“Tell me what you really think, Captain,” Gray said with a laugh. In the little kitchen, there was a little window, dusty but not cracked, which showed a view of an overgrown tree outside. Behind it was another building, half-crumbled away. Behind that, a gray stone wall blocked out everything else. Something about that wall gave Gray a bad feeling.

  A strange, bright purple bird landed on the tree. It fluffed its bright feathers and flicked its serpentine tail which matched its snaky head. Two long fangs curled down from its lips. The monstrous bird squawked and flew off into the glow of pale sunlight. Was it dawn or dusk?

  Gray spread butter across his bread. “I have to be careful around you because I don’t think you have my best interest at heart.”

  “Why?” The woman sat across from him. She sipped from her own cup.

  “Because you’re a secret dragon, and you would use me for my pockets full of gold.”

  “You don’t have any gold, my precious Gray. You only have a stolen ruby necklace and your underclothes.”

  “And my health,” Gray grinned and took a bite out of the bread and butter. “What did you do to me?”

  “I fixed your heart. See? If there is one person you can trust on this miserable world, it would be me.”

  “Because of your sunny attitude?” Gray nodded. “What did the world do to you to make you hate it so?”

  “What did it do to you?”

  “It gave me a bad heart,” he said quietly. “And then blessed me with Blind John. Can I get word to him? I’m worried about him.”

  The woman gave him a long look. “Instead of thanking me, you ask about your beggar friend in some backwater market in a place of no consequence. You are a mystery.”

  “Not a dragon though. Just a man. And thank you.” Gray pushed his plate away. “Why me? What did I do to deserve your healing graces?”

  She shook her head. “It’s not what you have done. It’s what you are going to do for me. Inside you, besides your very shoddy heart, there was a null core, sometimes known as a dead core. That is not uncommon for you equator people. There is precious little mana there to ignite your core. It’s why you’ve not seen any of the seven races. There’s no reason to go there in the mad race for power and glory.”

  “So all we got was legends. Are you a dragon?”

  “Yes. But you cannot tell anyone, ever, what you have seen and what I have done. You must promise me.”

  “It would seem I have leverage over you. Even if I promised, I could break my promise.”

  “And I could kill you, precious Gray. Your heart beats strong, but with a snap of my fingers, I could destroy it. I only ask you serve me for a year, perhaps two, and then I will make sure you want for nothing for the rest of your life. Dragons were not born out of greed magic, no, they were born out of pride magic…or humility, as the case may be.”

  Gray ticked off the resonances she’d mentioned. “Lust, greed, pride. You mentioned a gluttony lizard. I’m trying to recall the other seven deadly sins.”

  A smile played on her lips. “Is that what you call them? Sloth, envy, and wrath finish off the list. You do not want to see my wrath.”

  “What about your envy?”

  “It’s not something I enjoy. Neither is sloth. There is too much to do in such a short time.”

  “Which of the vices do you resonate with?” Gray asked.

  She frowned. “That is a rude question. You’ll know by watching, listening, observing which of the seven mana streams someone is resonant with.”

  He could hardly believe what he was hearing. This couldn’t be possible. This ruined place, this strange woman, even the friendly dog…it all seemed like a dream. Even the place of water and stars felt more real.

  Gray felt his world tilting. “What about me? You’ve been inside me…I won’t tell anyone. It would be too shameful. Do you know which of the seven mana streams I swim in?”

  “I don’t.” She sipped from her cup. “It will be something we’ll have to discover together during your training. It will be difficult, but you’ve lived your entire life in difficulty. I, at least, offer a bed, food, and magic. But your core is different, strange. It was dead, and when I first saw it, I thought I made a mistake. I went there for someone else and ended up with a slave boy.”

  “You mean promising young man,” Gray corrected. “Why was it strange?”

  “Your core was big, powerful, most likely too powerful for such a weak body. When I ignited your core, I felt the power wash over me, and it was invigorating. I’ve heard…during bonding…such a thing. When two souls come together.” She held her cup but wasn’t drinking. Her eyes were far away.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  They sat there in silence. Gray wondered if she’d gone insane.

  Her eyes turned red, and scales appeared on her face, flipping up from her skin. “You cannot have sex, not with anyone. The rules are different away from the equator. Intimate physical contact can create a bond that can never be severed. You will be tempted, but you must fight that temptation. If you don’t, you might find yourself bound to someone who is not…worthy of you.”

  “Worthy of an Arena servant?” Gray shrugged. “I will keep that in mind. Is that why you knew the way to Cradleport so easily? If you were to be intimate with someone without a power core, there is no chance of creating the bond.”

  The scales were gone, as was the fire in her eyes, and yet, she glared at him. “That is a wicked thing to say. You don’t know a thing about me, nor will I ever tell you my secrets. You are here to power my squad. You will survive, because you are good at that. Your performance at the Battle Royale made you something of a celebrity.”

  Even though it was two years ago, Carter’s final scream echoed through history. He’d never not hear that terrible, terrible cry. Poor Carter. He’d had a strong heart but a weak mind.

  “What kind of squad?” Gray asked, feeling sick and dizzy. He’d eaten too much. The idea of getting back to his room exhausted him.

  “That’s a long conversation, and you’ve grown pale. We should get you back to your room.”

  “No,” Gray hoped he didn’t fall out of his chair. “I want to know more about this magic. So, a fat man is a gluttony mage? Is your typical pervert a lust mage? Is it that simple?”

