Caged By the Lich

12. Olvaar

12

OLVAAR

I stride into the dimly lit chamber, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The air crackles with tension as I face the group that Vex rounded up for me. I make the effort to my guards as best as I can, but I don't let them know this — in case I need to use that knowledge later. Their eyes gleam with a mix of fear and defiance, but I can smell their unease.

"So," I drawl. "I heard that you all were concerned about the decisions I've been making?"

One of them, a burly volvath with twisted horns, steps forward. If they think them being un bound means anything, then they are mistaken. I'm already spoiling for a fight. "V, we mean no disrespect, but--"

"But what?" I snarl, cutting him off. My patience is already wearing thin. "Speak plainly or get the fuck out."

The volvath swallows hard. "It's the human girl. Astrid. There are... rumors."

I feel my temper flaring, a familiar heat rising in my chest. "What kind of rumors?"

Another demon, a soz'garoth like myself, pipes up. "That you're growing soft." He shakes his head. "You have a human here, and not as a slave."

The words hang in the air, heavy with implication. I can feel my magic swelling, filling the room with an oppressive dread. The weaker demons start to tremble, their knees buckling under the weight of my power.

"You think I'm going soft?" I ask, my voice dangerously quiet.

Without warning, I lash out, my hand wrapping around the soz'garoth's throat. I lift him off the ground effortlessly, watching as he struggles for air.

"Does this look soft to you?" I growl, tightening my grip.

The other demons back away, their eyes wide with terror. I can hear their hearts racing, smell the acrid stench of their fear.

I drop the soz'garoth, who crumples to the floor, gasping. "Let me make something perfectly clear," I say, my gaze sweeping over each of them. "My business with Astrid is exactly that - my business. If any of you have a problem with how I conduct my affairs, you're welcome to challenge me directly."

The room falls silent, save for the whimpering of the soz'garoth on the floor. None of them dare meet my eyes.

"No takers?" I sneer. "I didn't think so."

I turn to leave, but pause at the doorway. Looking back over my shoulder, I deliver one final warning. "Spread the word. Anyone who questions my authority or my decisions will answer to me personally. And I promise, you won't like the consequences."

As I walk back toward the estate, I let my magic whip out. It pours through me in its rawest form, slicing through the air like lightning. The sky seems to respond in kind, a storm starting to brew as my magic burrows into the ground, pours into the air, seeks for any way out and to explode like bolts themselves.

Only once I calm down do I go to find Astrid. I do not care for people to question me, and after her behavior at the council meeting, I told her that she no longer needed to clean around my house. I have more than enough servants, anyway. Instead, I'm going to give her a new job.

It's not all that surprising to me when I find her in my study, though. She acts like she belongs here, and I've never told her she can't be in it.

I watch Astrid from across the room, her brow furrowed in concentration as she pores over a stack of reports. It's been a few months since I brought her here, and I find myself increasingly impressed by her quick mind and adaptability. Maybe that's why I won't reprimand her for messing with reports she should leave alone.

"Astrid," I call out, my voice cutting through the silence. She looks up, her green-gold eyes widening at first in surprise and then settling as a smile seems to tug at her lips. "Comfortable?'

She nods, shifting on my couch, and I only grin, walking over to my chair behind my desk.

"I have a new task for you," I say, sliding a leather-bound ledger across the desk. "I want you to audit our weapons inventory. Every sword, every dagger, every piece of armor. I need to know exactly what we have and what we need."

Astrid's eyebrows rise slightly. "That's... quite a responsibility," she says, her voice carefully neutral.

I lean back in my chair, studying her. If she was going to try and harm me, she would have. I know that she keeps a knife sheath around her thigh, and I fully expect her to take a dagger while she's in the weapons room. But it doesn't concern me.

Instead, I arch. a brow. "Think you can handle it?"

A flash of defiance sparks in her eyes. "Of course I can."

I smirk, amused by her spirit. "Good. You'll work directly with Vex on this. He'll show you our armory and storage facilities."

As if on cue, Vex enters the room. I nod to him, and he escorts Astrid out. Once they're gone, I allow myself a moment of reflection. Giving her this level of access is a risk, but a calculated one. I need to see how she handles real responsibility.

