"What is your price?"
Alpha Axel glanced around the silent room, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He had to be careful; the Dark King was now interested, and that interest was a dangerous, double-edged blade.
"Before I name my price, My King, there is a catch to the book," he dared to say.
As expected, the King's response was a flash of fiery anger. A glint of red appeared in his dark eyes.
"It's about the condition of the book," Alpha Axel explained quickly, his words rushing out in a nervous torrent. "You know what it went through, and as such, it's very old and frayed with missing pages."
The red in the king's eyes receded, a flicker of disappointment replacing the rage. "Again, I ask. Is it really the book?" Hati's voice rumbled through the room.
"Yes, My King," Axel said, his head bent low again.
