Sadie stood stiffly on the main stage in the middle of her village, the same stage where they executed prisoners and held community auctions, both cases seemed ironically fitting. It had been a whirlwind day of silent suffering. The maid had helped her bathe and didn't seem to notice when she winced while getting into the tub. The woman fed her a small meal and then helped her dress in the new gown, one that it seemed had been ordered special for today. It wasn't white, she wasn't worth that kind of coin, but she didn't really care. This whole wedding was a farce, a mockery of the concept of matrimony. She was sore from the long night with Thael, and really, all she wanted to do was sleep.

After bathing and dressing, she was taken to the village's church and made to kneel in front of the altar to silently ruminate on her future, watched over by a hawkeyed matron. The long hours stretched into the early evening. She wasn't given any more food and her knees hurt from staying in such a pious position for so long. The worst part was that it was impossible to escape her thoughts throughout the long meditation. The what-if's and worries were growing wearisome and she really just wanted the day to be over. She didn't want to contemplate what would happen to her or where she would go after today. Perhaps she could join an all women coven and pretend she was a witch.

She stifled a yawn as she waited for her father to finish speaking to the other warlocks on the village council. There were several warlocks that lived in their little village but only the strongest five were on the council. They met every few weeks in the main hall to talk about the village's defense against the slave hunters and unbound demons, listen and judge community disputes, and resolve various other issues that may arise. Her father was the leader of the council and denounced her at every turn to try and save face. Luckily for his legacy, her mother had also produced two other children for him.

Her older brother was a powerful warlock in his own right and their father's pride and joy. He was poised to take their father's position on the council when he stepped down. Her brother had never been mean to her, but he had also never shown her much kindness. She believed it was because he was so close with their father. He had been brainwashed against her as soon as her powers manifested. That was around the time when he stopped talking to her altogether.

She also had an older sister who loathed the sight of her. Her sister was a hedge witch who excelled at protection charms. She blamed Sadie for their mother's lack of attention, claiming that Sadie had used her resources selfishly because she had needed to be shielded and was a burden on the family. Her sister truly believed that Sadie should have been put to death when it was discovered she had inherited the powers of a warlock. She also blamed Sadie for her own issues with finding a good man to marry rather than her own spitefulness and sharp tongue. Her brother stood a few feet behind her father, pointedly not looking at her. Her sister was nowhere to be seen, a small blessing on an otherwise gray day. Thael was also nowhere to be seen, something she was not so thrilled about.

Sadie looked around and found Olaf standing in front of the pub with his two cronies. All three were large men, but he was the largest of the group. All three of them were well into their cups, jibing him about taking another wife. He must have made some lurid comment or joke because all three of them started guffawing loudly. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as Olaf spilled a bit of mead down his front after taking another large swig from his stein. It rolled down to join the other stains unknown that marred his tunic.

My plan had better work, she thought to herself, or I may throw myself into the river and accidentally drown.

That was allegedly how wife number three met her end. She had slipped down the bank of the river, hit her head, and drowned. Her body was found downstream a week later by a merchant, bloated, battered, and very bruised. It was hard to tell if the bruises were caused by the river or if she'd had them before she took her fall.

Wife number one had disappeared without a trace. Olaf had acted inconsolable, yet he was in the beds of the tavern wenches the next night. A rumor circulated that they had a particularly fierce fight, him thinking she was having an affair with their farms neighbor, and he had taken her out into the forest that evening, returning later with a pouch of gold to squander at the tavern. Some believed that he had sold her to the slavers, but no one could prove it. He had said that she had run off with the neighbor. The neighbor had also disappeared that night and Olaf later claimed his land as his own. No one had seen her or the neighbor, nor heard any word from them, again.

