“Alright,” I sigh and toss my notebook and pen on the desk. “Let’s do this.”

“Unhand me!” A man with raven black hair wrestles himself out of Candra’s grasp. When he sees me at the desk, his venomous eyes flare. “You’re the one behind this insult, aren’t you? Don’t you know who I am? You and your snow-brain here will face the curse of the–“

“Yes. Yes.” I wave my hand in dismissal. “The curse of the ancestors for getting the better of you and all your fancy titles.” I nod to Candra. “That’ll be all. Thank you.” The look in Candra’s silver eyes wishes me luck and I’m as sure as water freezes that I’m going to need it.

Candra departs, but the raven-haired man doesn’t take notice. He lunges at the desk, leaning on it so intently I can see the hairs in his flared and narrow nose. “I’ve never seen you before in my life. I’ve never seen this place before in my life. If you are a servant of–“

I cut him off to spare myself his arrogant raving. “I’m not what you’re hoping I am. Trust me, you won’t get any glory going against me. If anything, I’m here to help. We’ve been–“

He scoffs and it irks me that he doesn’t get off the desk. He just keeps looking down his nose at me with those green, snake-eyes. “How could you possibly help me?”

The brief moment his eyes flicked downward told me he already sized me up. Compared to his garb, I probably looked like some snow slug in hibernation. My oversized t-shirt and sports shorts were rags compared to the crystals on his hide clothing. Each crystal was perfectly placed to make him look as regal and terrifying as possible. When he tapped his fingers against the desk, the crystal points like claws on his gloves caused the metal desk to ring. They were harder than plate armor, and my stomach twisted, because I know what they really are.

I must have made a face, because he stretched his thin lips to a grin. “Jealous of my trophies, are you? I’ll hath you know it took a lot of work to achieve this glorious blessing from the ancestors. You’ve no adornments, so I ask again. How can you help me?”

I tweak an eyebrow and feel the edge of my lip curl. “For starters, I kidnapped you from your Clan, didn’t I?”

The embarrassment twitched anger on his face. He finally pulled off the desk. “A chance of luck, nothing more. What do you want with me?”

I took a deep breath, thankful that he was willing to get down to business so quickly. I clicked my pen and opened my notebook. “We’ve had a lull in the sequel where you come in for a long time now. It was suggested to me to interview you and see what happens.”

I tried not to enjoy the confusion that squinted his eyes. “Interview?”

I made a note on the paper. “It means I want you to tell me about yourself–“

The way he swelled, I swore he was going to crack his crystal armor. “Say no more. I am always open to teaching my admirers everything about me. I am the image my people strive for. It’s flattering you went to such lengths, but–“

I tapped my notebook. I didn’t pull him from the Clan because I liked him. “Let’s just stick to my questions, shall we?” I didn’t bother to offer him a chair. Stories were a part of his peoples’ culture. I had no doubt he wouldn’t be able to sit still while telling me about how awesome he thought he was.

He dropped his hands to his side as his green eyes studied me. I’m glad the distrust between us was mutual. “What are your questions?”

“You’re the leader of your people?”

“I am.”

“You take enjoyment in it?”

He stuck his pointed chin in the air. “It is a great glory to lead my people like my ancestors before me. I hath proven my path is paved to be intertwined with legends time and time again.”

I raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t exactly news to me. “How would you describe yourself as a leader?”

A brief knot knitted in his dark brow as if my question was obvious. “My accomplishments describe my leadership. I hath tamed the crystal fire and vanquished the enemies of my people. I had seen ten harsh winters when I killed the first of many striped beasts that hunt the southern wood. I guide my people in the way of our ancestors and it is our ancestors that guide me to glory. It is my destiny to reconcile the wrong committed to my people in ages past.”

I fold my hands together. I know the answer to this next question, but I want to hear him say it. “How would you reconcile that wrong?”

There it was. Those venomous green eyes held a hate as frigid as the arctic. He looked me dead in the eye and the hairs on my neck stood up when he spoke.

“I will kill the devil.”

I leaned back, trying to play it cool as I knew what those words really meant. “How could you possibly kill the devil?”

He leaned on the desk again and anger burned in him as he was probably sick of hearing disbelief like the kind in my voice. “He will return to my people, and I’ll kill him. In fact, he hath been delivered to my clutches already.”

“If you have him, why didn’t you kill him?”

He pulled off the desk and paced the opposite wall, slow and methodical. “I did not expect what he brought with him. He hath fooled the ancestors, but I’ll make them see. I’ll do whatever it takes to make the snow run red with his blood.”

