"Draven?" After what felt like forever in tense silence, Ward’s sudden question stabbed through me, sharp and cold as that guard’s spear in the alley.

“They’re coming,” said the Shadow Thief, voice low and tense.

'They? Was it her?!'

"I see, good."

Much to my dismay, neither of them said more and whoever was coming didn't make too much noise. Sure, the forest hummed with nightlife, but not so loud I shouldn't hear them arriving. Yet, all I heard was the frightened thundering of my heartbeat and the grumpy snorts of the scalehoofs outside - the Shadowbreakers skimped on decent feed for them.

As a pang of jealousy over their simple problem hit, I slammed my mind with [Indomitable Will], to calm myself - and just in case, to build up my defenses. If it was that bitch, there was no telling when she would try to get inside my head. Better to be prepared and be ready to shift than sorry.

Vara and Elira were no less on edge.

"Ah, Isaac. Great to see you," Ward greeted the group, by the sound of it, of well over half a dozen people, with fake cheer and nonchalance. His pretense aside, however, I was unable to get a clear count of them, much less tell if that damn mind-bitch was among them.

"Harcon says it's eight Shadowbreakers," Elira quipped, her voice betraying her unease. "No mind mage."

"Mr. Ward," the man, Isaac, replied, his voice heavy with anger.

"I know. Not everything went according to plan in Castiana," Ward said, shrugging off the man’s tone. "The City Guards proved to be more capable than I judged. But look at the bright side, we're here and with our prize - as planned."

"I don't give a shit about that half-beast chick and we’re sure as fuck not here because of you."

Internal strife among the Shadowbreakers? A flicker of hope flared in my chest.

"Think again, Isaac," Ward retorted, his voice losing its nonchalance. "Without me, we'd still be rotting in Castiana, just waiting for Rayden to come up with a reason to lock us up. As such, you better be very much concerned about that young woman on the wagon, because without her, you won't have any money and no foothold in the Arid."

The bone-chilling sound of the man’s teeth grinding carried over the night hum of the forest.

"Tell that to those we had to leave in Castiana."

"How many?"

"Like you care!" Just three words, and yet the tension in the clearing at the Esulmor Edge Inn ruins spiked.

"Boss, w-what should we do?" Tate, the workhand, whispered, just like my so-called master still lingering around the wagon. Most likely because of me, that fucking slave trader's lifeline, the one thing keeping him alive. Not to mention the wagon was also the place his thugs stuck close, too: the fighter, that bruiser woman, and, of course, Harcon.

"For tits' sake! If only you had as much brains as you have luck! Didn't I tell you to keep your head down and your trap shut?"

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"You did, Boss. S-Sorry, Boss."

"Careful, Isaac," Ward warned, voice low. "I get it; blood runs hot in a fight, but my tolerance for insubordination has its limits. Take that hand off your sword."

"And how many of us do you plan to let die before you hit those 'limits'? If you even have 'em!"

"Trust me, I do. They just happen to be flexible."

"Call it what you want, Ward. But the only one you've ever cared about is yourself."

"Don't pretend you're any different, Isaac," Ward didn't deny it. "Why the sudden concern for others, anyway? Your way up in the Shadowbreakers is paved with corpses."

"You-know-nothing!" the man spat, his words barely cold before a metallic clang split the air.

"Watch your mana and aura, Draven!" Ward barked as the fight between Shadow Thief and the newly arrived Shadowbreaker kicked off. A Perfect opportunity to kick off our plan, I would say.

"Elira?"

“What’s Harcon waiting for now?” Vara asked, her voice just as urgent as mine.

"He... he says he can't see the mind mage?" She interpreted her communication through the Union Ring with him. "He also says something's off..."

"Off, my ass! El, if he doesn't take advantage of this..."

"He… he also says there’s just one Shadowbreaker up against Ward’s thief goon. The others are just watching."

"I couldn’t care less if they're just watching or taking a dump. This is..." Vara trailed off as the fight outside came to a close. The guy’s death rattle was swallowed by silence, followed by a thud that I could only imagine was his body hitting the ground.

"Anyone else found a conscience?" Ward growled, obviously ticked off. "No? Good!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a shame. Maybe I could help them with that." Hearing that voice - cynical, steady, and really unsettling - made me freeze on the spot, sending chills down my spine.

"That's her!" I whispered to Vara and Elira, panic gripping me as I concentrated on [Indomitable Will] like never before.

"The - the mind mage?" Vara asked while Elira was busy letting Harcon know. All I could manage was a nod.

"That won't be necessary," Ward said, his tone completely different with the mind mage around.

"Are you sure? I quite enjoyed the spectacle."

While Ward's choice to ally with mind mages cast doubt on his intelligence, he caught on immediately. "Your work? You turned him into one of yours?"

"No, not at all. I just pulled out what was already there. He really cared about the Shadowbreakers deep down, you know?" the mind bitch giggled like a kid.

"Sure. And what about the rest of my men?"

"Heading for the Kingdom of Arid, just like you planned."

"I meant them," Ward said, and I could just picture him pointing at the seven Shadowbreakers left.

"Oh, that's a no-brainer, right? They are all 'mine', of course.” She sounded amused. “Apologies, but I wanted to ensure our business here goes smoothly - as planned."

It was a real shame I couldn't see Ward's face right now. But at the same time, I was glad the shoelace bitch's attention was on him. In fact, if they'd forgotten about me altogether, I wouldn't have minded at all. Unfortunately, I didn't get my wish.

Instead, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and a shiver crept down my spine. Just like that, as if she could read my mind, she turned her attention to me. "I see you wrapped her up for me. How thoughtful of you, Bastian."

"About that," Ward said, clearly having trouble regaining his cool. "This deal? It cost me way more than I thought it would."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are you trying to pry more out of me?"

"Not at all," replied Ward. "Just wanna make sure I get what I paid for."

"Sure, sure. If that tarp hides the woman I’m looking for, then yes, a deal’s a deal. Mind if I check?"

"By all means. Arlo, you heard the lady! Pull the tarp off!"

"Did you hear him, boy? Take off the tarp," my so-called master growled, his voice shaking like a leaf in front of that mind bitch. Nothing to laugh at him for, though. I myself was freaking out, stuck between shifting or staying put, wondering what the bloody fuck the fire bastard was waiting for. No doubt, that was the mind mage I had warned him about. But with no attack coming, betrayal hitting me hard, I braced my mind for the worst. Just in time. As the workhand yanked the tarp off the cage, my eyes met those of that mind-bitch.