Free Bounty by Harper Alexander Page A

Sethos,” the dark-haired woman bade.
    “ I’ll stand.”
    “ Suit yourself.”
    “ Let’s get this over with, shall we? Would you mind…spitting it out?” That last part was said completely politely.
    “ So eager to face your reckoning?” Mastodon cocked an eyebrow at him, as usual.
    “ Anticipation always seemed so much worse to me than braving the consequences up front.”
    “ I see.”
    “ Well?”
    “ Well. I’m going to say this very bluntly since you already seem informed about what you’ve done.”
    “ I am the one that did it, after all.”
    “ True enough. Keep your dry humor to yourself.”
    “ As you wish,” Seth said. Dryly.
    “ I will not even begin to tolerate scandalous actions like what you practiced today in my dungeon, with my prisoners. I don’t have them imprisoned only to have them tirelessly freed from under my nose. I will not be made a fool of. I will not be defied. I will not be deliberately disobeyed. Stop letting my prisoners go, Sethos. Now I’m not going to ask if you understand me. I will ensure that you understand.” The threat was daunting in her even tone, and Seth swallowed, but he looked her in the eye and refused to flinch from her gaze. On the contrary, when she stood as if to deliver him to the punishment she had chosen for him, he stepped closer, put his palms on her desk, and leaned into her pall of smoke to look her straight in her face.
    “ I’m not going to ask how you know it was me,” Seth said. “I don’t care if it was the ghosts that witnessed it or not. I witnessed Ossen the first time, and I will not accept all the blame. I know you have spies watching our every move, and that’s how you found me out. So don’t tell me you didn’t see Ossen as well. I’m not sure why you’re turning a blind eye on his misgivings, but if you want to cover for him that’s your business. Just know that I know about it, and if I’m going down for this prank, I’m taking him down with me.”
    Mastodon, to his surprise, lowered herself back into her seat. Even more to his surprise – she smiled after a moment. “You young ones do amuse me,” she said. There was resignation in her voice, but – yes, candid amusement. “All the drama between you, the little heroic bursts of loyalty and the clever stabs of spite. Always at each other, back and forth. It’s refreshing having some youthful spirits around here. Ah, well. It wouldn’t be good of me to punish you now that I see you divine it isn’t altogether fair, would it? Consider us all even. But, Sethos,” Mastodon said with long-suffering disapproval, “don’t set any more of my prisoners free, eh? It’s a horrible inconvenience.”
    *
    Sethos wandered into Ossen’s claimed corner, lounging on the bench across from the sweet-smelling fellow and earning his instant, detesting attention. Seth made a show of looking around, though, not quick to give a reason for his presence.
    “ This is cozy,” he commented.
    “ What do you want?” Ossen asked.
    “ Me? Oh, nothing. I’m perfectly content with what I’ve got.”
    “ Then get lost.”
    “ I am lost. This place is just riddled with unnecessary twists and turns, don’t you think? I’ve been going in circles – although, honestly, they feel more like triangles; I don’t get dizzy so much as jarringly disconcerted and turned around. Maybe it’s just–”
    “ Sulk off!”
    “ Mastodon requires your presence,” Seth said curtly, suddenly wasting no more time.
    Ossen took pause at that, but didn’t give Seth the pleasure of him asking questions. He was not going to let Seth explain things, since Seth was so obviously in a smug mood. He didn’t trust that. Pursing his lips unhappily, he hesitated, and then grudgingly went to respond to Mastodon’s summons.
    Seth smiled to himself. It was a bitter smile, though. For although he had managed to arrange for Ossen to take the compromise of punishment, that compromise was simply that Ossen would be