Chapter 5: [Slave Market II]
"Tempting. If I ever need someone to throw rocks at my enemies while drooling, I’ll come right back."
The vendor’s grin faltered. Renold gave a polite cough behind him, which Kael took as a silent plea not to antagonize everyone.
He gave a theatrical sigh and moved on.
Kael stopped in front of a stall that looked like it had given up trying to sell anything long ago. The sign overhead was crooked, the paint faded. A single lantern hung by a fraying rope, swinging just enough to be unsettling.
The vendor sat slouched behind a crate, reading what looked suspiciously like a romance novel. He didn’t even look up.
Kael cleared his throat.
The vendor turned a page. "If you’re here to browse, don’t touch the merchandise. Some of them bite. One of them definitely curses."
Kael glanced at the three cages lined up behind him.
The first held a woman wrapped in chains that had clearly been enchanted by someone with a flair for dramatics—glowing runes, slow-moving vines of energy snaking along her wrists.
She looked up at Kael, dead-eyed, and said, "If you buy me, I’ll smother you in your sleep."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "You’ll have to get in line."