  “No, it’s not that simple, precious Gray. A mage absorbs the mana streams in different ways, and your actions may or may not dictate what you absorb. You must keep something in mind when it comes to the seven magics—there are actually fourteen. You might meet someone with a lust resonance, but they get the energy through chastity. It is their denial of the sex instinct that gives them power. We sometimes call it mana streams, but more often, we refer to them as the seven instincts. Both can cut either way.”

  “So a thin man can be a gluttony mage?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “And what of the gluttony lizard? It looked fat to me, but I wasn’t in my right mind. My heart was still healing.”

  “It was,” she said. “Down here in the Belly of the World, there are demons who manage to sneak out of the Weeping Well. The Hellbound Barrier keeps them out of the Seven Cities. That is the gray wall I saw you looking at. That bright purple bird was a lust crow, I believe.”

  “It was very purple. Are they simply animals?”

  “No. They are demons. Don’t be fooled. They want to kill you and eat your mana. We can kill them instead and take their mana, but like your squad question, that is a longer conversation than you are ready for.”

  Gray closed his eyes. He felt fucking awful, even with the bright energy burning inside of him. He figured he’d wake up, in his little cell, at the end of the gladiator barracks. It was all just a dream. There weren’t dragons, magic, or horny purple crows. There was only the little victories to get enough money for frycake, and long conversations with Blind John punctuated with thrilling visits to the princess in her palace.

  That was his life, not this strange existence in a crumbling manor house.

  This couldn’t be his life.

  “You need to get back to bed,” Settie said quietly.

  “No. I’ve spent a year there.” He figured it was shorter, since they’d had to make the journey from Cradleport all the way to the Belly of the World but he wanted to keep it simple. He sighed. “I’m trying to remember all the stories, which I guess are true now. Can I throw fireballs? Can I teleport? What about mind-reading? I suppose a lust mage would be very good at telepathy.”

  “The stories are all true. Each of the seven instinctual magics do come with benefits. Each one of the magics come with specific skills, but those starting out, which we call Neophytes, can only use their magic to add energy to their muscles. That helps them be stronger, quicker, and more durable. As one progresses, other spells are available. Mana can also be used to enchant items. I wore my cloak and mask to keep my identity hidden, but I also strengthen the cloth, so I couldn’t be stabbed or hurt. In your training, you will get a better understanding of how the magic works. But really, I’ve been too patient. I will now escort you back to your room. Argue with me at your own peril.”

  She stood up.

  Gray dreaded getting out of the chair. His stomach gurgled. Why had he eaten so much?

  No, he hadn’t. He’d only eaten a bit. He shouldn’t be feeling so poorly. And yet…

  Yellow came trotting into the kitchen. He sat next to Gray and whined.

  “He is worried about you,” Settie said. “Come, I’ll help you.”

  The kitchen was spinning. That gray wall outside—the Hellbinder Barrier— seemed to throb. It seemed like he could see the evil magic trying to leak out. Blind John had told him about the wars heaven fought against hell, and they had all been mildly interesting, but so simplistic. Could they be true? If there was a hell—the Weeping Well— could there be a doorway to heaven at the Crown of the World?

  Settie helped Gray stand. “I’m so sorry, Settie, but I think I might be sick.”

  “Captain, precious Gray. I’m your captain.”

  “Captain, my captain, if I throw up, I can’t help clean it up. I don’t want you to—”

  The dragon woman laughed. “It is far too late for that. I’ve spent a year cleaning you, nourishing you with my own core, feeding you. You don’t remember eating, do you?”

  “I…I don’t. I’m sorry.”

  Gray was horrified. Was he going to throw up in front of this woman? No. He steeled himself. He would master himself—that was the fight that mattered, or so Blind John would say. What about this new world of instinct magic? Would it be the same?

  Right then, it didn’t matter. Not embarrassing himself mattered.

  Yellow whined now, following them, as the dragon woman helped him. He felt her magic, and it nourished him. Her smell only made the journey more pleasant, and by the time he was back in his familiar if dilapidated room, he was feeling better.

  She tucked him in bed, and even kissed his forehead. “My precious Gray, always so weak. Let us give you a strength undreamed of, shall we?”

  “You’ll make me strong, so you can get what you want,” Gray whispered. He wouldn’t forget what Oma had told him. “You are only using me.”

  “I will make it worth your while. I will show you a world undreamed of, far, far from Cradleport and the equator. This is not one sided, Gray. We will both gain from our relationship.”

  “Until I’m no longer useful to you.” Sleep was claiming him. It was morning, the sunlight had brightened on the Hellbinder, he was sure of it.

  “I will take care of you.”

  He didn’t believe her, and yet, she’d spent a year of her life doing just that. For him, that was a long time. But what of dragons? If the legends were true, a year was nothing to her.

  He had to be careful, but she was so beautiful.

  He felt the ghost of lust, but no, he was too exhausted. He could enjoy her face, her body, her scent once he was feeling better. Maybe he did have lust mage. He figured Lilian would almost certainly confirm that theory.

  No, now she would forever hate him for stealing the ruby necklace. He wasn’t greedy. He’d just wanted to escape his poverty.

  Then it all didn’t matter because he was asleep again, with a kind dog at the end of his soft bed, and a beautiful woman brushing his hair out of his face.