The woman gave him one chance.
Teclos decided not to waste it.
"I was Luther Vael'thorr's thrall."
Nothing moved on the hill.
The distant lights of Veyron's city flickered below them, small and harmless from this far away. Wind moved through the grass and tugged at the broken chain hanging from Teclos's hand.
The vampire stared at him.
Then she laughed.
It was not a pleasant sound.
"You expect me to believe Luther allowed one of his thralls to wander across Tessania alone?"
"He didn't allow anything."
"Yet here you are."
"Yes."
"And the pact?"
"Gone."
Her amusement disappeared.
Teclos felt the pressure around her deepen again.
"Pacts do not simply disappear."
"I noticed."
She crossed the distance between them before he could blink.
One moment she stood several paces away. The next, her fingers were wrapped around his throat.
Teclos's darkness rose on instinct.
A black blade formed beside her ribs.
She did not even look at it.
"Dismiss that."
"No."
