Warlock

The prisoner's eyes flitted to each of them in turn, his legs folded casually in front of him.

His mismatched eyes narrowed as they drew closer but showed no emotion beyond that.

After a brief but heavy silence, Alexis decided to do what she did best. Break it.

"We..have a few questions we think you can answer."

More silence.

"We'll make it worth your while." It pained her to negotiate with someone like him but she had to. For Noah.

The prisoner looked away, as if he wasn't chained to a wall with no way out.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be." Markus growled, hand on his sword, clearly playing bad cop.

Noah shifted, suddenly feeling uneasy, as if his chest was hollow and something was filling it slowly.

"Look, man-" Reyn cut in, exchanging a glance with Alexis, "- Tell us what we need to know... And we'll move you up a tier."

The prisoner scoffed.

'Couldn't if I wanted to.'

"W- Why not?" Noah asked, eyes wide as he wrung his hands.

"What?" Alexis turned back to look at him, along with everyone else.

Noah started, terrified to note that the prisoner was staring at him.

'You...can hear me?'

"Huh? Yeah I-"

He realized the prisoner's lips hadn't moved.

'An empath?" There was a hint of amusement in the voice that pervaded Noah's mind.

"What?! No- I don't know what that-" He stumbled, falling back on the stone floor.

Markus drew his sword, pressing the tip under the prisoner's chin. "What the hell are you doing to him?"

Instead of answering, he smirked. 'Call him off.' The smile faded. 'Or I'll kill him.'

"Markus," Noah pushed past Reyn (he would regret that later) who was helping him up and grabbed the guard's arm. "Please.."

He kept his eyes on him as Alexis pulled him aside. "What's going on?" She did not mess around when it came to Noah.

He figured he could tell the truth. That wouldn't sound crazy at all. Why would it? It's totally normal.

"He's... Inside my head, somehow." And now for a positive spin. "I think he'll talk to me."

'I'm not answering anything till you let me go.'

"I don't think they'll let you go though!" Noah peeked his head from behind Alexis, his voice squeaky.

"You'd sooner die." This was from Markus, who also did not mess around.

"Yeah, murder is kind of a biggie." This was Reyn who was famous for it.

'Murder?'

Noah was taken aback by the genuine confusion in his tone.

"Isn't that what you did? Try to kill the king?"

Behind him, Reyn glanced away, eyes briefly betraying her feelings.

But the prisoner only shook his head, slowly, eyes downcast.

"Don't listen to him," Markus interjected as the atmosphere changed. "He killed the old archivist and attacked the senior guards!"

'Wasn't me.'

Despite the nonchalance of the statement, Noah felt compelled to repeat it. "It.. wasn't you?"

"Was-" Alexis began, swallowing nervously, "- Was it Arden?"

She was startled when the prisoner looked up abruptly.

"What are you doing?" Markus whispered as she walked closer.

She ignored him. "Did Arden kill the archivist so he could replace him?"

"Why the hell would he do that?" To Markus, there were better ways to secure a job.

"The records-" Reyn, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, spoke up, arms crossed. "All the strategies, the camps, everything.."

'He left me to die because I wouldn't help him kill someone.'

His tone wasn't cocky anymore. The voice in Noah's head was quiet, like he didn't want to say it.

Whatever the case, the boy repeated it.

"You do realise it's hard to believe you, right?" The princess was on guard against the guy. For obvious reasons.

He smirked, all traces of sincerity gone as he casually shrugged.

"This is insane," Alexis pressed her fingers to her forehead. "You should've told them if he was involved too."

The prisoner tilted his head towards Noah. 'Tell them I don't speak to their kind.'

"That's ...a little mean.." He drifted off, then decided to fast track it. "Arden.. did something to me and I think that's why I can hear you," He definitely realized he was making a mistake but it was too late to stop. "Uh- A ritual?"

To his surprise, he got a response.

'Blood?'

"Y-Yeah, exactly!"

"Wait, so, you know what's gonna happen to him?" Markus exchanged a glance with Alexis.

"Time's up." The guard outside banged on the door, opening it. "Out. Now." His tone left no room for negotiation.

"Wait- what's gonna happen?" Noah turned back desperately to the prisoner even as he was led away.

He looked away, voice icy.

'Not my problem.'