Wife number two met a painful end in childbirth. It wouldn't have seemed odd as that was a leading cause in death for women, but the midwife had told one of their maids that the girl was covered in bruises and cuts and that it looked like the child had died in the womb from trauma. It had been quickly covered up as a demon horde had attacked the village and they needed Olaf to lead the fight against them. The ladies had never said another word about it. Sadie was pretty sure her father had a hand in the coverup.

The group around her father broke apart and he started walking over to her, waving to Olaf to join them. They met her at the top of the stage, her father giving her a hard look, as Olaf pawed at her arm. Sadie tried not to look disgusted as her father turned toward the gathered crowd.

"As you all know, we are gathered here to celebrate the union of Sadie Lasiea to Olaf Starkson. With this union, we will join two great and distinguished houses. In holding with tradition, we will allow challenges to this union by combat. If any wish to claim the bride as his own, he must step forward now and make his challenge," her father said, looking at the gathered crowd. He knew that no one would step forward, no one wanting to take on the burden of an aberration like her. No one came forward, and after a moment, Sadie looked down, realizing her greatest fear. The demon wasn't bound, he had used her and he wouldn't be there.

Her father started again, "As none –"

He was interrupted as a man stepped from the crowd, "I'll have a go."

There were murmurs as the crowd realized that someone would challenge for her. Her father stared in shock at Thael as Sadie's head shot up.

Thael was dressed in a fine black leather tunic, a white long sleeve undershirt was buttoned to his neck hiding his glyphs. He again wore black breeches, but now his feet were covered with tall black boots. A long dagger with a silver hilt was attached to a wide belt around his middle, completing his outfit which screamed of great wealth. His hair was tied back, setting off his strong jawline and serious eyes. His tone may have been jovial however his eyes were anything but.

"Who are you? I've never seen you in our village before," her father sputtered, gathering himself after the shock of the challenge.

"My name is Jon Smith..." Thael looked around quickly, "...son. I'm a traveling merchant. I noticed the girl on the stage and figured she'd be worth a good toss."

Sadie glared daggers at him but kept her mouth shut. Olaf's face turned red with indignation.

"I know of all the comings and goings in the village and never heard of you arriving, what do you sell? Where are your wares?"

"I sell Fae Stones," he pulled one of the incredibly rare and precious gems from a pouch under his tunic and held it to the light where it glimmered and threw rainbow reflections on the ground, "As you can imagine, my wares don't take up much space."

Her father's eyes grew wide with greed. It was almost impossible to get something so rare at their village, the merchants refusing to travel through dangerous lands with the stones. They were necessary to ground the strongest group summoning rituals and helped to control the free demons when they assaulted villages.

"Forget the challenge, the girl isn't worth your time, and after this is finished perhaps we may conduct some business," Her father pasted a fake smile on his face, one he reserved for merchants and superiors.

"You could just give me the girl," Thael said, his face and tone not betraying his anger. Sadie was absolutely worth his time. That thought shocked him, set him back. He would examine it later, best not to think about it now.

"In exchange for this stone, of course," he continued.

Sadie's father looked as if he were about to accept the offer when Olaf stepped forward and said blusteringly, "No, she's mine. She was given to me and I'll be damned if she's passed off until I've had my fill." Sadie tried not to gag while her father looked at Olaf like he considered murdering him to get the stone.

"Then we fight, I will win and take the girl, and you'll get nothing," Thael shrugged as if it was all the same to him.

"Damn right we will! I'll crush you, take the girl, and those worthless stones," Olaf shouted as he jumped off the stage, coming to stand a few feet in front of Thael. The crowd stepped back forming a large circle around them, giving them space for the fight. Olaf ripped off his shirt, revealing large muscles gone to seed over a tall thick frame.

Thael locked his hands behind his back, cocking his head to the side, and examined the other man, thoroughly unimpressed. Olaf was large but he had the reddened face and distended stomach of a man who overdrank. He also seemed unsteady on his feet, rocking slightly back and forth as if he was already quite drunk when he was called to the stage for his wedding. The hardest part of this fight would be remembering to hide his speed and agility so they believed him to be human.

