The Devil Knows

"Trust me! Go forward a dozen or so steps, and there's an opening that turns left..."

Tales sounded agitated, his speech slightly rushed. "Go that way!"

"Huh?"

Kez was confused and still resisting his help. She asked doubtfully:

"But you..."

Feeling the person beside him refusing to cooperate, Tales grew even more anxious.

The female tailor sighed. "Forget it. You'll be faster on your own..."

Damn it!

This woman...

Why did she have so much to say?

"Leave me here. Maybe this is my price... I shouldn't have done work without pay..."

Tales could bear it no longer. He took a deep breath, leaned toward Kez's neck in the darkness, and shouted into her ear:

"Shut up, bitch!"

Kez gave a violent shudder!

"What did you call me?" she ground out. "You little brat?"

"No shit!" Tales roared back furiously. "If you die here, who's going to take care of that cripple with nothing but shit in his brain?"

"Without you, sooner or later, he'll die in some remote, filthy alley!"

"He'll rot into the dirt, and no one will ever know!"

The arm Kez had wrapped around his neck trembled slightly.

Dragging the female tailor along, Tales fought his way forward and said through gritted teeth, "Stop your stupid rambling! We're getting out of here alive!"

"I don't have that much spare time to pass on your messages for you. The Prince is busy!"

"Whatever you want to say to whoever it is, go say it yourself!"

Kez's voice grew quieter.

Only her low, labored breathing reached his ears.

"Damn it..." Kez clenched her teeth and suppressed her voice, sniffing as she said, "What would you know... you little brat who's never even touched a woman..."

But she stopped resisting. Instead, she followed Tales's pace, limping forward.

The collapse