He listened.
And before he left, he gave me money, for my father. Not in exchange for anything. Just to help. And he made me promise:
“Don’t offer yourself to anyone again.” He said.
Although I made the promise, it was never mine to keep. Not really.
I envied her—his wife. The woman who got the version of Vander I only saw in glimpses. I used to imagine what my life would’ve been if I had met him first. If Alaric hadn’t found me that night. If things had been different.
But they weren’t.
Alaric eventually moved us to Kentville, saying it was time to “expand.” That was the last time I saw Vander—until years later, when Alaric sent for me again. Back to Neev. Back to business.
There was a new “customer,” he said, someone important. But the customer didn’t know he was a customer.
It
