Chapter 47: "I won’t be your plaything."

Mara remained silent for several seconds before finally raising her head.

"First, I want you to explain something. What exactly do you mean by loyalty? What would I have to do?"

Zarek answered without hesitation. "Follow my orders. Help me whenever I need something, even if I tell you to leave this group or kill someone."

Mara’s expression hardened.

"Then I’ll decline."

Her answer came so quickly that Zarek couldn’t help finding it amusing.

"I came here to protect these people, not to use them as stepping stones for my own survival. I won’t abandon them just because you tell me to."

Zarek watched her for a moment before leaning back in his chair.

"Fine. You can keep your group. But when I give you an order, you follow it."

"And what happens if your orders put them in danger?"

"Don’t worry. I won’t give you orders that harm your group."

Mara studied him, trying to determine whether she could trust that promise. There was little reason to believe Zarek cared about the survivors, but at least he seemed willing to accept her condition.

What she didn’t know was that he had no intention of keeping that promise forever.

For now. Let’s see how long you can maintain those principles.

He wasn’t interested in arguing with her about morality.

If he could make use of her without forcing her to abandon her group, there was no reason to create unnecessary trouble. She could keep playing the protector while he figured out how much value she might bring him.

For the time being, that arrangement suited him just fine.

Mara took a breath before continuing.

"There’s something else."

Zarek waited.

"I won’t be your plaything."

Her voice was firm, and she met his gaze without backing down.

"I’m not going to let you toy with me whenever you feel like it. I’m not that kind of woman. If you still demand my body as part of this deal, then the deal is over."

She knew what kind of man she was dealing with.

Even so, she wasn’t going to hand him control over her life simply because she needed his help.

If that meant walking away without a deal, so be it.

Zarek considered her demand briefly.

"Fine."

Mara blinked, momentarily caught off guard by how easily he agreed. She had expected another argument, perhaps even a threat, but he seemed perfectly willing to move on.

She couldn’t understand what had changed his mind.

As for Zarek, he saw no reason to rush things. Mara had already demonstrated her ability.

That ability was worth more to him right now than forcing her into something she clearly didn’t want.

Her body could wait.

Enjoy your defiance while you can.

One day, you’ll submit to me completely. Your loyalty, your body, your very soul.

The thought brought a faint grin to his face, though he kept the rest of his amusement to himself. He had no intention of giving up on what he wanted. He simply didn’t need to obtain everything today.

For now, Mara could have her little victory.

"So we’re agreed?" she asked cautiously. "You’ll help me negotiate with the survivors upstairs, and you won’t demand anything from my group or force me into something I’ve refused?"

"I’ll accompany you and make sure you get the opportunity to negotiate properly," Zarek replied. "Nobody will intimidate you or start a fight before you’ve even explained what you want."

He made no promise that the negotiations would succeed. Whether the people upstairs agreed to trade was another matter entirely.

Mara understood that much. She was getting a chance to negotiate, not a guarantee that she would return with food.

"Then we have a deal."

"Good."

With that, their discussion came to an end.

By evening, Zarek and Mara had begun climbing toward the thirtieth floor.

The survivors they passed looked much like the people below.

Most were thin, their clothes were worn, and the strain of surviving without a reliable supply of food was evident in their faces.

Some watched the newcomers from their doorways, while others continued with whatever little work they had managed to find.

The difference became apparent when Zarek started paying attention to their equipment.

These people had considerably more weapons than the survivors on the lower floors. Rifles and pistols were carried openly, while others kept knives close at hand.

Their weapons appeared to be maintained rather than hastily gathered, and the way they watched strangers suggested that they had established their own rules.

Whatever rules they followed, they were clearly prepared to defend their territory.

Mara recognized a few of them, although she didn’t stop to talk. Her attention remained on the negotiations ahead, and she seemed increasingly cautious as they approached the upper levels.

Zarek, meanwhile, noticed something stranger than their weapons.

Several survivors had veins that stood out unnaturally beneath their skin. On some, the discoloration spread along their forearms and disappeared beneath their sleeves.

Others had darkened lines running up their necks, giving their skin an unhealthy appearance even when they seemed otherwise normal.

The changes weren’t identical, but they were noticeable enough to catch his attention.

He studied one man as they passed. The man was lean and pale, with veins bulging along his exposed wrist. He held a rifle in one hand and watched Zarek with an expression that was difficult to read.

The apocalypse had already transformed ordinary creatures into monsters. It would be foolish to assume that humans were somehow exempt from whatever was happening to the world.

He filed the observation away and continued following Mara upstairs.

By the time they reached the thirtieth floor, the arrangement of the survivors had become noticeably more organized.

Armed men occupied the surrounding rooms, and several of them watched Zarek and Mara as they approached. After a brief exchange, one of the guards led them into a room farther down the corridor.

Their destination appeared to be the place where the upper-floor survivors conducted their business.

An old man was waiting inside.

Age had left its marks on his face, and his hair had turned almost entirely white.

He sat comfortably in his chair, dressed more neatly than most people Zarek had encountered since the apocalypse began. Several armed survivors stood nearby, yet none appeared to treat him as someone who needed their protection.

They treated him with respect.

That alone made Zarek pay closer attention.

The old man looked up as the two visitors entered. His gaze passed over Mara before settling on Zarek, studying the unfamiliar young man who had accompanied her.

Zarek returned the look without showing any particular concern.

Mara stepped forward, preparing to explain why they had come, but the old man continued watching her companion for another moment.

The old man studied Zarek for another moment before speaking.

"Mara, we can discuss your request shortly. First, I’d like to know something about your companion."

His gaze remained fixed on Zarek.

"You don’t look like a man who came all the way up here just to negotiate for food."

Zarek’s interest sharpened. He hadn’t expected the old man to get straight to the point.