Qown thought about Senera’s statement, that death would be an escape. Thaena would bring Janel back, wouldn’t she? Maybe, maybe. But there was always the risk that it wouldn’t be Thaena who received Janel’s soul, but Xaltorath. Indeed, Qown was willing to bet Xaltorath had rigged things to obtain exactly that result. Which fate would be worse?

It wasn’t exactly a hard choice.

“You’re going to need help,” Brother Qown suggested.

Senera looked up.

“Her magical defenses are indiscriminate. It makes her hard to heal,” he elaborated. “You’ll need someone helping you.”

“If you try anything—”

“I know, I know. If I try anything, you’ll make me wish I was never born.”

“With a few variations, but yes, basically.” Senera motioned him over. “Pull up a stool, and let’s get to work.”

The work itself took about thirty minutes, and by the end, they had two cups of tea and a healthy, whole Joratese count.

Brother Qown wished he felt better about it. Saving Janel’s life had felt like a betrayal.

“Go sit back down. I won’t need you for the next part,” Senera said. “Also, this is the part where you’re likely to try something stupid from sheer moral fortitude, so it might be best to remove the temptation. Sir Oreth, if you’d like to prove yourself useful, keep an eye on the priest here. You shouldn’t need to resort to violence, but I’d keep the sword close, just in case. Oh, and it should go without saying, but don’t kill him. Yes?”

The Joratese man nodded and bent over to retrieve his fallen blade. He held the sword gingerly, as if it had just come fresh from the oven.

Brother Qown sat down again on his original bench, moving his fingers over himself to check for lingering hematomas. However, professional curiosity overcame him, and he started watching Senera paint markings on Janel’s hands, her face, and her chest.

“You’re not—” He frowned. “Who does that summon?”

Senera chuckled. “No one.”

“But I don’t understand.”

“I’m not surprised.”

Sir Oreth looked back between the two other people. “Wait, why are we summoning a demon?”

Brother Qown blinked at him. “Because you have to. You have to summon a demon if you want to gaesh someone.”

“Oh.” Sir Oreth hesitated. “So … I mean, I’ve always wondered. What is a gaesh? I know it’s a thing you do to slaves…?”

“Adorable,” Senera said. “But as it happens, Brother Qown is wrong. You don’t have to summon a demon to gaesh someone. It’s just easier to have a demon do it.”

“And a gaesh?” Sir Oreth insisted.

Senera rolled her eyes. “It’s what you’ve heard. It keeps someone under your control. Not always successfully.”