"Alright clod, if you insist," Thael said.

"My name is Olaf, not Claude," Olaf said with a confused look on his face. Thael closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he hated being right.

Sadie's father recovered and said, "The rules of the challenge are simple, no weapons, the first man unable to rise is the loser. You may begin."

Thael stood in a relaxed position, knowing that Olaf would take the first shot. He wasn't disappointed when the other man lunged at him. He easily ducked out of the way but was impressed with the speed of the other man's attack. He's was light on his feet for such a large, inebriated, man. Thael's plan was to let the other man wear himself out, perhaps getting in a few blows while he waited, and then he would knock him unconscious.

Sadie watched as the men circled each other, moving around inside the ring of people. Olaf lunged at Thael again and Thael easily dodged, hitting Olaf on his side. This continued a few more times, Olaf lunging, Thael dancing out of the way and hitting him in some spot on his body. Olaf looked like he was in pain but wouldn't give up, growing more furious each moment. Thael was playing with the other man. Sadie realized that she had nothing to fear, Olaf was no match for Thael, she'd never had anything to worry about.

Just as another lunge, dance, hit, was about to take place, Olaf grabbed the hilt of Thael's dagger and swiped at his ribs. Sadie screamed warning as Thael danced back. The attack had been unexpected, the dagger cutting through the layers of his clothes like butter. Luckily it hadn't cut deep enough to reach his skin. The damage had been done though, the shirt hanging open to reveal his glyphs.

"DEMON," Olaf screamed, his battle passion taking on a new fervor.

"Now that I don't have to pretend," Thael said, taking the offensive. Easily he pushed Olaf back, using his increased speed and agility to inflict serious damage on the other man. In short order, Thael beat Olaf until he was unconscious, leaving him lying in the dirt.

Barely breathing hard, Thael looked up at the stage to see Sadie's father chanting and making signs at him. "I bind you demon!" her father yelled, gesturing at him.

"Yeah, good luck with that," he replied, smirking. The villagers, those who hadn't run when he was revealed, cowered back in fear. The other warlocks in the village were trying to make their way to the stage, hindered by the witnesses.

When her father realized that his power was having no effect on the demon, he turned on Sadie and backhanded her. Pain burst in her face, blood running from her nose as the hit sent her stumbling back. She lost her balance, falling hard onto the stage. Her father followed her, picking her up by her arm and backhanding her again. She cried out from the pain, fear in her eyes. Sadie gripped his arm where he held on to her, trying to loosen his grip, struggling to break free. She had known this would happen if he found out that she had summoned Thael, but the little girl in her hoped that her father would forgive her.

"You summoned a demon to fight for you?" he slammed his palm into her face again, making her scream in pain. Her blood sprayed across her father's shirt and he raised his hand to his eyes, his magic gathering around his fingers. Whatever effect he was looking for didn't happen. Her father howled in fury.

"You no longer have a virgin's blood? You whored yourself out to that disgusting creature?" he slammed his fist into her face. Her vision was going dark from pain and blood was running freely from cuts on her face and her nose. She was sure it was broken.

"You are no more use to me, you are tainted, worthless. There is no reason to keep you alive! You are a disgusting creature. I should have killed you when you when we discovered your powers like the council told me to!"

Sadie let out a heart-wrenching sob. Knowing that your father wanted you dead wasn't nearly as bad as him telling you he wanted you dead. The part of her that had secretly hoped her father loved her and would accept her for who she was shriveled in her chest, the light of it dying from her eyes.

Everything had frozen around them, the other warlocks no longer trying to get to the stage as the crowd watched her father beat her, shock moving through them. Suddenly she was torn from her father's grasp, black seething light enveloping him and throwing him back as he howled in agony. The last thing she saw before the world went dark was Thael, his skin a deep wine color, his glyphs and eyes glowing blood red and black bat-like wings towering over his shoulders.