Someone tapped on the door. A girl peeked in. She had brown hair cut short, a sprinkle of freckles across her nose. In her hands, she held a sponge.
"This is for your bath," she said to Karyan, offering the sponge.
Nedeira's face flushed a deep red.
She stepped forward and pushed the girl's hand away. "He doesn't need your help," Nedeira declared. "I'll help him with what he needs. No more help is necessary."
The girl shrugged and walked away, muttering under her breath. Sin watched, then shifted into his human form and plopped onto the bed. He chuckled and said, "Looks like you've got everything covered."
Karyan ignored him and reached inside his outfi, Sera, slid out onto his arm.
He stroked her gently. Nedeira watched the snake, its scales glistening. She admired its loyalty but was too frightened to come any closer.
As the room settled into a quiet space, Nedeira's eyes glazed with memories.
She began to speak.
"When I was a child, my mother... she gave me away. To a man who called himself a scientist. They did things... painful tests."
Karyan listened, his hand stilling on Sera.
"They hurt me," Nedeira continued, her voice trembled again. "Every time I came home, all I did was cry. And my parents, they didn't care. Not one bit."
Sin lay on the bed, watching her with an odd look of empathy in his eyes.
"My mother," Nedeira's voice broke, "she once tried to drown me. I had... I didn't mean to, but I killed my little brother. It was an accident. She said it was for peace, for quiet. But I knew... she wanted me gone."
Karyan's grip tightened on Sera.
"My father," she whispered, "he was no better. He beat me, said I was a curse. Then, one day, he sold me. To an old man. He wanted me to be his wife." She paused, swallowing hard. "But I ran. I got away."
Nedeira's eyes were hollow, her innocent face turned red from streaming tears.
Sin sat up. "That's... that's more than anyone should bear," he said softly.
"Aren't you a demon with no emotions?"
"Shut up, snake! Even demons can cry!"
Karyan looked at Nedeira. "You're strong, Nedeira. Despite all that, here you are, fighting."
She met his eyes. "I've only ever wanted to be free, to be seen as more than a curse."
"And you will be," Karyan assured her again. "We'll make sure of it."
Nedeira nodded, drawing a shaky breath. "Thank you, Karyan. For listening."
Karyan nodded, Sin watched them both, his usual jokes set aside.
"Do you know anything about your parents, where they might be now?"
She shook her head slowly, the shadows of old fears crossed her. "When I ran away from that old man, the sorcerer found me. Since then, I've been trapped, used for his dark purposes. I've been... I've been killing for him."
Karyan's brow furrowed in concern. "What does this sorcerer look like? And why do you have to murder people?"
Nedeira's voice was like a soft murmur. "I don't see him much. He hides behind shadows, his face always covered. But the murders... they're for sacrifices. They kill the bad ones in town. Each death... it makes him stronger somehow."
"And you're sure there's a connection to the mayor?" Now Sin pressed.
She nodded slowly. "Yes, but it's all gossips and secrets. I'm just the hand that strikes, not the mind that plans. They don't tell me anything."
Karyan's mind raced with the implications. "The mayor," he said thoughtfully. "If we could see that link, we might find a way to weaken the sorcerer, to kill him."
Nedeira's eyes, which had been dull with resignation, sparked. "The mayor always seemed shady to me. Too many late-night meetings, too many strangers coming and going."
Karyan leaned in, "The people you killed—did they all have something in common? Anything that could lead us to understanding the sorcerer's goal?"
She bit her lip, thinking hard. "They were all different. Rich, poor, young, old. But... they all had some kind of power. Small, maybe, but it was there. Like he was collecting their strengths."
"That's it," Karyan said. "He's building his power, not just through fear, but by absorbing the essence of his victims. We need to stop the next sacrifice. Do you know when it's supposed to be?"
Nedeira's eyes widened. "Tonight. There's always one when the moon is darkest."
Karyan stood up, decisive. "Then we must do something quickly."
"Like what?"
"What happens when you hypnotise everyone?"
"It's…uuummm…I get blinded by it…and don't see anything else."
Karyan lifted his eyebrow, "like, you mean you don't see who you're killing, right?"
"Yes…"
Sin got up, understanding what Karyan was trying to say.
"So, tell me then, what kind of clients you have to kill tonight?"
"Children…"