I hummed and glanced at my notebook. At the part I’d been stuck on for years. “So, when your initial plan doesn’t work out, what do you do?”

He smiled thinly. “I expected his diabolicalness and will heed to the howling winds until I can use them to my advantage. He’ll think he won. He’ll think me a fool and let his guard down. My people have been patient for generations for this retribution to free us from the binds our shame. I’ll show them all the truth of who he is. The ancestors will praise me for seeing through his treachery when they did not.”

He paused and I took note of the darkness that twisted his face. His venomous eyes stared at a point in the room and I knew he was recalling the stories passed down by his people. The heavy treachery he believed in that condemned them to a world of eternal winter. Yet, in a moment, his darkness swept away and an adder-like charm softened his smile. When he looked at me, there was a wit of carefreeness in his eyes. “The only trouble that burdens my shoulders,” he continued, “is how I’m going to kill him. There isn’t a way that seems just right, yet. Perhaps, that’s where you can help me?”

“No,” I said flatly. “Why don’t we move on? You weren’t very clear in how you’ll make the devil think he won. If you’re going to make him think he won, does that mean you won’t be around?”

He huffed. “Of course not. That would arouse suspicion.”

I knitted my brow. I wasn’t sure what I thought of that, but I indulged the idea. “So, you’ll allow the devil to wonder willy nilly around the home of your people.”

The look on his face gave me the sense he thought I was dumb and I tried not to grind my teeth in response. “My loyal followers will be watching him at all times.”

I flipped a section in my notebook. To all the noteworthy characters I wanted to somehow include in the story. “You mean the Raven’s Rage?”

He nodded. “There is no one more loyal to me.”

I flicked exasperated eyes up to him. “That’s because she’s in love with you.”

The cock of his grin flashed his pointed canines. “As all women should be.”

I pursed my lips as irritation boiled up in my gut. I check-marked a box in my notebook to seal his fate. “Alright, you’re obsessed with glory, you take advantage of how women feel about you, and I’m guessing you don’t return the Raven’s Rage’s affections?”

When I looked at him, he bobbed his head in some lazy-boy shrug. “She’d be useful in extending my bloodline at some point, but for now, her skills as a warrior best suit me.”

I sighed. “At least you acknowledge her talents. Is that your only redeeming quality?”

His face fell flat. “Excuse me?”

I motioned to my notebook. “Right now, I really don’t like you. You’re a selfish and arrogant son of a snow slug obsessed with killing the devil. You must have something decent about you.”

The way he stilled told me I triggered a nerve. He stepped slowly up to the desk and leaned against it. His raven hair fell in front of his face, but his eyes remained aimed at me like a spear ready to be thrown. His look wasn’t quite hate, but I must have insulted him to bring out this icy personality he often tried to bury.

“Selfish?” He repeated in a tone as low as a valley’s wind. “Hath you not been to where I live? Hath you not seen what I and my people endure? Everything I do is for them, you wretched naysayer. Everything. I uphold the law of the ancestors. I make it possible for us to survive. We must always demand strength because anything less will lead to our demise. Any weakness must be lost to the ice else we will cease to the exist. It may seem harsh, but so are the lands we live in. The curse of my people hath been brought upon us by the devil and by ending him, we will thrive beyond the path the ancestors have laid out for us. By killing the devil, my people will be free. Free of our shame and free to return to the land he bars us from.”

He stays leaned upon the desk even in my silence. I can’t help but study his face. I believed him. I believed that he wanted better for his people, but I couldn’t help but sense a falsity in his tone. He was trying to sound scared. Trying to sound like he feared he wasn’t measuring up to the immense pressure he was under. He was trying to portray that his arrogance was a front to hide a fear he seeded deep down, but I knew better. His arrogance was who he was. He saw himself as a master, after all. He saw all the world as his birthright.

I slowly offered a thin smile. “You’re very good at manipulating people, aren’t you?”

His lip twitched a snarl when he realized I saw right through him. He leaned off the desk and stood like a commander scowling at a subordinate. “You’re clearly more than what you seem. Who are you?”

“I’m still waiting for that redeeming quality.” I ignored his question and tapped my notebook. “What’s one thing about you that will make you not seem like a monster?”

His thin eyebrow peaked like the snowcapped mountains. “You make being a monster sound like a bad thing. Don’t you know? Some people choose to be monsters, because that’s the only way to survive. I’m not afraid to do what it takes for my people. There is no line I will not cross.”