She didn't know what to say to that. They had, but it didn't feel like they'd made it. It felt like the calm before the storm, like things were only going to get worse from here. "I might hate this place more than I hated Medeiros' palace."

"Well, he never tried to kill you, so..."

"Mm," her eyebrows rose, though she continued to gaze absently out into the white woods. "I never said that."

"Pari." He said seriously. "The man attempted murder?"

"I mean yeah, he'd threaten to lop off my head if I disobeyed him or tried to go back to Atherdale. But I mean," she gestured to herself. "Mind control. I'd tell him to sit down and shut up and he didn't really have a choice. Until he figured it all out, anyways."

"Jesus Christ," he whispered, turning his head to the ground once more.

"It doesn't matter. Medeiros was an idiot. If he really wanted to lop my head off, he'd need three guards to help him do it." she sighed. And it was true. Medeiros had never scared her; not even when he'd realized her power and he'd gotten serious about taking her for himself. No matter how he raged and how he blustered, it had always felt like a child throwing a tantrum: sure, he would throw things at the wall, scream, stomp around, bang his fists on tables and upturn chairs, but... what was he going to do? If he laid a hand on her, Pari wouldn't stop until she had his head on a pike, whether or not she was in his palace... and somewhere deep inside, she'd known that Kyros wouldn't let it stand either. If Medeiros had laid a hand on her, he wouldn't have lived long enough to see his kingdom and his dynasty obliterated.

"Be honest," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off both the blood and the impending headache. "Should we get out of here?"

Yes.
"I don't know." she said. "We're not safe here, but I was talking to the baker. These things are out there too, Feo. They're in Atherdale. Maybe this is better. At least we can learn to protect ourselves... or to ward them off."

"How is this better?" He asked. "They might be out there too, Pari, but by comparison this is... demon HQ. You think I want to go back in that house and sleep in it tonight?"