– Give it back to me? Who said you'd get it? – Alviss left the table and left the room, as if he'd forgotten about us and the tea and cake.
Evans and I looked at each other and hurried after the old wizard.
– I know you have it," Evans said in an affirmative tone as he followed.
– I don't have it! No!" Alviss shook his head stubbornly.
– We'll pay you well! Very well! – I raised my voice, hoping to seduce the old man with the sound of gold coins, because it had worked so well before.
– Offer me even a mountain of diamonds! I don't have it!
– We need him! Without him we have no chance-" Evans began.
– Are you deaf? I told you, I don't have the Dead Man's Axe! And I have no idea what it looks like! – Alviss shouted angrily.
We went back to the shop. Alviss hid from us behind a low counter, opened a thick book, written from cover to cover in sharp, sprawling handwriting, and pretended to read one of the pages carefully.
– Then you won't help us? – I asked bluntly.
– I wouldn't think of it. Even if I had that weapon, I wouldn't sell it to a demoness for all the gold in the world! Who knows what kind of evil intent you would use it for? Ha!" the old mage snarled at me, not looking up from the book.
– But my husband's life depends on it… King Kaldwind's life! Don't you have any pity for him? – I exclaimed in despair.
– Why should I pity any man? Let him die! Maybe it's for the best! Hedda Juris will sit on the throne that is hers by law, and you will be sent back to your parents! It's a win-win for everyone!
– Alviss, you know me, you raised me! – Evans said quietly, but there was pain and disappointment in his voice.
But the stubborn old man didn't even look at him.
– Don't grovel to him, my friend… He's already made up his mind. – I was so sad that I didn't want to look at the old man or hear his voice anymore. I turned my back on him and walked over to the tall glass cabinet, where the shelves held artifacts and weapons I had never seen before. As I got close to the cabinet, I felt a grave chill go through my body and my insides shrink, causing me physical discomfort, but at the same time I was filled with a strange fierce energy.
Something in that closet had attracted my demonic essence. Something dark, ancient, demanding blood.
A hunch flashed through my mind, and putting my palm to the keyhole, I opened the door easily: my strength increased. The dark energy emanating from one of the objects in the closet brought them back to me.
Opening the door silently, praying that the old mage wouldn't stop reading his book, I intuitively touched the long, narrow sword, seemingly simple and even boring, but as soon as my skin touched the cold steel, I sighed noisily, fighting the lust for murder and blood that gripped my entire being.
– It's here…" my lips whispered soundlessly.
– Sylvia? What are you doing in there? – Evans' voice came from behind me, but it sounded as muffled as if I were under the water of a lake of fire, and he was standing on a rocky shore, trying to tell me something.
Dark energy was beating in my veins, as if it had displaced my blood. Terrible bloody scenes stood before my eyes, and screams of pain and fear rang in my ears, like the ones I'd heard when Derek was killing my people…
"Derek… Murderer and usurper! I will destroy you and your brats! I will make all you wretched humans suffer as my subjects have suffered, and weep as the mothers who took refuge in our palace but lost their children did! It was you who killed them! And you will answer for every life you took! Rivers of blood will flood the streets of your cities, and your corpses will be the food of crows…" – I muttered, gripping the blade of the Dead Man's Axe tightly and feeling the pleasure of what I was seeing in my head. The murders, the blood and the horrors brought me joy, but suddenly it all began to fade, fading into the distance, and soon disappeared altogether. The darkness was gone, and I was surprised to find myself lying on the floor, with Evans standing over me, steel claws in hand. His face was pale and nervous.
