"The only people who came here are... the hopeless ones. They come here to start a new life."
Ava nodded. That actually made sense. Leaving this place wouldn’t be easy. You might not survive the Arena. Plus, once you get out, people may try to capture you. It’s simply not worth the risk.
This is another reason most criminals would never leave this place.
But Ava was different.
She’s not here because she wanted to run away. She came here to gain experience — the same experience that she would forget.
Now that Ava thought about it, she felt extremely salty about this whole thing.
Unless, of course, that old man is actually sending her here because of something else. Was it possible that the old man didn’t just send her inside this place to become an expert in her dream walking ability?
"I will give you two hours to decide."Josef’s words made her speechless.
"Decide? You just said I had no other choice."
"I also said I am going to change your mind."
"Even if I say no, you would still take me."
"At least you get to decide what’s best for you. I understand that consent is very... important in the place that you came from. So I am giving you the chance to willingly come to me. Become my woman."
Ava pursed her lips. This man was once again scheming something!
"Johnson... bring her to the rooms."
"Yes General. Please follow me." The man walked out of the room without even looking at her.
"Remember, two hours. After that, we are done."
Ava said nothing. She got up and followed Johnson towards a room on the second floor of the mansion.
She looked out of the window and thought about the man’s words. That man was actually looking down on her. The motive behind his actions was pretty clear.
She was given two options.
First, he decided to use the ’consent’ argument to make her choose. Obviously, she had no other option but to stay. However, in those two hours, she was supposed to think things through. After thinking things through, she would come to realize that he was more powerful than Damon and thus, it would be best if she stayed with him than with Damon.
This was supposed to make her feel like she chose the right thing. It would make her think that the Duke valued her. It was a brilliant technique.
The second possible option for her is to actually contact Damon using her magick and asked for his help. Did he expect Damon to risk everything to save Ava and Alex? That could be possible. Meaning, if Ava chose the second option, Josef is going to kill Damon and his crew and maybe even fake a rebellion against the monarch.
In this way, even if Damon survives, the monarch is going to hunt him.
Meaning, he could only leave this place, and to do that, he needed to go to the Arena.
By now, Josef must have sent a lot of his soldiers toward the Arena.
Either way, Damon is going to lose this game.
No.
Ava snorted.
The moment she walked inside this place, Damon had already lost the game.
Isn’t that unfortunate?
.....
JOSEF ASAD’S OFFICE freewёbnoνel-com
"Is everything ready?" Josef Asad was staring at the crystal ball that showed Ava inside the room.
"Yes sir.
"And the information about her?"
"We cannot find anything. She arrived with Lord Damon’s group a couple of weeks ago. They went to Lord Welton’s town and left. Since then, Lord Damon just let her concoct potions inside his villa."
"That’s all?"
"Yes."
"Her magick?"
"We don’t have any other information about this, but usually, a witch who can concoct a potion isn’t that powerful. That is the reason why we don’t bring them on adventures.’
"Hmmm. So, I was right. She is not his lover." Josef nodded. There is no way that Damon would bring a lover in front of him. That would be announcing to the world that he had a witness. Meaning, Damon was only using Eve as bait.
Josef smiled. "Is she still alive?"
"Barely."
"Don’t kill her. Once she is about to die, let her drink a healing potion. Then do it all over again." Josef was talking about Alex, one of Damon’s allies. "We need her alive. Send a letter to Lord Damon. Tell him I have taken a liking to Eve. That should be enough to inform him that I am making him choose between the two women."
And since Damon was just using Eve as bait, he would surely choose Alex.
It would be a victory.
"Hm?" Josef arched an eyebrow when he met Ava’s eyes. Why does it feel like Ava could see him? That would be impossible. The magick that was used to create the crystal was fueled by a demon core— a core that one could get after killing a high-class demon. Even a powerful witch couldn’t detect the presence of this core.
But he calm down when he saw Ava look away.
Right.
That must be a coincidence. He nodded. Even a powerful shifter wouldn’t be able to sense this crystal ball.
Then his eyes landed on the large portrait of a green-eyed woman that was placed on a large display stand in front of him. She had brown hair, and a perfectly carved eyebrow that seemed to emphasize her forest green eyes.
At the bottom of the painting was a language that only demons could write or read.
Then he smiled.
Not many people knew how to read the language. In fact, a weak-willed witch could die if he or she would try to read the language.
But he could clearly read it.
After all, it was the language of his specie.
The symbols only meant one word; Eve.
Oh, Eve. What shouldst I doth to has’t thee?" he said.
.....
Posted images of the characters and realms on my patreon you can check it out for free: patreon.com/mitchylle
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
