Rauk's eyes narrowed. "Then… dead bodies?"
She shook her head again. And in that moment, the cold settled into their bones.
"No," she said with flat indifference. "I kidnapped humans. That's how we first worked together. I brought him living captives for his research."
Silence dropped like a hammer.
Taria felt her stomach twist. The image she'd built of Nyra shattered. That purr, once soothing, now sounded like a threat. And those green eyes… no longer soft.
"They were… evil people, right?" she asked, her voice a whisper. "Criminals?"
Rauk's fists were clenched, and his expression was steel. He didn't speak, just waited.
Nyra looked at them with something between indifference and challenge. "Who knows? Could've been anyone. Good. Bad. Doesn't matter, as long as I was paid."
Taria stood up suddenly, her cloak swishing, steel plates clinking with rage. Her golden-yellow eyes burned.
"You're evil!" she snapped.