Over the next few days, I keep a close eye on Astrid's progress. She throws herself into the task with a determination that surprises even me. I catch glimpses of her conferring with Vex, her hands moving animatedly as she speaks. She's not just counting weapons; she's analyzing our defenses, identifying weaknesses, proposing improvements.

One evening, as I'm reviewing reports in my study, there's a knock at the door. "Enter," I call out, not looking up from my work.

Astrid walks in, her arms full of parchments. "I've finished the audit," she announces, dropping the stack on my desk with a satisfying thud.

I raise an eyebrow, picking up the topmost sheet. Her handwriting is neat and precise, her observations astute. "Already? I'm impressed."

She stands a little straighter at the compliment, a hint of pride in her posture. "I also took the liberty of drafting some suggestions for optimizing our inventory and distribution."

I flip through the pages, my interest piqued. Her ideas are sound, showing a strategic mind I hadn't fully appreciated before. "This is... good work, Astrid," I admit, looking up at her.

For a moment, I see a flash of genuine pleasure in her eyes before she schools her expression back to neutrality. It's... intriguing.

"Thank you," she says simply.

I nod, making a decision. "I want you to oversee the implementation of these changes. Work with Vex to make it happen."

Astrid's eyes widen slightly, clearly surprised by the level of authority I'm granting her. "Are you sure that's wise?" she asks, her tone cautious.

I lean forward, fixing her with an intense gaze. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

She meets my eyes unflinchingly. "No. I'm questioning your sanity. I'm still your prisoner, remember?"

I can't help but chuckle at her boldness. "Consider it a test, then. Prove to me that my trust isn't misplaced."

I watch Astrid's face, waiting for her reaction. Instead of the gratitude I expect, her brow furrows, suspicion clouding her eyes.

"Why are you treating me like this?" she demands, her voice laced with confusion and a hint of anger. "What's your game, V?"

Her question ignites something inside me, a familiar surge of irritation. I rise from my chair, my movements fluid and predatory. In three long strides, I'm across the room, invading her personal space.

Astrid backs up instinctively, but I match her step for step until her back hits the wall. I plant my hands on either side of her head, caging her in. Her breath hitches, but she doesn't cower. Damn her.

"You want to know why?" I growl, my face inches from hers. "Maybe I'm tired of your constant resistance. Maybe I think you'd be more useful working than rotting away in your room and annoying me." I lean in closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Or maybe you'd prefer I treat you like the prisoner you claim to be?"

Her eyes widen at that, pupils dilating. I catch the slight quickening of her pulse, the almost imperceptible parting of her lips. Realization hits me like a lightning bolt, and I slide one hand down to her knee, trailing it up the exposed skin there.

"Is that what you want, little rebel?" I taunt, a cruel smirk playing on my lips. "A punishment?" I lean closer and breathe into her ear. "For me to be rough with you? Harsh?"

Her legs part for me, my hand curling behind her thigh as she lifts it ever so slightly. I pull back to see her face flush and her eyes blown wide. Oh, fuck. This isn't good at all. And yet, I can't stop myself.

I lean so close our lips almost touch. "All you have to do is step out of line." It's a dare. I want to break the little brat. And I think she wants it, too.

But we both want to fight. To be forced. For the building tension to explode until I've had enough.

"Then you'll see how brutal I can be," I whisper against her lips.

Astrid's breath catches in her throat, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. She doesn't answer, but her reaction tells me everything I need to know. The little brat actually likes the idea. No wonder she's never truly feared me.

I slip that hand a little higher, her skirt rising up out of my way, and my fingers brush the heat of her thigh. It would be so easy to slide inward, to plunge my fingers into where I want.

Instead, I step back abruptly, putting distance between us. Gods, this woman has gotten into my head.

"Go tell Vex about your new assignment," I order, my voice cold and dismissive.

She hesitates for a moment, confusion and desire warring in her eyes. Then she nods curtly and hurries out of the room.

As the door closes behind her, I find myself staring at it, my mind racing. Because I just got my hand all the way up her thigh…

And found an empty sheath.

I don't know how to feel about the fact that I can actually trust her.