When I came back to reality and opened my eyes, the only thing I could see was Minna’s face.

  She grinned. “He’s awake!”

  Slowly, Minna helped me sit up. “You look a mess,” she said. “Harl took the liberty of resetting your broken nose while you were asleep. Didn’t think it would ever stop bleeding, but all seems well now.”

  I moved my hand up to touch my nose. It was swollen and tender to the touch, but at least it wasn’t crooked. Surach had punched me so hard it felt like my entire face had been crushed, so I counted my blessings that it was just my nose.

  I looked around the camp and saw Djadja still buried in the ground up to his belly. It seemed he had given up on trying to free himself and had accepted his current situation for what it was. Next to him, Surach was laid out on the ground, arms and legs bound together with a tight cord.

  This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for my master plan. I hadn’t expected the Kurskins to turn on us so quickly, but I felt like I could make this work. I didn’t really have much of a choice now, anyway.

  My eyes found Ersabet sitting on a rock. She gestured to the subdued Kurskins and said, “I thought you might like a word with these two, so I refrained from killing them. You’re welcome.”

  I nodded and felt a strange sense of pride that Ersabet trusted in me. She knew I had a plan that involved these Kurskins; she just didn’t know what. Yet, here she was, being helpful and having faith that I knew what I was doing.

  Minna helped me stand. She let me put my arm over her shoulder as she pulled me up. When I was fully upright, I pulled her into a hug. “You saved my life, Minna. Thank you.”

  I released the hug, and her brown cheeks flushed red. I looked at Harl, opened my arms to him, and gave him a cheesy smile.

  He waved me off. “That won’t be necessary.”

  I took a deep breath, grateful to be alive and around people I could trust. Harl and Minna hadn’t hesitated to jump into the fight, and that was no small matter considering the strength of their opponent. It gave me hope that others might be willing to fight back. All they needed was a good reason and a little push.

  I looked at Minna. “Told you they were the real monsters. Believe me now?”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I believed you before. We all hate the Kurskins. They’re bullies and treat us like servants. But they kill monsters better than anyone, and that’s all Master Roan cares about.”

  “Seems like Master Roan has his priorities wrong.”

  Minna and Harl froze at those words, shocked that anyone would dare utter such blasphemy.

  “The truth can be uncomfortable,” I continued. “Hunters don’t kill other Hunters, yet these scaly bastards were ready to kill me for saying we were all equals. Our lives mean nothing to them.”

  I paused and looked down at the ground, considering my words. “I was wrong when I said we were all equal, though. We aren’t equal with the Kurskins. We’re above them. They’re no better than the draugr we were after.”

  I turned to look at the subdued lizards. Ersabet had gagged them, but their eyes spoke plenty. The hatred they could convey through those slitted pupils made me shiver.

  Pushing aside my fear of them, I walked toward Surach and crouched next to him. He struggled to free himself as he glared at me.

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  “Who’s in charge now, Surach?” I gave him a toothy, blood-tinged grin.

  I stood back up and paced before the two Kurskins. My stomach lurched from what I was about to do, but I knew it was the right thing. It was time to change how I played this game. It was time to fight back.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do,” I said. “One of you assholes is going to tell Minna and Harl the truth of your origin. Not everything of course, we don’t want to fry their brains, but you are going to make your origin and intentions regarding humanity very clear, is that understood?”

  From the looks in their eyes, they weren’t keen on complying.

  “I should mention that I will kill whichever one of you keeps quiet. So that’s the deal: one of you tells Minna and Harl the truth and gets to live. The other dies. First come, first serve.”

  I put my hands on my hips and casually said, “So, who wants to live?”

  Both Kurskins tried to speak through their gags, so I indicated that Ersabet should remove them.

  She took off Surach’s first.

  “You will die,” he said immediately. “I will rip your heart out and eat it for dinner. If you even think that…” His words were cut off as Ersabet reapplied the gag.

  “Smart,” I said to her. “Let’s hope Djadja has a little more sense.”

  Ersabet freed Djadja to speak.

  He waited a moment before saying, “How do I know you will not just kill me anyway?”

  I shrugged. “You don’t. But you will for sure die if you don’t talk, so I’d get going if I were you.”

  I stepped aside, so he could clearly see Minna and Harl. From the looks on their faces, they wanted to hear what he had to say.

  “What exactly do you want me to tell them?” Djadja asked.

  “Tell them where you and the other Kurskins came from.”

  “Fine,” he said. He looked to Harl and Minna. “We are far from the Church’s reach, so I already doubt you two believe in the doctrine like the other humans in central Erda. Still, I will tell you the truth. My people are not divine as the Church claims. Both the Kurskins and the Dalari came across the sea, from the other side of the world.”

  I soccer-kicked him in the face as hard as I could. Even with my enhanced strength, it didn’t cause any real injury, but it sure pissed him off.

  He turned on me, furious. “What was that for? I did what you asked.”

  I met his cold gaze with one of my own. “You told them a carefully crafted lie about your origins. Now, it’s time to tell them your true origins. There is only one right answer, and if you get it wrong, I’ll end your game right here, right now.”

  My emphasis on the word ‘game’ made his eyes widen. They darted around as if looking for a way out, but Djadja was helpless, and I was in control.

  “Right now,” I said. “You’re wondering if your assumption about what I know is correct. I assure you it is.”

  The surprise left his face, and it wrinkled with disgust.

  I gave him my best disapproving glare until his expression finally changed into one of resignation.

  He sighed. “We are not from Erda. We are not from this world. We come from one of the stars in your night sky, one that is too distant for you even to see.”

  Minna and Harl were motionless, eyes wide as saucers.

  I patted Djadja on the head. “Good boy. Now, tell them about your true intentions with humans on this planet, and do it in a way that they will understand.”

  His left eye twitched in anger, but he complied. “Humans are beneath both the Kurskin,” his eyes flicked to Ersabet, “and the Dalari. To us, humans are nothing more than pawns. You are our slaves. You are tools for our amusement.”

  I patted him again. “Perfect, Djadja. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Ersabet, gag him.”

  I walked to Minna and Harl, who looked at me with an uncomfortable reverence as I approached.

  “There you have it,” I said. “And it’s the truth. The Kurskins and the Dalari aren’t enemies, at least not beyond this world. The Kurskins didn’t come here to defend humans from the Dalari. They came here together to subjugate humans and to eventually eradicate them.”

  I glanced at Ersabet. “But there are still some good among them like Ersabet.” It was best not to turn my new allies against her.

  “Why?” was all Minna had to say.

  “Because they are evil,” I said. “Because they are monsters.”

  I met Harl’s eye and could see a spark of fanaticism growing there, waiting for someone to ignite it.

  “I think it’s time we make some changes with the Hunters,” I said. “Will you stand with me?”

  “Aye,” said Harl. “My axe is yours henceforth.”

  I looked at Minna. “Are you in, Minna? It won’t be easy, and I doubt Roan would be on our side, even if he heard the truth for himself.”

  “Most of the others won’t believe it either,” she said. “Not unless they hear it for themselves.” She looked to Djadja. “We need to bring him back.”

  “That could be dangerous,” I said. “He’s going to try to kill us the first chance he gets.”

  “Not with me around,” Ersabet said. “I’ll keep him on a short leash.”

  I patted his head again, doing my best to humiliate him. “I know you thought this was over, and I will keep my word about letting you go, but it seems you have a little more work to do.”

  I stepped away from him and pointed a thumb at Surach. “I have to go kill your friend now. After that, I’ll dig you up.”