The offer came at dawn, or what the campus had instead of dawn now.
It came through the ice at the top of the stair, in the small cracked voice, and it was extremely reasonable.
That was what Soren had not prepared for.
He'd braced for a threat. He had a whole set of responses ready for a threat.
Thief, said the dark. Listen. I am not going to hurt you.
◆◆◆◆
"Don't answer it," said Yara.
"Why not."
"Because she doesn't lie. She's never had to." Yara's hands were locked around her own elbows. "Anything she says, she means, and she can do. That's what makes her dangerous, master. She's honest."
'She is correct,' the dark agreed. 'Daughter, sit down. You are frightening the others.'
Yara sat down.
Instantly, on the concrete, halfway through deciding not to.
She looked at her own legs with an expression Soren had never seen on her.
"Get up," he said.
"I can't."
"Yara."
