"What are you talking about?"
Annan wasn't used to this at all. Iron Maiden's tone had always been distant, if not cold. She had never sounded so gentle.
"Young Miss Olmedo...?" Iron Maiden recognized his voice.
Even Annan realized something was wrong. He touched his face. Oh, damn it. I forgot the Disguise...
A chill ran through him. He had walked all the way from the Carriage to the Dungeon with this face...
Thankfully, the Purification Court had already been cleared out once. Almost everyone there was on his side.
Iron Maiden looked at Annan. "I've given your proposal serious thought. It's not impossible..."
What proposal?
It took Annan a moment to realize she meant taking her into the Wilderness to release Misfortune.
"You agree?" Annan asked, delighted.
As for why Iron Maiden had relented, Annan figured he had finally won her over.
It couldn't be because she thought he was good-looking.
Could a priest of the Misfortune Church really be as shallow as a Succubus?
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Iron Maiden asked softly, as if concerned for him. "You don't like it here, do you? I could cause the people in power a great deal of trouble..."
"I'll say it again. Civilians are innocent."
"You really are too kind for your own good... But I don't dislike it."
"Do you need anything to release Misfortune?"
"No. Just take me where I want to go and remove my Manacles..."
Annan considered it for a moment. "I can release you, but I have one condition."
"What?"
"Leave the Guardian Church alone," Annan said. "They went too far, but they wanted the same thing I do: to protect innocent people."
"I agree, but I have a condition too."
"Go ahead."
A prisoner had no right to make demands,